 | This article appears to contradict another article. |
| Part of a series on |
| Buddhism |
|---|
 |
Buddhism is New Zealand's third-largest religion after Christianity and Hinduism standing at 1.5% of the population of New Zealand. [1] Buddhism originates in Asia and was introduced to New Zealand by immigrants from East Asia. [2]
The first Buddhists in New Zealand were Chinese diggers in the Otago goldfields in the mid-1860s. [3] Their numbers were small, and the 1926 census, the first to include Buddhism, recorded only 169.[ citation needed ] Buddhism grew significantly as a religion in New Zealand during the 1970s and 1980s with the arrival of Southeast Asian immigrants and refugees, coinciding with increased interest in Buddhist teaching from Western communities. [3] Buddhist associations began forming, such as the Zen Society of New Zealand in 1972 (originally known as the Denkyo-ji Society), often fundraising to organise
In the 1970s travel to Asian countries and visits by Buddhist teachers sparked an interest in the religious traditions of Asia, and significant numbers of New Zealanders adopted Buddhist practices and teachings.
Since the 1980s Asian migrants and refugees have established their varied forms of Buddhism in New Zealand. In the 2010s more than 50 groups, mostly in the Auckland region, offered different Buddhist traditions at temples, centres, monasteries and retreat centres. Many migrant communities brought priests or religious specialists from their own countries and their temples and centres have acted as focal points for a particular ethnic community, offering language and religious instruction. National and international groups.
In 2008 the Sixth Global Conference on Buddhism brought leading teachers and scholars to Auckland under the auspices of the New Zealand Buddhist Foundation. The New Zealand Buddhist Council was established in 2007 and was composed of 15 Buddhist organisations. As of 2020 there are 32 member organizations. [4] They engage with local and national government over issues of concern to Buddhist communities, support their members administratively and promote dialogue and understanding between the rich diversity of traditions in the country. [5]
According to the 2006 Census, Buddhism constituted 1.4% of the population of New Zealand. It slightly increased to 1.5% in the 2013 census. Most of the Buddhists in New Zealand are migrants from Asia with significant New Zealanders converted to Buddhism ranging from 15,000 [6] -20,000. [5] According to the 2013 census, there are about 58,440 Buddhists in New Zealand. [7] The converts to Buddhism is estimated to constitute between 25% [8] –35% [5] of the total Buddhist population in New Zealand. The 2018 census counted 52,779 Buddhists in New Zealand. [9]
| Year | Percent | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1.40% | +0.20% |
| 2013 | 1.50% [7] | +0.10% |
| 2018 | 1.13% [9] | -0.37% |
According to a Survey done by Victoria University of Wellington in 2019, it was found that New Zealanders believe that Buddhists are the most trusted religious group in New Zealand. About 35 per cent of New Zealanders have complete or substantial trust in Buddhists. [10]
There are many Buddhist temples and centres in New Zealand for New Zealand Buddhists to practice their religion, the largest being Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple New Zealand in Auckland. Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple South Island in Christchurch's Riccarton Road opened in 2007; it was designed by Warren and Mahoney. [11] [12] Closed after the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, the temple reopened in August 2016. [13]
The Bodhinyanarama Monastery in Stokes Valley, Lower Hutt was established in the 1980s, [14] with the monastery complex constructed in 1992. [15] Vimutti Buddhist Monastery was established near Bombay and Ararimu in rural southern Auckland Region in early 2000. [16] Both monasteries belong to the Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah. [17] [18]
Wat Lao Buddharam in Ōtāhuhu, Auckland, was constructed by Laotian refugees in 1989, [3] and Ratanadipa Buddhist Temple, a Burmese community temple, was established in 2002 by the Auckland Myanmar Buddhist Association. [19] As of 2021, there are nine Thai Buddhist temples across the country. [20]
Fo Guang Shan (FGS) (Chinese: 佛光山; pinyin: Fó guāng shān; lit. 'Buddha's Light Mountain') is an international Chinese Mahāyāna Buddhist organization and monastic order based in Taiwan that practices Humanistic Buddhism whose roots are traced to the Linji school of Chan Buddhism. The headquarters, Fo Guang Shan Monastery, is located in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, and is the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. The organization is also one of the largest charity organizations in Taiwan. The organization's counterpart for laypeople is known as the Buddha's Light International Association.
Hsing Yun was a Chinese Buddhist monk, teacher, and philanthropist based in Taiwan. He was the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist monastic order as well as the layperson-based Buddha's Light International Association. Hsing Yun was considered a major proponent of Humanistic Buddhism and one of the most influential teachers of modern Taiwanese Buddhism. In Taiwan, he was popularly referred to as one of the "Four Heavenly Kings" of Taiwanese Buddhism, along with his contemporaries: Master Sheng-yen of Dharma Drum Mountain, Master Cheng Yen of Tzu Chi and Master Wei Chueh of Chung Tai Shan.
Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple is a mountain monastery in the northern Puente Hills, Hacienda Heights, Los Angeles County, California. The name Hsi Lai means "coming west".
Riccarton is a suburb of Christchurch. It is due west of the city centre, separated from it by Hagley Park. Upper Riccarton is to the west of Riccarton.
