Buddhism in Sweden

Buddhism is a relatively small religion in Sweden. In April 2020, the number of Buddhists was estimated in to be around 57,000 people,^[1] around 0.7% of Sweden's population, making it Sweden's third largest religion after Christianity and Islam.

Buddharama Temple in Torsby, Värmdö Municipality

Many practicing Buddhists in Sweden have Asian (mostly Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese) heritage.

The Helgö buddha

The Swedish Buddhist Community is a national umbrella organisation for various Buddhist associations and congregations that are registered in Sweden.^[2] It currently has more than 20 member organisations.

Evidence of Buddhism in Sweden dates back to the Viking era. A 6th century Buddha statue made of bronze and presumed to have been made in Kashmir was found at Helgö in Sweden.^[3]

References

1. Willander, Erika (2020). Ett mångreligiöst Sverige i förändring. Bromma: Myndigheten för stöd till trossamfund. ISBN 978-91-983453-5-3.
2. "About SBC – Sveriges buddhistiska gemenskap" (in Swedish). Retrieved 2024-11-05.
3. Colm (December 28, 2013). "The Helgo Treasure: A Viking Age Buddha". Irish Archaeology. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016.

Further reading

• Fredriksson, Trudy (2013). Uppvaknandets vägar : från buddhistisk historia till nutidens utövning och gemenskapsliv Archived 2016-04-25 at the Wayback Machine. SST :s skriftserie; 2. Bromma: Nämnden för statligt stöd till trossamfund. Libris länk. ISBN 978-91-980611-2-3
• Plank, Katarina (2010). Mindful Medicine: The Growing Trend of Mindfulness-Based Therapies in the Swedish Health Care System, Finnish Journal of Ethnicity and Migration 5 (2), 47–55
• Plank, Katarina (2015). The sacred foodscapes of Thai Buddhist temples in Sweden, Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis 26, 201–224

External links

• Buddhism Today - Sweden: A growing interest in Buddhism
• Swedish Buddhist Community
• Sveriges Buddhistiska Samarbetsråd