Buddhism in Belarus

Buddhism in Belarus is a relatively recent phenomenon with, emerging in a country historically dominated by Christianity, particularly Eastern Orthodoxy. The majority religion in Belarus is Eastern Orthodox Christianity, represented by the Belarusian Orthodox Church, an exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church.^[1][2]

Buddhism began to appear in Belarus in the 1970s, although it remained limited to small intellectual circles at the time. Interest in Buddhist philosophy was mainly found among scholars studying Vajrayāna Buddhism and within the local Buryat community.^[3]

Belarus is historically a multi-confessional society in which several religious traditions have coexisted, although Eastern Orthodoxy and Catholicism have traditionally been the dominant religions.^[4][5] Modern Belarusian religious life includes numerous smaller communities and religious movements alongside the traditional churches.^[6]

A broader development of Buddhist activity began in the late 1980s and early 1990s following the reforms of Perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Increased religious freedom allowed new Buddhist groups to emerge in the country, most of which were connected with Tibetan Buddhism.^[7]

In the early 1990s two of the most visible groups were the Diamond Way movement associated with Lama Ole Nydahl and the Karma Kagyu lineage, and the community connected with Namkhai Norbu, which followed the Dzogchen tradition. Later, some members of the Dzogchen community established a group connected with the Nyingma tradition.^[7]

By the mid-2010s additional Tibetan traditions were also present in Belarus. In 2015 a Buddhist community called Shen Chen Ling, associated with the Bon tradition, was reported to be active in the country.^[8]

• Buddhism in the West
• Buddhism in Russia
• Buddhism in Finland
• Religion in Belarus

• Diamond Way Buddhism in Belarus
• Theravada in Belarus