Buddhism in The Philippines

Buddhism In The Philippines

Buddhism is a relatively minor religion in the Philippines. It is largely confined to the Filipino Chinese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese communities. There are temples in Manila, Davao, and Cebu, and other places. Estimates at the Buddhist population of the Philippines varies between 0.1% and 2%. Several schools of Buddhism are present in the Philippines. There are Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist temples as well as Theravada followers, lay organizations, meditation centers and groups, such as Soka Gakkai International.

There is no written record of when Buddhism first arrived in the area today known as the Philippines, but various archaeological finds suggest that it was likely present in some form by the 9th century CE. The popularity of Buddhism in the area declined with the influx of Muslim immigrants and missionaries and then with Catholic colonists between the 14th and 16th centuries CE. The Spanish Inquisition had an especially pronounced effect on the area, effectively eliminating all forms of religion other than Catholicism. The persecution of Buddhism in the Philippines ended when Spain ceded the country to the Americans after their defeat in the Spanish-American War in 1898. The new colonial government granted the Philippine people freedom of worship.

A fair number of words in Filipino dialects have been noted to have roots in the Pali and Sanskrit languages related to Buddhist and Hindu concepts. This has raised the question of a connection between these dialects and ancient religious practices in the area.

Read more about Buddhism In The Philippines:  Buddhist Temples in Manila, Linguistic Influences

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