Brazil has practicioners of various Buddhist schools, as well as a fair number of somewhat Buddhist-inspired cults and "New Age" movements. Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... New Age describes a broad movement characterized by alternative approaches to traditional Western culture. ...

Many Japanese schools have a strong presence mainly as a result of World War II, which encouraged emigration of Japanese people. A considerable number of those chose to radicate in Brazil, including teachers of schools such as Soto Zen, Honmon Butsuryu Shu (a Nichiren Buddhism school), Jodo Shinshu (also known as True Pure Land Buddhism) and the controversial Soka Gakkai movement. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Emigration is the action and the phenomenon of leaving ones native country to settle abroad. ... Nichiren Buddhism is a branch of Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Buddhist monk named Nichiren. ... Jōdo Shinshū (淨土眞宗 True Pure Land School), also known as Shin Buddhism, is a branch of Pure Land Buddhism which was founded in Japan by the monk Shinran. ... Jōdo Shinshū (淨土眞宗 True Pure Land School), also known as Shin Buddhism, is a branch of Pure Land Buddhism which was founded in Japan by the monk Shinran. ... Soka Gakkai International or SGI is the umbrella organization for affiliate lay organizations in over 190 countries practicing a form of the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin. ...

Numerically, Buddhist schools of Japanese descent are the most expressive in Brazil, although they face a number of challenges that make their influence somewhat smaller than one would expect. One of those challenges is the mismatch of goals and expectations between the more traditional, Japanese-born people and the native Brazilians (many of them of Japanese descent).

Adherence to Buddhism is not particularly widespread among descendants of Japanese immigrants, who are largely Roman Catholic. The descendants that do follow Buddhism tend to display a wide variety of stances regarding their relationships to the ethinicity and the religious tradition. To various degrees most of them attempt to simmultaneously meld with local Brazilian culture according to their personal preferences. As of 2005 most such schools are attempting to become receptive to Brazilians not of Japanese descent, often facing considerable internal resistence in the process. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Shingon, Tendai and Nichiren Shu and Nichiren Shoshu schools are also present in Brazil, albeit in somewhat modest numbers. Shingon (真言宗) is a major school of Japanese Buddhism, and the most important school of Vajrayana Buddhism outside of the Himalayan region. ... Tendai (天台) is a Japanese school of Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school. ... Nichiren Shu (日蓮宗, lit. ... Nichiren Shōshū Buddhism (日蓮正宗) , with a growing number of believers worldwide, is a branch of Nichiren Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese Buddhist monk named Nichiren (1222-1282). ...

Recent years saw a growth of interest in the practice Zen variants from Korea and Vietnam in Brazil. Korea is a formerly unified country, situated on the Korean Peninsula in northern East Asia, bordering on China to the west and Russia to the north. ...

Theravada school also has Brazilian presence. There are active groups in Belo Horizonte and São Paulo, as well as a Theravada temple in Rio de Janeiro. Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikāya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. ... Belo Horizonte (a Portuguese name meaning beautiful horizon) is among the most important cities in Brazil. ... Landmark buildings Edifício Italia (at left) and Copan (curved façade at center), in São Paulo Downtown. ... Ipanema beach A NASA satellite image of Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro (meaning River of January in Portuguese) is the name of both a state and a city in southeastern Brazil. ...

All four major Vajrayana schools from Tibet have some centers in Brazil - Nyingma, Gelug, Sakya and Kagyu. A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ... The Nyingma tradition is one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. ... The Geluk (dge lugs) School was founded by Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), Tibets best known religious reformer and arguably its greatest philosopher. ... The name of the Sakya (lit. ... The Kagyu (bka brgyud) school (known as the Oral Lineage and the Spotless Practice Lineage school) is one of four major schools (Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug) of tibetan buddhism (vajrayana). ...

The Chinese Chan school (which gave birth to Zen) gained a major presence in Brazil with the inauguration of the Zu Lai Temple and its companion Buddhist University in 2003. CHAN-TV Vancouver, British Columbia (otherwise known as Global BC) is the Global Television Networks owned-and-operated station in British Columbia, broadcasting from its studios in Burnaby. ... Bodhidharma, woodblock print by Yoshitoshi, 1887. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

There is considerable Internet activity among Brazilian Buddhists, with a number of websites and mailing lists, as well as Orkut Communities dedicated to clarifying doubts about the Dharma and its practice. Many of those lists and communities are in practice open to various schools and lineages. A few schools and movements are more isolated and do not emphasize dialog with other schools. orkut is a virtual community designed to help users meet new friends and maintain existing relationships. ...

External links

• Dharmanet BR (http://www.dharmanet.com.br) One of the main Brazilian Buddhism websites
• Official Brazilian HBS site (http://www.budismo.com.br) - Honmon Butsuryu Shu is a Nichiren Buddhism school that has significant Brazilian presence
• Official Brazilian NKT site (http://www.budismo.org.br) - representing the controversial New Kadampa Tradition
• Chagdud Gonpa Brazil (http://www.chagdud.org/en/index.html) - a network of Nyingma centers in Brazil
• Nalanda Brazilian Theravada Buddhism Community (http://www.nalanda.org.br)
• Official BSGI site (http://www.bsgi.org.br) - Brazilian representant of the Soka Gakkai International
• Zu Lai Temple (http://www.budanet.org.br) - of the Chinese Chan tradition, located in Cotia, SP