Buddhism in Switzerland

Wat Srinagarindravararam in Gretzenbach The Tibet Institute Rikon located in Zell-Rikon in the Töss Valley (November 2009)

Buddhism is a minority religion in Switzerland. According to the 2000 census, 21,305 Swiss residents (0.29% of the total population) self-identified as Buddhists. About a third of them were born in Thailand.

## History

[edit]

Interest in Buddhism in Switzerland emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, sparked by allusions to the religion by Theosophy and some philosophical schools.[1] An early Buddhist center was established in Lausanne, around 1910, by the German monk Nyanatiloka.[1] In the 1920s and 1930s, a number of groups were formed in the regions around Zurich and Lausanne.[1] A Buddhist group in Zurich, founded in 1942, published for many years the Buddhist journal Die Einsicht.[1] In the 1970s, a group in French-speaking Switzerland was formed in Lausanne by Georges Bex, who had been ordained a monk in Thailand.[1] During the same period, various Buddhist schools were established in Switzerland, notably Pure Land Buddhism, in Geneva and Yverdon, and in 1978 the Swiss Buddhist Union (Schweizerische Buddhistische Union / Union bouddhiste suisse  / Unione Buddhista Svizzera) was founded.[1]

Immigration from Asian countries, mostly from Cambodia, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam resulted in the multiplication of Buddhist centers in Switzerland.[1] Tibetan Geshe Rabten founded in 1977, in Mont Pèlerin, a Buddhist monastery and study centre for European monks, nuns and lay people as well. Switzerland also has Tibetan-Buddhist and Zen monasteries, among them the Tibet Institute Rikon located in Zell-Rikon im Tösstal in the Töss Valley in the canton of Zürich.[2]

In 2003 the Theravada temple Wat Srinagarindravararam in Gretzenbach was dedicated by Princess Galyani Vadhana, the daughter of the Princess Mother Srinagarindra, after whom the temple was named.

In earlier censuses, Buddhism figured together with other non-Abrahamic traditions (mainly Hinduism) as "other churches and communities". These accounted for 0.12% in 1970, 0.19% in 1980, 0.42% in 1990 and 0.78% in 2000 (0.38% Hinduism, 0.29% Buddhism, 0.11% other).

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g Buddhism in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
2. ^ "Tibet Institute Rikon: History". Archived from the original on 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2009-12-17.

* 2000 census results (Swiss federal statistics office)

## Further reading

[edit]

* Baumann, Martin (2000). "Buddhism in Switzerland", Journal of Global Buddhism 1, 154-159.
* Weigelt, Frank-André (2009). "Dokumentation: Buddhismus in der Schweiz. Eine Kurzdarstellung", Schweizerische Kirchenzeitung 45, 774-778

## See also

[edit]

* Nyanatiloka Mahathera
* Wat Srinagarindravararam
* Santacittarama, Italy
* Buddhism in Germany
* Buddhism in France
* Buddhism in Italy
* Buddhism in Iceland
* Religion in Switzerland
* Tibetan Swiss

## External links

[edit]

* Schweizerische Buddhistische Union
* Alois Payer
* Martin Baumann
* Buddhactivity Dharma Centres database

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Topics in Buddhism

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Foundations|

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The Buddha|

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Bodhisattvas|

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Disciples|

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Key concepts|

* Avidyā (Ignorance)
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Cosmology|

* Ten spiritual realms
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Branches|

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Practices|

* Bhavana
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* Brahmavihara
* Mettā
* Karuṇā
* Mudita
* Upekkha
* Buddhābhiṣeka
* Dāna
* Devotion
* Deity yoga
* Dhyāna
* Faith
* Five Strengths
* Iddhipada
* Meditation
* Mantras
* Kammaṭṭhāna
* Recollection
* Smarana
* Anapanasati
* Samatha-vipassanā (Vipassana movement)
* Shikantaza
* Zazen
* Tukdam
* Koan
* Ganana
* Mandala
* Tonglen
* Tantra
* Tertön
* Terma
* Merit
* Mindfulness
* Mindful Yoga
* Satipatthana
* Nekkhamma
* Nianfo
* Pāramitā
* Paritta
* Puja
* Offerings
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* Music
* Refuge
* Sādhu
* Satya
* Sacca
* Seven Factors of Enlightenment
* Sati
* Dhamma vicaya
* Pīti
* Passaddhi
* Śīla
* Five precepts
* Eight precepts
* Bodhisattva vow
* Pratimokṣa
* Threefold Training
* Śīla
* Samadhi
* Prajñā
* Vīrya
* Four Right Exertions
* Twenty-two vows of Ambedkar
* Yujia Yankou
* Shuilu Fahui

