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Das Buddhistische Haus (
/ref> * What we are doing, anybody shall be able to see * What we are saying, anybody shall be able to hear * What we are thinking, anybody shall be able to know
Buddhists from Sri Lanka open campaign to propagate Buddhism in Germany in 1957
Buddhists open campaign in West Germany - Milwaukee Sentinel Newspaper Report in 1957
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buddistisches Haus, das Buddhist temples in Germany 20th-century Buddhist temples Religious buildings and structures in Berlin Religious buildings and structures completed in 1924
Das Buddhistische Haus (English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
: Berlin Buddhist Vihara, literally ''the Buddhist house'') is a Theravada
''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school ...
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
temple complex ( Vihara) in Frohnau
Frohnau () is a locality in the Reinickendorf borough of Berlin, Germany. It lies in the extreme northern part of the city. Frohnau is an affluent area characterized by many patrician villas from the early 20th century. During the Cold War, it wa ...
, Berlin, Germany. It is considered to be the oldest and largest Theravada Buddhist center in Europe and has been declared a National Heritage site.History
The main building was designed by the architect Max Meyer for Paul Dahlke, a German physician who had undertaken a number of trips toCeylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
prior to World War I and became a Buddhist. It incorporates elements of Sri Lankan ( Sinhalese) Buddhist architecture and culture and was completed in 1924. Under Dahlke's direction it became a center of Buddhism in Germany. After his death in 1928, the house was inherited by his relatives and Buddhists met in a house nearby. By 1941 Buddhist meetings and publications were prohibited by the Nazi government. After the war refugees lived in the quarters. The place deteriorated and was even considered for demolition, when Asoka Weeraratna, founder of the German Dharmaduta Society based in Sri Lanka, became aware of its existence. In December 1957 he bought the building from Dahlke’s nephew on behalf of the Trustees of the German Dharmaduta Society (GDS). As a result, the 'Haus' became the first Buddhist mission on German soil not operated by German but Sri Lankan Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
monks. It was renovated at that time as a Buddhist temple complex.
Missionary Buddhist (Dharmaduta) monks, primarily from Sri Lanka, came to stay at the Haus that became the center for spreading the teachings of the Buddha in Western Europe. The temple is open to the public and was visited by about 5,000 people in 2006.
The temple complex
Entering the Elephant Door the visitor faces 73 steps up to reach the main building. The building houses among others the library and the meditation room. In a separate building, guests can be accommodated. In 1959, the city of Nagoya donated a sculpture ofGuanyin
Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She ...
that is placed in the garden.
Dahlke’s inscription
Paul Dahlke created the inscription for Das Buddhistische Haus:Website of Das Buddhistische Hau/ref> * What we are doing, anybody shall be able to see * What we are saying, anybody shall be able to hear * What we are thinking, anybody shall be able to know
See also
*German Dharmaduta Society
The German Dharmaduta Society is an organization established to promote Buddhism in Germany and other Western Countries, and was founded by Asoka Weeraratna, in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 21 September 1952.
History
The idea of forming a Society to p ...
* Buddhism in Germany
*Religion in Berlin
More than 60 percent of Berlin residents have no registered religious affiliation. As of 2010, at least 30 percent of the population identified with some form of Christianity (18.7 percent Protestants, 9.1 percent Catholics and 2.7 percent othe ...
References
External links
* * German Dharmaduta Society - WikipediaBuddhists from Sri Lanka open campaign to propagate Buddhism in Germany in 1957
Buddhists open campaign in West Germany - Milwaukee Sentinel Newspaper Report in 1957
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buddistisches Haus, das Buddhist temples in Germany 20th-century Buddhist temples Religious buildings and structures in Berlin Religious buildings and structures completed in 1924