Buddhism growing fastest in Australia
Australia (UJI): Buddhism is fastest growing religion and it is the second largest religious group in Australia. The vast majority of Australians are members of the Christian faith, but per capita the number of Buddhists has growing tremendously than any other Western Nations. Christianity is decreasing in every year. The Christian peoples knew now that Buddhism is the only Scientific, Humanistic and Peace-loving religion in the world.
According to the Australian Board of Statistics released a report in 2006 that claims a 79% increase in Aussies (Australian) who consider themselves Buddhists since 1996, now reaching more than 418,812 people. The few years since this report and visits by the Dalai Lama has probably increased this number considerably.
An interview on ABC Radio with a famous and most Senior British-Australian Spiritual Buddhist teacher Venerable Ajahn Brahmavamsa, Spiritual Director of the Bodhinyana Monastery, Western Australia states that, “Twice as many people who say they are Buddhists actually meditate, go to temples, and read books. That's one in 20 Australians. If they are not sympathetic to Buddhist, they are certainly very close to being Buddhists.”
Accoring to Buddhanet accout, at present 275 monasteries inclunidng Meditation Cente, Community Centre, belong from Thereavada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, and Non-Sectorian/Mixed.
Many Christian converts says - Buddhism given them freedoms they have never had before. In Buddhism you are allowed to ask questions and actually you're actively encouraged to doubt and to discuss and so on”. The Buddha said, “Don't just believe because I'm very famous, and don’t just believe because many people believe what I teach. Be like the Goldsmith, you know, apply the acid to the gold to test it and the acid being your mind, your intelligence. So in that sense it's a manifesto of intellectual freedom which is very appealing.” It is true that Buddhism really suits for people who have independent thinking.
Between 1405 and 1433 the Chinese Emperor, Ming Cheng-Ho, sent sixty-two large ships to explore southern Asia. Although there is evidence that several ships from that armada landed on the Aru Islands to the north of Arnhem Land, it is not known whether they reached the mainland.
The first documented arrival of Buddhists in Australia was in 1848 during the gold rushes, when Chinese coolie laborers were brought into the country to work on the Victorian gold fields. These workers represented a transient population that usually returned home within five years. It was not until 1876 that the first permanent Buddhist community was established by Sinhalese migrants on Thursday Island. There the ethnic Sri Lankans built the first temple in Australia, while they were employed on the sugar cane plantations of Queensland.
In an excellent article on Buddha Net that gives a detailed account of Buddhism's history in Australia by Darren Nelson. He describes the beginning of the modern expansion of Buddhism Down Under: - “In 1951 the first Buddhist nun, Sister Dhammadinna visited Australia. She came and propagated the Theravada Buddhism according to the Buddha’s teaching. She received nation-wide media coverage.”
This was a landmark event, since the 50 years previous were stained by the Immigration Restriction Act of 1901, which was essentially a government-sponsored white supremacist policy that disenfranchised the Aboriginal people as well as Asian immigrants.
Despite such enthusiasm, Australia still remains a very Christian country - with more than 75 percent of the population of 20 million belonging to a Christian faith.
Australia (UJI): Buddhism is fastest growing religion and it is the second largest religious group in Australia. The vast majority of Australians are members of the Christian faith, but per capita the number of Buddhists has growing tremendously than any other Western Nations. Christianity is decreasing in every year. The Christian peoples knew now that Buddhism is the only Scientific, Humanistic and Peace-loving religion in the world.
According to the Australian Board of Statistics released a report in 2006 that claims a 79% increase in Aussies (Australian) who consider themselves Buddhists since 1996, now reaching more than 418,812 people. The few years since this report and visits by the Dalai Lama has probably increased this number considerably.
An interview on ABC Radio with a famous and most Senior British-Australian Spiritual Buddhist teacher Venerable Ajahn Brahmavamsa, Spiritual Director of the Bodhinyana Monastery, Western Australia states that, “Twice as many people who say they are Buddhists actually meditate, go to temples, and read books. That's one in 20 Australians. If they are not sympathetic to Buddhist, they are certainly very close to being Buddhists.”
Accoring to Buddhanet accout, at present 275 monasteries inclunidng Meditation Cente, Community Centre, belong from Thereavada, Mahayana, Vajrayana, and Non-Sectorian/Mixed.
Many Christian converts says - Buddhism given them freedoms they have never had before. In Buddhism you are allowed to ask questions and actually you're actively encouraged to doubt and to discuss and so on”. The Buddha said, “Don't just believe because I'm very famous, and don’t just believe because many people believe what I teach. Be like the Goldsmith, you know, apply the acid to the gold to test it and the acid being your mind, your intelligence. So in that sense it's a manifesto of intellectual freedom which is very appealing.” It is true that Buddhism really suits for people who have independent thinking.
Between 1405 and 1433 the Chinese Emperor, Ming Cheng-Ho, sent sixty-two large ships to explore southern Asia. Although there is evidence that several ships from that armada landed on the Aru Islands to the north of Arnhem Land, it is not known whether they reached the mainland.
The first documented arrival of Buddhists in Australia was in 1848 during the gold rushes, when Chinese coolie laborers were brought into the country to work on the Victorian gold fields. These workers represented a transient population that usually returned home within five years. It was not until 1876 that the first permanent Buddhist community was established by Sinhalese migrants on Thursday Island. There the ethnic Sri Lankans built the first temple in Australia, while they were employed on the sugar cane plantations of Queensland.
In an excellent article on Buddha Net that gives a detailed account of Buddhism's history in Australia by Darren Nelson. He describes the beginning of the modern expansion of Buddhism Down Under: - “In 1951 the first Buddhist nun, Sister Dhammadinna visited Australia. She came and propagated the Theravada Buddhism according to the Buddha’s teaching. She received nation-wide media coverage.”
This was a landmark event, since the 50 years previous were stained by the Immigration Restriction Act of 1901, which was essentially a government-sponsored white supremacist policy that disenfranchised the Aboriginal people as well as Asian immigrants.
Despite such enthusiasm, Australia still remains a very Christian country - with more than 75 percent of the population of 20 million belonging to a Christian faith.
posted by Ven. Pragya Jyoti at 1:40 AM
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