Nirvana|

* Bodhi
* Bodhisattva
* Buddhahood
* Pratyekabuddhayāna
* Four stages of awakening
* Sotāpanna
* Sakadagami
* Anāgāmi
* Arhat

Monasticism|

* Bhikkhu
* Bhikkhunī
* Śrāmaṇera
* Śrāmaṇerī
* Anagārika
* Ajahn
* Sayadaw
* Zen master
* Rōshi
* Lama
* Rinpoche
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* Tulku
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* Kappiya
* Donchee
* Householder
* Upāsaka and Upāsikā
* Achar
* Śrāvaka
* Ten principal disciples
* Shaolin Monastery

Major figures|

* The Buddha
* Nagasena
* Aśvaghoṣa
* Nagarjuna
* Asanga
* Vasubandhu
* Kumārajīva
* Buddhaghosa
* Buddhapālita
* Dignāga
* Bodhidharma
* Zhiyi
* Emperor Wen of Sui
* Songtsen Gampo
* Xuanzang
* Shandao
* Padmasambhava
* Saraha
* Atiśa
* Naropa
* Karmapa
* Hōnen
* Shinran
* Dōgen
* Nichiren
* Shamarpa
* Dalai Lama
* Panchen Lama
* Ajahn Mun
* B. R. Ambedkar
* Ajahn Chah
* Thích Nhất Hạnh

Texts|

* Early Buddhist texts
* Tripiṭaka
* Mahayana sutras
* Pali Canon
* Chinese Buddhist canon
* Tibetan Buddhist canon
* Dhammapada
* Sutra
* Vinaya
* Madhyamakālaṃkāra
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Countries|

* Afghanistan
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* Venezuela

History|

* Timeline
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* Decline of Buddhism in India
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* Gandharan Buddhism
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* Buddhism and the Roman world
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* In Afghanistan
* In Vietnam
* Rimé movement
* Banishment of Buddhist monks from Nepal
* Dalit Buddhist movement
* Chinese invasion of Tibet
* 1959 Tibetan uprising
* Sinhalese Buddhist nationalism
* Buddhist modernism
* Vipassana movement
* 969 Movement
* Engaged Buddhism
* Women in Buddhism

Philosophy|

* Abhidharma
* Atomism
* Buddhology
* Creator
* Buddhism and democracy
* Economics
* Eight Consciousnesses
* Engaged Buddhism
* Eschatology
* Ethics
* Evolution
* Humanism
* Logic
* Reality
* Secular Buddhism
* Socialism
* The unanswerable questions

Culture|

* Architecture
* Temple
* Vihāra
* Kyaung
* Wat
* Ordination hall
* Stupa
* Pagoda
* Burmese pagoda
* Candi
* Dzong architecture
* List of Buddhist architecture in China
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* Thai temple art and architecture
* Tibetan Buddhist architecture
* Art
* Greco-Buddhist
* Budai
* Buddha in art
* Calendar
* Cuisine
* Funeral
* Holidays
* Vesak
* Uposatha
* Māgha Pūjā
* Asalha Puja
* Vassa
* Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi
* Kasaya
* Mahabodhi Temple
* Mantra
* Om mani padme hum
* Mudra
* Music
* Pilgrimage
* Lumbini
* Maya Devi Temple
* Bodh Gaya
* Sarnath
* Kushinagar
* Poetry
* Prayer beads
* Hama yumi
* Prayer wheel
* Symbolism
* Dharmachakra
* Flag
* Bhavacakra
* Swastika
* Thangka
* Temple of the Tooth
* Vegetarianism

Miscellaneous|

* Abhijñā
* Amitābha
* Brahmā
* Dharma talk
* Hinayana
* Iddhi
* Kalpa
* Koliya
* Lineage
* Māra
* Siddhi
* Sacred languages
* Pāḷi
* Sanskrit

Comparison|

* Baháʼí Faith
* Christianity
* Influences
* Comparison
* East Asian religions
* Gnosticism
* Hinduism
* Jainism
* Judaism
* Psychology
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* Theosophy
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Lists|

* Bodhisattvas
* Buddhas
* Buddhists
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* Temples
* Festivals

* Category
* Buddhism portal

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Religion in Switzerland

Major|

* Christianity
* Swiss Reformed Church
* Roman Catholicism
* Old Catholic

Minor|

* Buddhism
* Hinduism
* Islam
* Ahmadiyya
* Judaism
* Sikhism

Related|

* Irreligion in Switzerland
* Landeskirche
* Reformation in Switzerland
* Swiss Brethren

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Buddhism in Europe

Sovereign states|

* Albania
* Andorra
* Armenia
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
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* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
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* Spain
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* England
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* Wales

States with limited
recognition|

* Abkhazia
* Kosovo
* Northern Cyprus
* South Ossetia
* Transnistria

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