Nursery trip to London Buddhist Centre
Well we must be timing it well because once again on doing our grandparent duties I had the opportunity to accompany our grandson on a nursery visit to a religious place of learning and worship. So I went with Ralph to the London Buddhist Centre in Bethnal Green.
It's really good that the nursery is taking serious the need to enrich the children's experience of faith communities.
This trip meant taking three and four year olds on the tube. You could tell that most of them were used to getting around London this way. However what a responsibility for the staff to ensure about twenty five children made it there and back safely. It was good that many parents came along to make it possible.
So we got on the Elizabeth Line at Stratford, lovely new trains but it was full at that time in the morning. We then simply crossed platform to the old style tube train central line to Bethnal Green. A short walk and we arrived at the centre.
This was a place well used to receiving groups and they were ready for us when we arrived. Children and adults removed shoes. Then after a brief introduction by one of the ordained Buddhists we moved into the larger worship space.
With mats laid our and a cushion on top we all took our places with of course the children taking in the large statue of the Buddha sitting on a Lotus leaf. The Buddhist explained about her simple neck scarf with the three jewels on it in Red Blue and Yellow. Yellow was for the Buddha, Blue for teaching and Red for Community. Very simply and clearly she explained some basic information appropriate for the children. She gave them simple actions to do , spoke about the need to use their five senses, and wisely she used a Monkey to tell a story to keep the children engaged most of the time. It must have worked because my grandson while not remembering much else could tell me the whole story of the money that annoyed the water buffalo and how. Mind you I had to remind him of what she said at the end of the story- treat others how you would like them to treat you.
It was just the right length of time spent there which was followed by a chilly picnic in the park. It then being time to return Ralph and I made our own way home.
thank you for opportunities
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