Buddhism in Brazil

Brazil.
With nearly 250,000 Buddhists, Brazil is home to the third largest Buddhist population in the Americas, after the United States and Canada. Buddhism in Brazil consists of practitioners from various Buddhist traditions and schools. All four major schools of Vajrayana Buddhism, Nyingma, Gelug, Sakya and Kagyu schools, maintain active centres in Brazil. Buddhism was introduced to Brazil due to the immigration of Japanese in the early 20th century. Although the Japanese contributed to the introduction of Buddhism to Brazil, adherence to Buddhism is not particularly widespread among descendants of Japanese immigrants, who were largely converted to Christianity. Although Brazil remains a largely Christian country, Buddhism has a growing presence in Brazil with nearly 150 temples spread across the states. The Mosteiro Sakya Brasil is the first Sakya Centre in Brasil.