>Dereck Camacho at 05:16, 21 April 2021

2021-04-21T05:16:03Z

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{{short description|Religious practice in Costa Rica}}
{{Buddhism}}
[[File:Tibetan Buddhist altar in Costa Rica.jpg|thumb|Tibetan Buddhist altar in Costa Rica]]
[[File:Tibetan yoga practices in Costa Rica.jpg|thumb|Buddhist practitioners in Costa Rica]]
[[Costa Rica]] has more [[Buddhism|Buddhists]] than the other countries in [[Buddhism in Central America|Central America]] with almost 100,000<ref>{{cite news|title=Buddhism in Costa Rica|url=https://thecostaricanews.com/buddhism-in-costa-rica/|accessdate=17 December 2017|agency=The Costa Rican News|date=2012}}</ref> (2.34% of total population), followed closely by [[Panama]], with almost 70,000 (2.1% of total population).

Buddhism was introduced in the country for the first time by [[Chinese-Costa Rican|Chinese immigrants]] during the early 19th and 20th century, but an important part of these migrants later became --at least nominally-- [[Roman Catholics]] due to the then very [[Religious Conservative|Conservative]] [[Catholic country|Catholic-lead society]]. But there is registry that some of them kept their Buddhist believes practicing discreetly, for example, the testimony of writer [[Jorge Cardona]] of Buddhist altars among Chinese merchants in the early 20 century [[Puntarenas Province|Puntarenas]].<ref name=despertar>{{cite news|title=El despertar de Buda|url=http://www.nacion.com/archivo/el-despertar-de-buda/LBL6KIFQZVGATNHZ33YOGREZNM/story/|access-date=17 December 2017|agency=La Nación|date=2012}}</ref> Another source of Buddhism in the country was the [[Theosophical Society in Costa Rica|Theosophical Society]], popular among important members of the economic and intellectual elite. Among the poets and theosophists that wrote Buddhist-influenced poetry are [[Roberto Brenes Mesén]] and José Basileo Acuña Zeledón. However one of the first Buddhist temples made in the country was the Casa Zen (Zen House) of Costa Rica created in 1974 with support of the [[Japanese government]],<ref>{{cite web|title=El nacimiento de la Casa Zen y los inicios del budismo en Costa Rica|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtDX9NxO8WY|work=[[Amelia Rueda]]|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Casa Zen de Costa Rica|url=http://www.casazen.org/|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref> followed by the first Dharma Center of [[Tibetan Buddhism]] of the Gelug tradition founded in 1989 after the [[Dalai Lama]]'s first visit to the country.

Nowadays, it is also driven by the very minor presence of Buddhist missionary groups, such as [[Soka Gakkai International]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}}, which has establish a community center at San Jose. <ref>{{cite web|title=Historia|url=http://sgi.cr/budismo/concpt/vida_shakyamuni.html|website=SGI Costa Rica|accessdate=19 December 2017}}</ref>

In recent years there has been a tendency for growing dissatisfaction with [[Catholicism]], the dominant religion. Some convert to other branches of [[Christianity]], most notably [[Protestantism]] (with a growing number of Protestant churches throughout Costa Rica). But others stay as [[agnostic]]s, [[atheist]]s or "[[Freethought|free thinker]]s". It is these latter groups, especially if already interested or practicing some form of [[meditation]], that can become influenced or inspired by "exotic religions" (in Costa Rica) such as Buddhism and therefore convert to it, or adopt it as a [[philosophy]].

==Tibetan Buddhism==

The four [[Schools of Tibetan Buddhism|traditional schools]] of [[Tibetan Buddhism]] are present in Costa Rica.<ref name=despertar />

The best known and first group is the "Asociación Cultural Tibetano-Costarricense"<ref>[http://www.tibetencostarica.com/ tibet in costa rica] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170328020538/http://www.tibetencostarica.com/ |date=2017-03-28 }} (official website, in spanish)</ref> (Tibetan-Costarrican Cultural Association), which was established in 1989 CE after the first visit of the XIV [[Dalai Lama]], [[Tenzin Gyatso]] in [[Latin America]]. Years later, in 2004 CE, the XIV [[Dalai Lama]] revisited Costa Rica.<ref>[http://www.tibetencostarica.com/VisitaSS.html Visit of H.H. the XIV Dalai Lama - 2004] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080921191949/http://www.tibetencostarica.com/VisitaSS.html |date=September 21, 2008 }} (in spanish)</ref> He gave some discourses, including one in the [[University of Costa Rica]] and took part in ecumenical activities that included Costa Rica's archbishop. The Dalai Lama's third visit planned for 2008 was cancelled after the Costa Rican government under [[Oscar Arias Sánchez]] renewed relations with the [[People's Republic of China]] over [[Taiwan]], resulting in soured relationships with the Buddhist community and criticism from the opposition. Opposition leader [[Ottón Solís]] publicly supported the Dalai Lama and promise to name the National Stadium in his honor in case he won the presidency.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ottón Solís Is "Putting Wood On The Fire" Of The Sino-Tibet Conflict|url=http://www.thetibetpost.com/en/news/international/612-otton-solis-is-qputting-wood-on-the-fireq|access-date=17 December 2017|agency=The Tibet Post|date=2010}}</ref>

The ACTC runs the ''Thousand Eyes Compassive Buddha'' Dharma Center located in Barrio Amón, [[San José, Costa Rica|San José City]]. This center is of the [[Gelug |Gelug tradition]]. There is also a Diamond Way Buddhist Center in [[Curridabat]], San José ([[Karma Kagyu]] lineage)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/BudismoCaminodelDiamanteCostaRica/|title=Budismo Camino del Diamante Costa Rica|website=Facebook.com|accessdate=2 March 2019}}</ref> and a Lingmincha Center of the [[Nyingma]]-[[Bon religion|Bon]] tradition.<ref>{{cite web|title=Find a Center or Sangha|url=http://www.ligmincha.org/index.php/es/centros/encuentra-un-centro-o-sangha.html|website=Lingminch International|accessdate=19 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180225150313/http://www.ligmincha.org/index.php/es/centros/encuentra-un-centro-o-sangha.html|archive-date=25 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Zen Buddhism==
The Casa Zen of Costa Rica center is located in [[Santo Domingo (canton), Costa Rica|Santo Domingo]], [[Heredia, Costa Rica|Heredia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.casazen.org/|title=Casa Zen de Costa Rica|website=Casazen.org|accessdate=2 March 2019}}</ref>

== Others==
There are also temples of [[Theravada]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Asociación de Budismo Theravada de Costa Rica|url=https://asotheracr.org/|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref> [[Shaolin Monastery|Shaolin]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Historia del Templo Shaolin|url=http://www.shaolincr.com/historia-del-templo-shaolin/|website=Shaolin.cr|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref> and a [[Chinese Buddhism]] [[Pagoda]].<ref name=despertar />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Buddhism topics}}
{{North America topic|Buddhism in}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buddhism In Costa Rica}}
[[Category:Buddhism in Costa Rica| ]]
[[Category:Religion in Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Buddhism by country|Costa Rica]]

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Buddhism in Costa Rica - Revision history

>Dereck Camacho at 05:16, 21 April 2021