Buddhism in Brazil

With nearly 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 almost 150 Buddhist temples in the country, found in many different states. These temples and groups help bring Buddhist teachings and practices to people living in Brazil.

History

Initial introduction to Brazil

See also: Japanese Brazilians

Buddhism first came to Brazil in the early 1800s with small groups of Chinese people who moved there. It became more well-known when many people from Japan came to work as farmers in Brazil in the early 1900s. These people mostly followed a type of Buddhism called Jōdo Shinshū, which focuses on worshipping the Amida Buddha. They did not build many temples or bring many monks with them, so Buddhism was not very important in their daily lives except for special ceremonies. The first Buddhist temple in Brazil, called Taissenji, was built in 1936 in a town named Guaiçara.

Institutionalisation

After Japan lost World War II in 1945, many Japanese people who were living in Brazil decided to stay there instead of returning home. This led to more temples and groups forming to practice Buddhism. Many new temples were built from the 1940s through the 1960s. One important temple, Soto Zen Busshinji, was built in São Paulo in 1955 and helped teach Buddhism to both Japanese Brazilians and people from other backgrounds. It started offering meditation classes for everyone in the 1970s. The first Zen monastery in Brazil was built in 1976.

Spread to wider Brazilian society

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

Some Brazilians who were not from Asia also became interested in Buddhism, especially during the 1960s and 1970s. They were drawn to the teachings and meditation practices, particularly Zen Buddhism. These new followers sometimes had different ideas from the Japanese communities, which focused more on family traditions. Over time, temples began to include more people from different backgrounds. By the 1990s, Buddhism became more well-known in Brazil, with many magazines writing about it. Today, there are many different 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 very active in Brazil. Even though these groups are strong in Brazil, they face challenges. One challenge is that the goals of traditional Japanese followers often differ from those of native Brazilians and Brazilians of Japanese descent.

Although 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, supported by American Buddhist groups, 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 began with the Brazil Buddhist Society, which started with a general approach to 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 also 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

All four major schools of Vajrayana Buddhism—Nyingma, Gelug, Sakya, and Kagyu—have active centers in Brazil. A well-known teacher, Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, moved his international organization's headquarters to Três Coroas in Rio Grande do Sul. The 14th Dalai Lama also visited Brazil in 2006.

Contemporary Buddhism

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

Buddhist activities in Brazil are sometimes 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.