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This is a list of notable Buddhists or Buddhist practitioners who live or lived in the United States. This list includes both formal teachers of Buddhism, and people notable in other areas who are publicly Buddhist or who have espoused Buddhism in America.
Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali which means "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; In these languages, sangha is frequently used as a surname. In a political context, it was historically used to denote a governing assembly in a republic or a kingdom, and for a long time, it has been used by religious associations, including Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs. Given this history, some Buddhists have stated that the tradition of the sangha represents humanity's oldest surviving democratic institution.
Buddhism in the West broadly encompasses the knowledge and practice of Buddhism outside of Asia in the Western world. Occasional intersections between Western civilization and the Buddhist world have been occurring for thousands of years. The first Westerners to become Buddhists were Greeks who settled in Bactria and India during the Hellenistic period. They became influential figures during the reigns of the Indo-Greek kings, whose patronage of Buddhism led to the emergence of Greco-Buddhism and Greco-Buddhist art. There was little contact between the Western and Buddhist cultures during most of the Middle Ages but the early modern rise of global trade and mercantilism, improved navigation technology and the European colonization of Asian Buddhist countries led to increased knowledge of Buddhism among Westerners. This increased contact led to various responses from Buddhists and Westerners throughout the modern era. These include religious proselytism, religious polemics and debates, Buddhist modernism, Western convert Buddhists and the rise of Buddhist studies in Western academia. During the 20th century, there was a growth in Western Buddhism due to various factors such as immigration, globalization, the decline of Christianity and increased interest among Westerners. The various schools of Buddhism are now established in all major Western countries making up a small minority in the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
The schools of Buddhism are the various institutional and doctrinal divisions of Buddhism that have existed from ancient times up to the present. The classification and nature of various doctrinal, philosophical or cultural facets of the schools of Buddhism is vague and has been interpreted in many different ways, often due to the sheer number of different sects, subsects, movements, etc. that have made up or currently make up the whole of Buddhist traditions. The sectarian and conceptual divisions of Buddhist thought are part of the modern framework of Buddhist studies, as well as comparative religion in Asia.
Buddhism is a legally recognized religion in Austria. Although still small in absolute numbers, Buddhism in Austria enjoys widespread acceptance. A majority of Buddhists in the country are Austrian nationals, while a considerable number of them are foreign nationals.
The term American Buddhism can be used to describe all Buddhist groups within the United States, including Asian-American Buddhists born into the faith, who comprise the largest percentage of Buddhists in the country.
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.
The Buddhist flag is a flag designed in the late 19th century as a universal symbol of Buddhism. It is used by Buddhists throughout the world.
Buddhist traditions are represented in South Africa in many forms. Although the inherently introspective nature of Buddhism does not encourage census, adherents to these traditions are usually outspoken and supported by perhaps an even greater, though hidden number of sympathisers. Temples, centres and groups are common in the metropolitan areas and the country is thought to comprise the largest Buddhist community in Africa.
Buddhism in Italy is the third most spread religion, next to Christianity and Islam. According to Caritas Italiana, in the country there are 160,000 Buddhists, that is to say the 0.3% of the total population.
The roots of Buddhism in Poland can be found in the early 20th century in the nation's connections to the origin countries of the religion, like Vietnam, China, Japan, and Korea. After World War II, primarily expatriate Poles joined various Buddhist groups and organizations. Since the breakdown of the Eastern Bloc, which had promoted an antireligious campaign, Buddhism has been able to develop further in the more tolerant atmosphere.
A prostration is a gesture used in Buddhist practice to show reverence to the Triple Gem and other objects of veneration.
Buddhism in Iceland is followed by 0.43% of the population of Iceland, according to the 2021 Census. Buddhism has existed since the 1990s after immigration from countries with Buddhist populations, mainly Thailand. As of 2008, there are three Buddhist organizations in Iceland officially recognized as religious organizations by the Icelandic government. The oldest and largest is the Buddhist Association of Iceland, a Theravada group, which was recognized in 1996 and had 880 members in 2010. Another group, Zen in Iceland – Night Pasture, a Zen group, was recognized in 1999 and had 75 members in 2010. The most recent group is, SGI in Iceland, a Soka Gakkai International group, which was recognized in 2008 with 135 members.
Buddhism is a major religion in Hong Kong and has been greatly influential in the traditional culture of its populace. Among the most prominent Buddhist temples in the city there are the Chi Lin Nunnery in Diamond Hill, built in the Tang dynasty's architectural style; the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, famous for the outdoor bronze statue, Tian Tan Buddha, which attracts a large number of visitors during the weekends and holidays.
Buddhism in the United Kingdom has a small but growing number of adherents which, according to a Buddhist organisation, is mainly a result of conversion. In the UK census for 2011, there were about 247,743 people who registered their religion as Buddhism, and about 174,000 who cited religions other than Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Islam, Jainism and Sikhism. This latter figure is likely to include some people who follow the traditional Chinese folk religion which also includes some elements of Buddhism.
Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is an international Nichiren Buddhist organisation run by two vice-presidents including Hiromasa Ikeda. It was founded in 1975 by his father, Daisaku Ikeda, as an umbrella organization of Soka Gakkai. The SGI claims approximately 12 million adherents in 192 countries and territories since the 1990s, more than 1.5 million of whom resided outside of Japan as of 2012. However, the number is controversial and impossible to verify.
Costa Rica has more Buddhists than the other countries in Central America with almost 100,000, followed closely by Panama, with almost 70,000.
Buddhism in Scotland is a relatively recent phenomenon. In Scotland Buddhists represent 0.24% of the population or around 13,000 people.
Buddhism is a minority religion in Denmark with approximately 64,000 members (1.1%) in 2018.
actor Kate Bosworth in 1983 (age 36)
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)During Philip Kapleau's book tour in 1965 Dorris Carlson, wife of Chester Carlson, the inventor of xerography, invited him to visit her small meditation group in Rochester, New York. In June 1966, with the support of the Carlsons, he founded the Rochester Zen Center.
Chester Carlson in front of Zen Center, 1968– contributed heavily to the beliefs of Zen Buddhism. (1 photo)
In the days before the center, Fernandez was part of a small group of Buddhists who met and meditated at the home of Doris and Chester Carlson, the inventor of xerography. Few Rochesterians knew anything of Buddhism at the time, Fernandez says. 'I'd hear people refer to the center as the Zen medication center.' ¶ Carlson's fortune helped start the center, but he was not impressed with his wealth.
During Philip Kapleau's book tour in 1965 Dorris Carlson invited him to visit her small meditation group and in June 1966, with the support of the Carlsons, he founded the Rochester Zen Center.
Ralph obtained galleys of the book and was instrumental in introducing the book as well as Roshi Kapleau to Dorris and Chester Carlson, whose Rochester meditation group later formed the nucleus of the Rochester Zen Center.
Two of the earliest readers of Three Pillars were Ralph Chapin of Chapin Manufacturing in Batavia, New York, and Dorris Carlson of Rochester, New York, the wife of Chester Carlson, the inventor of xerography, the technology that became the foundation for the Xerox Corporation. During Philip Kapleau's book tour in 1965, Dorris Carlson invited him to visit her small meditation group and in June 1966, with the support of the Carlsons, he founded the Rochester Zen center.
'Ironic' singer Alanis Morissette has been practicing Buddhism many years.
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