There is a small, rapidly growing Buddhist community in Canada. As of the 2001 count, 300,345 Canadians identified their religion as Buddhist[1] (about 1% of the population).
Buddhism has been practised in Canada for more than a century and in recent years has grown dramatically. Buddhism arrived in Canada with the arrival of Chinese labourers in the territories during the 19th century.[2] Modern Buddhism in Canada traces to Japanese immigration during the late 19th century.[2] The first Japanese Buddhist temple in Canada was built at the Ishikawa Hotel in Vancouver in 1905.[3] Over time, the Japanese Jōdo Shinshū branch of Buddhism became the prevalent form of Buddhism in Canada[2] and established the largest Buddhist organization in Canada.[2]
A substantial expansion of Buddhism in Canada began in the last half of the 20th century. Changes in Canadian immigration pattern saw a massive influx of immigrants from Sri Lanka, Japan, and Southeast Asian nations, all of which have strong Buddhist histories and demographics. In addition, the immense popularity and goodwill ushered in by Tibet's Dalai Lama (who has been made honorary Canadian citizen) put Buddhism in a favourable light. Many non-Asian Canadians (Namgyal Rinpoche, Glenn H. Mullin, and Richard Barron for instance) have embraced Buddhism in various traditions and some have become leaders in their respective sanghas.
There are now more than 500 Buddhist organizations in Canada, including temples, centres, associations, retreats, charities, businesses, etc. All lineages (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana and Novayana newer schools) are represented. Several universities offer extensive programs in Buddhist Studies.
Immigrant communities construct temples in Canada’s urban centres, and Buddhist ideas and practices such as meditation, vegetarianism, and non-violence are increasingly a part of mainstream culture. Chinese, Tibetan, Lao, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese Buddhisms flourish while increasingly some native-born Canadians are turning to Buddhism.[4]
It has been estimated that some 600,000 Canadians will count themselves Buddhist on the 2011 census.[5]
[edit] Buddhist population
The Buddhist Population in Canada according to the 2001 Census.[1]
[edit] See also
[edit] Further reading
- Matthews, Bruce, Ed. Buddhism in Canada (2006)
- McLellan, Janet Many Petals of the Lotus: Five Asian Buddhist Communities in Toronto (1999)
[edit] References
[edit] External links
|
Buddhism in North America
|
|
| Sovereign states |
|
|
Dependencies and
other territories |
|
|
Ontario
British Columbia
Quebec
Alberta
Manitoba
Saskatchewan
Nova Scotia
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Prince Edward Island
Yukon
Nunavut
Canada
