Buddhism in Brazil

Buddhism in Brazil

With almost 250,000 Buddhists, Brazil has the third-largest Buddhist population in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. People in Brazil follow many different Buddhist traditions and schools. There are nearly 150 Buddhist temples in the country, in many different states. These temples and groups help share Buddhist teachings and practices with people living in Brazil.

History

Initial introduction to Brazil

See also: Japanese Brazilians

Buddhism came to Brazil in the early 1800s with a few Chinese people. It became better known when many Japanese people arrived to work as farmers in the early 1900s. These Japanese people mainly practiced a type of Buddhism called Jōdo Shinshū, which honors the Amida Buddha. They did not build many temples or bring many monks, so Buddhism was mostly for special ceremonies. The first Buddhist temple in Brazil, Taissenji, was built in 1936 in Guaiçara.

Institutionalisation

After Japan lost World War II in 1945, many Japanese people in Brazil chose to stay. This led to more temples and groups forming. Many new temples were built from the 1940s to the 1960s. An important temple, Soto Zen Busshinji, was built in São Paulo in 1955. It taught Buddhism to both Japanese Brazilians and people from other backgrounds. In the 1970s, it began offering meditation classes for everyone. The first Zen monastery in Brazil was built in 1976.

Spread to wider Brazilian society

In the 1940s, people from China and Korea also came to Brazil and brought their Buddhist traditions. The first Chinese Buddhist temple, Mo Ti, opened in São Paulo in 1962. Other temples from Taiwan and Korea followed.

Some Brazilians who were not from Asia became interested in Buddhism, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. They liked the teachings and meditation, particularly Zen Buddhism. These new followers sometimes had different ideas than the Japanese communities, which focused more on family traditions. Over time, temples began to include people from many backgrounds. By the 1990s, Buddhism was better known in Brazil, with many magazines writing about it. Today, there are many kinds of Buddhist groups and temples across the country.

Mahayana Buddhism

Japanese Buddhist groups such as Soto Zen, Nichiren Honmon Butsuryu Shu, Jodo-shu, Jodo Shinshu, and Soka Gakkai are active in Brazil. These groups face challenges because the goals of traditional Japanese followers often differ from those of native Brazilians and Brazilians of Japanese descent.

Even though Japan helped bring Buddhism to Brazil, it is not very common among descendants of Japanese immigrants, many of whom became Roman Catholicism followers. Those who follow Buddhism often try to mix their beliefs with local Brazilian culture. These groups are working to reach out to Brazilians who are not of Japanese background, but this can be difficult.

Other Japanese Buddhist traditions in Brazil include Shingon, Tendai, Nichiren-shū, and Nichiren Shōshū, though they have fewer followers. Recently, interest has grown in Zen practices from Korea and Vietnam in Brazil.

The Chinese Chan tradition is centered around the Zu Lai Temple in Cotia, São Paulo State, which opened in 2003. This temple is the largest in Latin America. Another Mahayana temple, the Fo Guang Shan Temple, is located in Olinda, in the state of Pernambuco. The Vietnamese Zen school led by Thich Nhat Hanh also has temples in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Theravada Buddhism

The Theravada tradition in Brazil started with the Brazil Buddhist Society. It began with a general look at Buddhism and later focused more on Theravada teachings. It uses guidance from the Pāli Canon and the Tripitaka. Since the 1970s, simple buildings made by volunteers have welcomed monks from Sri Lanka and other Theravada countries. In 1989, the Nalanda Buddhist Centre was created, with groups in Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, and Curitiba. It has brought in many teachers from around the world. Today, there is a monastery in São Lourenço, Minas Gerais, following the teachings of Ajahn Chah and led by Ajahn Mudito.

Vajrayana Buddhism

The four main schools of Vajrayana Buddhism—Nyingma, Gelug, Sakya, and Kagyu—have centers in Brazil. A famous teacher, Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, moved his group's main office to Três Coroas in Rio Grande do Sul. The 14th Dalai Lama visited Brazil in 2006.

Contemporary Buddhism

Brazil is mostly a Christian country, but Buddhism is growing there. Brazilian Buddhists are active online. They use websites and groups, like some Facebook groups, to talk about Buddhism and ask questions.

Buddhist activities in Brazil can be limited because most people speak Portuguese, not Spanish. This makes it harder for Buddhist groups to connect with others in nearby countries.

The government of Espírito Santo has helped by letting police officers learn Zen at the Mosteiro Zen Morro da Vargem.