Nora Grīnberga, as visitor to the CTII community from Latvia, reflects on the CTII Schools visit to the Tibetan Buddhist Centre.
This afternoon, the wind had picked up and seemed to be calling in rain, as learning voices carried me into the Tibetan Buddhism Centre, Kenilworth, Cape Town, filling the garden with conversations and laughter.
My body was restless, but the moment the singing bowl rang its first song, everything shifted. Its clear note stretched through the room, urging us to pause, to breathe, to arrive.
We sat by the altar, young people from different schools, faiths, and backgrounds, sharing the space without needing to speak. The silence was alive, humming quietly beneath our breaths until it broke and spilled into conversation.
Our Tibetan Buddhist guide Jenny spoke of kindness and presence, of connecting with life through every small gesture. She shared about the foundation of Tibetan Buddhism and how meditation practices help to align the body and mind to kindness and presence. The stories behind the chants, the mandalas, the prayers were threads weaving us into a larger, living tapestry.
Our dear guide Cecil shared his Buddhist path, from Soka Gakkai International: Nam-myōhō-renge-kyō—a chant so powerful it felt alive, vibrating through our being and bringing us energy. He told us stories about how this path came to be and the power it gave to people in difficult times.
All of this – the silence, the teachings, the rituals – felt connected to the questions CTII places at the heart of its Youth Interfaith Intercultural Programme:
Who am I? Who are you? Who are we?
In that room, those questions weren’t puzzles to solve but doorways to step through. I felt their weight and their openness, the same way the singing bowl’s song lingers in the room.
Afterwards, the young learners were restless with questions. They asked our guides everything – from the philosophy to their personal practice. They also turned to peers who practice Buddhism, learning from their experiences, how it feels to be devoted to this path. Each question opened a doorway, a space for understanding and reflection, and the guides welcomed them with patience and an invitation to look through a different lens than they’re used to.
Imam Salieg Isaacs (a long time friend of CTII who also teaches at Wynberg High, one of our program’s schools) was welcomed as “honorary Buddhist” and shared his vision of a tolerant and inclusive Islam; very fitting!
Watching the learners engage, I realized that the real magic of the session wasn’t just in the rituals or chants, but in the bravery of asking, listening, and connecting. The questions were as important as the teachings, and in that space, everyone’s curiosity was honored. There was laughter, surprise, reflection, and texture – all blending together into a living, breathing learning space.
Leaving the centre, the weather had swirled into wind and rain, but I felt expanded, with warmth in my heart. These young people are building bridges with their questions, their attention, and their openness – their curiosity and courage sending ripples through those around them, widening circles of connection.
