Thursday, November 13, 2014 | 7:06 p.m. CST; updated 7:12 p.m. CST, Thursday, November 13, 2014

COLUMBIA Tibetan monk Champa Lhunpo said he believes one can never finish studying Buddhism. But, Thursday morning at Hickman High School, he gave some students a head start.

"The Buddhism we see is vastly profound," Lhunpo said to students, parents and teachers gathered in the auditorium.

Lhunpo spoke on the cosmology and theology of Tibetan Buddhism to different world religion classes from bothMuriel Williams Battle High School and Hickman.

Dressed in red and gold robes, Lhunpo discussed topics including Buddhist vows, reincarnation, meditation, karma and enlightenment.

"We believe all religion have same values," he said. "They talk about compassion and kindness."

George Frissell, a teacher of classical ideals and world religion at Hickman, said the Columbia Human Rights Commission provided a grant to bring Lhunpo, who is a professor at the University of Kansas, to Columbia. Lhunpo first came to Hickman in 2000 and has visited every year since, Frissell said.

Frissell said Lhunpo provides enrichment for students because speaking with practitioners is an important principle in learning about religion.

After the presentation, Lhunpo answered questions from teachers and students, including one about daily life at a monastery.

"Monks complain there are too many bells," he said with a laugh.

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Tibetan monk speaks to Battle, Hickman high school students