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Buddhism in Australia is a small but growing religion. According to the 2001 Australian census 1.9% of the total population identify as Buddhist.[1] It was also the fastest growing religion in terms of percentage, having increased its number of adherents by 79% since the previous census in 1996. [2] Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Buddhism is a religion and philosophy focusing on the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), who probably lived in the 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following the Buddhas death, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia... The cultural elements of Buddhism vary by region and include: Buddhist cuisine Buddhist art Buddharupa Art and architecture of Japan Greco-Buddhism Tibetan Buddhist sacred art Buddhist music Buddhist chant Shomyo Categories: Buddhism-related stubs ... The history of Buddhism spans from the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. ... Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z The following is a List of Buddhist topics: A Abhidharma Ahimsa Ajahn Ajahn Chah Ajanta Aksobhya Alexandra David-Néel... Buddhist beliefs and practices vary according to region. ... The percentage of Buddhist population of each country was taken from the US State Departments International Religious Freedom Report 2004 [1]. Other sources used were CIA Factbook [2] and adherents. ... There are many divisions and subdivisions of the schools of Buddhism. ... The Buddhist temple Wat Chiang Man, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, which dates from the late 13th century Buddhist temples and monasteries, sorted by location. ... Several Buddhist terms and concepts lack direct translations into English that cover the breadth of the original term. ... There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. ... 563 BCE: Siddhārtha Gautama, Buddha-to-be, is born in Lumbini, Ancient India. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...

History

The first concrete example of Buddhist settlement in Australia was in 1848. However, there has been speculation from some anthropologists that there may have been contact hundreds of years earlier. In the book Aboriginal Men of High Degree, A.P. Elkin cites what he believes is evidence that traders from Indonesia may have brought fleeting contact of Buddhism and Hinduism to areas near Dampier. Elkin interpreted a link between Aboriginal culture and Buddhist ideas such as reincarnation. He argued this link could have been brought through contact with Macassan traders. There was also speculation due to reports of Chinese relics appearing in northern Australia dating to the 15th century, although it may have been brought much later through trade rather than earlier exploration. 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Anthropology (from the Greek word άνθρωπος, human or person) consists of the study of humanity (see genus Homo). ... Buddhism is a religion and philosophy focusing on the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), who probably lived in the 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following the Buddhas death, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia... Hinduism {Sanskrit/Hindi - Hindū Dharma, also known as Sanātana (eternal) Dharma, and Vaidika (of the Vedas) Dharma} is a religion originating in the Indian subcontinent, based on the Vedas and the beliefs of other people of India. ... Dampier is a major industrial port in the north-west of Western Australia, located at 20. ... Past Lives redirects here. ...

In 1848, the first group of Chinese immigrants came to Australia to engage in gold-mining. Most of these migrants only stayed briefly and returned to China. In 1856, a temple was established in South Melbourne by the secular Sze Yap organization. This temple was also used for Taoism, Confucianism, various cultural deities and even astrological activities. However, no clerics from China ever came to Australia, and the temple eventually declined and disappeared by the end of the century. 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1856 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... South Melbourne is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Taoism (sometimes written as Daoism) is the English name for: (a) a philosophical school based on the texts the Dao De Jing (ascribed to Laozi) and the Zhuangzi. ... Confucianist temple Thian Hock Keng in Singapore Confucianism (Chinese: 儒学, Pinyin: Rúxué‚ [ ] , literally The School of the Scholars; or, less accurately, 孔教 Kŏng jiào, The Religion of Confucius) is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the early Chinese sage Confucius. ... Astrology refers to any of several systems, traditions or beliefs in which knowledge of the apparent positions of celestial bodies is held to be useful in understanding, interpreting, and organizing knowledge about human affairs and events on Earth. ...

The first purely Buddhist group to arrive in Australia were a troupe of acrobats and jugglers from Japan who toured in 1867. More arrived throughout the century, mostly involved in the pearling industry in northern Australia, reaching an estimate of 3600 on Thursday Island, and also in Broome and Darwin, Northern Territory. 1867 (MDCCCLXVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Thursday Island is the administrative and commercial centre of the Torres Strait Islands. ... For other places and usages, see Indian Ocean beaches and wonderful dry season climate. ... Darwin is the territorial capital and most populous city of the Northern Territory. ...

