Buddhism in Wales
Encyclopedia
Buddhism
in Wales
has a relatively short history, having only really established a presence in the country in the 20th Century. 5,407 people declared themselves Buddhist in the 2001 census, representing a number of Buddhist traditions. Tibetan Buddhism
is particularly well represented with branches of several different traditions and lineages. Zen
Buddhism has several groups in Wales and three Soto Zen masters are currently resident and actively teaching. The Samatha
Trust, a lay Theravada
group, have their headquarters in Wales as does the Tibetan group, Awakened Heart Sangha. The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order
have a number of groups and a large Cardiff
Buddhist Centre.
The Buddhist Council of Wales http://www.buddhistcouncilofwales.org.uk has a growing number of Buddhist organisations and groups listed on their website. The Council is active in representing Buddhism and has two delegates on the National Assembly for Wales
Faith Communities Forum and two on the Interfaith Council for Wales.
One notable Welsh person to have converted to Buddhism is former rugby star Ricky Evans
.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
has a relatively short history, having only really established a presence in the country in the 20th Century. 5,407 people declared themselves Buddhist in the 2001 census, representing a number of Buddhist traditions. Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
is particularly well represented with branches of several different traditions and lineages. Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
Buddhism has several groups in Wales and three Soto Zen masters are currently resident and actively teaching. The Samatha
Samatha
Samatha , śamatha "calm abiding," comprises a suite, type or style of Buddhist meditation or concentration practices designed to enhance sustained voluntary attention, and culminates in an attention that can be sustained effortlessly for hours on end...
Trust, a lay Theravada
Theravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
group, have their headquarters in Wales as does the Tibetan group, Awakened Heart Sangha. The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order
Friends of the Western Buddhist Order
The Triratna Buddhist Community is an international fellowship of Buddhists, and others who aspire to its path of mindfulness, under the leadership of the Triratna Buddhist Order...
have a number of groups and a large Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
Buddhist Centre.
The Buddhist Council of Wales http://www.buddhistcouncilofwales.org.uk has a growing number of Buddhist organisations and groups listed on their website. The Council is active in representing Buddhism and has two delegates on the National Assembly for Wales
National Assembly for Wales
The National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
Faith Communities Forum and two on the Interfaith Council for Wales.
One notable Welsh person to have converted to Buddhism is former rugby star Ricky Evans
Ricky Evans
Ricky Evans is a former Welsh rugby union player.Born in Aberporth Cardigan in West Wales in 1960, Ricky Evans played most of his club rugby for Llanelli RFC playing in the victorious side which beat the touring Wallabies who were then World Champions...
.
See also
- Buddhism in ScotlandBuddhism in ScotlandThe arrival of Buddhism in Scotland is relatively recent. In Scotland Buddhists represent 0.13% of the population . People were asked both their current religion and that they were brought up in...
- Buddhism in EnglandBuddhism in EnglandBuddhism is quite a recent religion to arrive in England. Despite this, 144,453 people declared themselves to be Buddhist at the 2001 Census.-History:...
- Buddhism in the United KingdomBuddhism in the United KingdomBuddhism in the United Kingdom has a small but growing number of adherents which, according to a Buddhist organisation, is mainly the result of conversion. In the UK census for 2001, there were about 152,000 people who registered their religion as Buddhism, and about 174,000 who cited religions...
- Religion in WalesReligion in WalesChristianity is the largest religion in Wales. Until 1920 the established church was Anglican, although Wales has a strong tradition of nonconformism and Methodism....