With nearly 250,000 Buddhists, Brazil is home to the third-largest Buddhist population in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. Buddhism in Brazil consists of practitioners from various Buddhist traditions and schools. A number of Buddhist organisations and groups are also active in Brazil, with nearly 150 temples spread across the states.
Buddhism is a minor religion in the Philippines. A recent nation-wide census in 2020 showed that the number of Buddhists in the country was at 39,158 adherents out of the 112.2 million Philippine population or roughly 0.03% of the national population, the lowest in Southeast Asia. This is much lower to what was initially estimated by a presenter at the United Nations in 2016, where it was initially thought to be at 2%. Buddhism is practiced by both native Filipinos, and by Filipinos of Chinese descent. The number of Buddhists in the country has been dwindling due to the lack or no significant presence of Buddhist missionary works where the teachings of the Buddha are translated and taught to the native regional languages. Unlike Christian missionaries which have expanded in the country further, Buddhist missionaries tend to be lax and less assertive, thus ineffective.
East Tāmaki is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is a largely industrial area adjacent to a rapidly growing population. Prior to the 1960s it was largely a dairy farming area. A landmark is Smales Mountain which in 2010 has the remains of an old Pā, a stone field garden, an early church, and farm homestead. A newer landmark is the Fo Guang Shan Temple which was the largest Buddhist temple in New Zealand when it opened in 2007.
Buddhism is a minority religion in Argentina, where, in addition to the majority of the Christian population, the rate of self-professed Buddhists is about 0.5%.
Buddhism is the third largest religion in France, after Christianity and Islam.
Religion in New Zealand encompasses a wide range of groups and beliefs. New Zealand has no state religion and freedom of religion has been protected since the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
Buddhism is one of the major religions of Taiwan. Taiwanese people predominantly practice Mahayana Buddhism, Confucian principles, Taoist tradition and local practices. Roles for religious specialists from both Buddhist and Taoist traditions exist on special occasions such as for childbirth and funerals. Of these, a smaller number identify more specifically with Chinese Buddhist teachings and institutions, without necessarily eschewing practices from other Asian traditions. Around 35% of the population believes in Buddhism.
Chung Tian Temple is a Chan Buddhist temple located at 1034 Underwood Road, Priestdale, Queensland, Australia. The temple is part of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist monastic order. Construction of the temple began in January 1991 and it opened in June 1993. Chung Tian Temple was founded by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, who is also the founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order.
Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple is the Philippine branch of the Taiwan affiliated Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order in the Philippines. As do all branch temples, way-places, and organizations of Fo Guang Shan, the branch follows Humanistic Buddhism, a modernized style of Buddhist teaching as propagated by Hsing Yun, spiritual founder and teacher of the order.
The Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple of New Zealand is a temple and community centre of the Fo Guang Shan Chinese Buddhist movement in the East Tāmaki/Flat Bush suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. The temple and complex were built over seven years. It was designed in the architectural style of the Tang dynasty. The temple also includes a large Buddha statue and a two-tonne bell.
Buddhism in England has growing support. 238,626 people in England declared themselves to be Buddhist at the 2011 Census and 34% of them lived in London.
New Zealander Sikhs number over 53,000 people and account for 1.1% of New Zealand's population as of 2023, forming the country's fastest-growing and fifth-largest religious group. New Zealand has the world's third-largest Sikh proportion behind Canada (2.1%) and India (1.7%). While there are Sikhs in all sixteen regions of New Zealand, over half of Sikhs lived in Auckland Region in 2018.
The Zu Lai Temple is a Buddhist temple in Cotia, São Paulo, Brazil. It is the largest Buddhist temple in South America with 10,000 square meters of constructed area, inside an area of approximately 150,000 square meters. It is a branch temple of the Fo Guang Shan order in Taiwan, practicing the Mahāyāna branch of Buddhism. The Zu Lai Temple states as its main objective the cultural and religious dissemination of the Buddhist Tradition, whilst trying to reach to the general population the teachings of traditional Buddhist education, culture and meditation.
The Four Heavenly Kings or Four Great Mountains四大名山 of Taiwan refers to four Buddhist masters in Taiwanese Buddhism who each founded an influential Buddhist institution in the country. The term draws its name from the Four Heavenly Kings who each rule over one of the heavenly realms in Buddhist cosmology. Like the Four Heavenly Kings mythology, each Buddhist teacher corresponds to one cardinal direction, based on where their organization is located in Taiwan. The corresponding institutions of the masters are referred to as the "Four Great Mountains".
The Four Great Mountains of Taiwan refers to a group of four prominent organizations in Taiwanese Buddhism. The term draws its name from the Four Sacred Mountains of China, four mountains in mainland China that each hold sacred Chinese Buddhist sites. The founders of the institutions are collectively referred to as the Four Heavenly Kings of Taiwanese Buddhism. Each of the "Four Heavenly Kings" corresponds to one cardinal direction, based on where their organization is located in Taiwan. The institutions that make up the "Four Great Mountains" of Taiwanese Buddhism are:
Fo Guang Shan Monastery is a Chinese Mahāyāna Buddhist monastery in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It is the headquarters of the Fo Guang Shan international organization and the largest Buddhist monastery in Taiwan.