The first Sinhalese Buddhists from Sri Lanka arrived in 1870 to work in sugarcane plantations. A community was believed to exist on Thursday Island in 1876. In 1882, a group of 500 left Colombo for Queensland, mostly in Mackay. The oldest remaining structure attesting to the establishment of Buddhism in Australia are two bodhi trees planted on Thursday Island in the 1890s, although the temple which once stood there no longer does. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Species Saccharum arundinaceum Saccharum bengalense Saccharum edule Saccharum officinarum Saccharum procerum Saccharum ravennae Saccharum robustum Saccharum sinense Saccharum spontaneum Insert non-formatted text here Sugarcane or Sugar cane (Saccharum) is a genus of between 6 and 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation) of tall grasses (family Poaceae, tribe Andropogoneae), native... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) is a leap year starting on Saturday. ... 1882 (MDCCCLXXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Colombo (කොළඹ in Sinhala; கொழும்பு in Tamil) is the largest city and commercial hub of Sri Lanka, located on the southwest coast adjacent to the present capital city of Kotte. ... Emblems: Faunal - Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus); Floral - Cooktown orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum); Bird - Brolga (Grus rubicunda); Aquatic - Barrier Reef Anemonefish (Amphiprion akindynos); Gem - Sapphire; Colour - Maroon Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Governor Premier Const. ... Mackay is the name of: Mackay, Queensland, Australia Mackay, Idaho, USA This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Bodhi is a past tense of bodhati meaning awake, become aware, notice, know or understand in both Pāli and Sanskrit. ...

During the 20th century, the number of Buddhists gradually declined due to emigration and a lack of immigration due to the White Australia Policy. This badge from 1906 shows the use of the expression White Australia at that time The White Australia Policy is a popular term which refers to the policies once held by all governments and all mainstream political parties in Australia based on excluding non-white people from immigrating to the...

In 1891, the American Buddhist Henry Steel Olcott, co-founder of the Theosophical Society came to Australia and participated in a lecture series, which lead to a greater awareness of Buddhism in small circles of mainly upper-class society. One of the members of the Theosophical Society was Alfred Deakin, later Prime Minister of Australia, who had spent three months in Sri Lanka and India in 1890 and wrote a book which discussed spiritual matters including Buddhism. 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (1832-1907), founder and first president of the Theosophical Society, is well-known as the first prominent person of Western descent to make a formal conversion to Buddhism. ... The Theosophical Society was the organization formed to advance the spiritual doctrines and altruistic living known as Theosophy. ... Alfred Deakin (3 August 1856–7 October 1919), Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later second Prime Minister of Australia. ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ...

The first instance of a monk arriving in Australia was in 1910, when U Sasana Dhaja, born E.H. Stevenson in Yarmouth, arrived from Burma. Over the years, various monks visited Australia, but it was not until the 1970s that a resident monk by the name of Venerable Somaloka arrived from Sri Lanka.-1... Yarmouth may refer to one of the following places. ...

The first specific Buddhist group, the Buddhist Study Group Melbourne was formed in Melbourne in 1938 by Len Bullen, but it collapsed during the Second World War. The Buddhist Society of Victoria was formed in 1953, and in 1956 the Buddhist Society of New South Wales was formed. From the 1950s until the 1970s, the Buddhist Societies were lay organizations which self-discussed Buddhism. Melbourne is the state capital and largest city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-largest city in Australia, with a population of approximately 3. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1953 calendar). ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the late 1970s, Buddhism began to become more widespread, mainly due to immigration from South East Asia following the Vietnam War, as well as the spread to Western countries of Tibetan Buddhism, lead by figures such as Lama Yeshe, who established religious centres with resident monks. This was further supplemented from general immigration from Asia. Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) United States of America South Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand the Philippines Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) National Liberation Front (Viet Cong) Strength ~1,200,000 (1968) ~420,000 (1968) Casualties South Vietnamese dead: 230,000 South Vietnamese wounded: 300,000 US dead... Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region, Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ... Thubten Yeshe (1935-1984) was a Tibetan lama who, while exiled in Nepal, co-founded Kopan Monastery (1969) and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (1975). ... World map showing the location of Asia. ...

At present, Buddhism has the highest percentage growth of all religions in Australia, having an increase of 79% in the number of adherents in from the 1996 to the 2001 census. Since the 1986 census, the number of adherents has increased from 80,387 to around 370,345 in 2001. 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

See also

• Religion in Australia

Religion in Australia is predominantly Christian, although it is a highly secularised society. ...

References

• Croucher, Paul (1989). A History of Buddhism in Australia.
• Article from Buddhism Today