Buddhist temples and monastery in England

Here are some Buddha statues for your garden or living room

Historical background of the Buddhism in England

It is known that Buddhism was introduced in South Asia in the 6th century BCE but the influence of Buddhism was started only in the early 20th century CE in England. The first ever school of Buddhism that was introduced was Theravada Buddhism with the establishment of London's Buddhist Society and Theravada London Buddhist Vihara in 1924 and 1926 respectively. Anagarika Dharmapala also played an important role to introduce Buddhism in England by establishing Maha Bodhi Society. This society helped to maintain monastic tradition in the UK. Likewise, Ananda Metteyya got monk ordination in Burma and then returned to England in 1908 was a significant point for the spread of Buddhism in England. In 1954 Bhikkhu Kapilavaddho introduced the Dhammakaya tradition to the UK which helped to found the English Sangha Trust in 1955.

Slowly the teaching of Buddha spread in England and several people got the ordinations. Hence the Buddhist temple and monastery in England were also established.

The famous temple and monastery in England

Aruna Ratanagiri Buddhist Monastery

Aruna Ratana Buddhist Monastery is also called Harnham Buddhist Monastery. This monastery follows Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada Buddhism in Northumberland, England. Along with the monastery, Kusala house has been established as a lay retreat facility.

Amaravati Buddhist Monastery

Amaravati Buddhist Monastery also follows Theravada Buddhism which is situated at the eastern end of the Chiltern Hills in south-east England. This monastery was established by Ajahn Sumedho in 1984. The monastery focuses on the training and support to a resident monastic community. The monastery also supports the facilitation of monastic and lay people for the practice of the teaching of Buddha.

Chithurst Buddhist Monastery

Chithurst Buddhist Monastery is also known as Cittaviveka which follows Thai Forest Tradition of Theravada Buddhism. This monastery is situated in West Sussex, England. The main purpose of this monastery is to support the ordination and training of Buddhist monks in the West.

London Fo Guang Shan Temple

London Fo Guang Shan Temple is also popularly known as International Buddhist Progress Society. This temple was established in 1992 and is located at Margaret Street, London.

Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Center

Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Center is the first Kadampa temple which was built in England. This temple is located at Conishead Priory on the outskirts of Ulverston, Cumbria, England. This center serves as the main meditation hall at Manjushri KMC.

Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey

Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey is a Buddhist monastery and retreat center established in 1972. This abbey is located in Northumberland in northern England. It is a part of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives and follows the Serene Reflection Meditation Tradition. It offers retreats, festivals, and other events for anyone who wishes to learn about the practice of meditation.

Wat Buddhapadipa

Wat Buddhapadipa is a Thai Buddhist temple situated in Wimbledon. The temple consists of lots of Buddhist arts. We can find the pictures showing the life of the Buddha painted on the walls, inside the temple hall. The main doorway has a grand painting of the Buddha meditating to reach enlightenment. Likewise, the great shrine is built especially for the Buddha. In this shrine, three statues of Buddha has been placed. The black, gold and the green one. These Buddha statues are surrounded by candles and other decorations. The temple is open to all the visitors who visit the temple.

Wat Charoenbhavana

Wat Charoenbhavana is also known as the North-West Centre for Buddhist Meditation. This temple was established on 8th Feb 2004. This temple is the first Thai Buddhist temple in the northwest of England. Originally, this temple had no Buddha statue but the eight foot Buddha image installed in this temple was actually rescued from a roadside in Cardiff.