Austrian Buddhist Religious Society

The Austrian Buddhist Religious Society (ÖBR), as a legally recognized religious society, is the representative body for the Buddhists living in Austria . The ÖBR has more than 3,000 members. President is Gerhard Weissgrab.

history

The Buddhism in Austria goes back to around 1900; it has been institutionally resident since the 1920s ( Buddhist Society Vienna , re-established in 1949). Long-term efforts to obtain state recognition began in 1974. In 1977 the Austrian Buddhist Union (ÖBU) was founded as an association of small private circles, particularly from Vienna and Salzburg. The 1970s of the Kreisky era were marked by government concerns about the sectarianism into which Buddhism was drawn, for example through the Hare Krishna movement . In 1978 the Kultusamt demanded a - now lost - “religious denomination” and a “devotional order”, in 1982 a statute for the umbrella organization, and finally an affidavit to join the new religious community in the event of recognition from at least 1000 people. After nine years of delays, a complaint was filed with the Administrative Court. On February 12, 1983, the Austrian Buddhist Religious Society (ÖBR) was finally founded and granted the status of a corporation under public law , thereby legally recognizing Buddhism.

As the only representative organization for Buddhism, this institution sees itself as a “collection of all residents and foreigners living in Austria who profess Buddhism”, and a platform for “the regional representatives and all different paths and traditions of Buddhist practice”, so that the ÖBR represents them Represents world religion in Austria. But there are some groups that are not members of the ÖBR.

The ÖBR has more than 3000 people as members. At the last census, in which religious affiliation was still recorded, in 2001, 10,402 people professed Buddhism. More recent figures are not exactly known, the ÖBR - which itself has no exact figures due to the fact that it has not levied any form of church contribution - estimated the number of people “seriously close to Buddhism” at around 20,000 people in 2008.

Although the majority of the communities involved represent Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism , cooperation in public affairs is judged to be exemplary. The Buddhist religious community is also threatened by tendencies to split up due to the geopolitical situation or tensions in the countries of origin - like Islam in Austria , for example . The highly political problem of double lineage holders in the context of the Tibet issue has led to the Karmapa's Karma Kagyu school in particular being represented with several communities. The primarily theological question of Shugden worship within the Gelug school ( Ganden tradition) raised by the Dalai Lama is the reason that the only Buddhist monastery in Austria, the Letzehof in Vorarlberg, does not belong to the umbrella organization.

The association plays a well-respected role in interreligious dialogue . A state-canonical special position of Buddhism so far, which only when he is (2014) of 14 recognized churches or religious organizations that are not on the revealed religions belongs (Christianity, Islam, Judaism), but a knowledge of religion is, therefore avoids the concept of God. The organization is recognized throughout Europe because it was the first recognized and thus legally constituted Buddhist organization in Europe (Portugal followed in 1998, Italy in 2000).

organization

Sponsorship and management bodies

The ÖBR is supported by its member communities, including Buddhist orders, groups, centers and other institutions. Anyone who does not belong to any other recognized religious community in Austria can become a member of the ÖBR. One officially becomes Buddhist by notifying the triple refuge to the ÖBR.

The organs of the religious society are:

Sangharat: The representatives of these member communities (representatives of the Buddhist communities, orders, Dharma groups, institutions and foundations, approx. 20) meet at least four times a year in the Sangharat , a central council, to discuss pending questions and make decisions. It is the largest decision-making body; every member organization and the executive committee of the ÖBG have one vote.

Presidium: The ÖBR is led by a four-person presidium , which is elected by the members every 5 years. President since 2006 is Gerhard Weissgrab from Vienna .

Community assembly of Buddhist communities: The Buddhist community of Austria is responsible for looking after the members . The community assembly represents the regional communities, which includes all members of the religious society who have their normal place of residence in the respective region. Its three-person management committee is also elected by the members. The general assembly of all Buddhist communities ( general assembly) meets in the event of constitutional changes and the election of the presidium.

There is also an arbitration tribunal that can be invoked as the last instance in the event of the revocation of rights within the company.

The ÖBR does not levy a church tax , but finances itself according to Buddhist tradition from donations ( Dāna ) .

List of member communities (groups)

Org. ... Organization ( Sangha )

Seat … municipality, town / district

following column… state

E. … type of facility

Gem ... Buddhist community
Ord ... Order - religious Buddhist communities within an authentic teaching and practice tradition
Dha ... Dharma group - religious Buddhist communities that arose due to the special cultural situation of European people
Sti… Foundation - earmarked assets
Ans ... Anstalt - foundations with real assets for the plant

Since ... foundation (and membership)

T. … Buddhist tradition

TÜ ... cross-tradition
Th ... Theravada Buddhism
Ma ... Mahayana Buddhism
Va ... Vajrayana Buddhism

Notes column: can be sorted by country of origin and tradition

Org.	Seat		E.	since	T.	Notes, sites
Buddhist community Austria	Vienna Inner City (1.)	W.	According to	1983	(TÜ)	previous entire community; Buddh. Center Vienna (1976), Buddh. Cemetery (2005)
Buddhist Community Salzburg (BGS)	Salzburg fiefdom	S.	~!	1977	TÜ	open to and cross-traditional; Buddhist. Center Salzburg Lehenerstraße , stupa on Mönchsberg (1998)
Scheibbs Buddhist Center (BZS)	Scheibbs - Ginselberg	Lower Austria	Ans	1975	TÜ	all three great buddh. Traditions
Buddhadham Temple Graz	Graz-Lend (4th)	St.	~!	~!	Th	thai. Community; Buddharattana Pratheep Temple
Theravada school	Vienna Inner City (1.)	W.	~!	1984	Th	on Buddh. Center of Vienna ; Buddh. Society Vienna (founded in 1923, re-founded in 1949) ; Dhamma Center Nyanaponika ( Vienna 14th ), What Thai ( Vienna 5th ), Theravada group on Buddh. Center Salzburg , Theravada School Linz , Vipassana meditation group on Buddh. Center Graz
Sayagyi U Ba Khin (SUBK, IMC-Austria)	Poggersdorf - St. Michael	K	~!	1990	Th	myanmar. . Trad, International meditation center of SUBK meditation Society (est 1984th) ;
Bodhidharma Zendo	Vienna Inner City (1.)	W.	~!	1979	Ma	Myoshin-ji line of japan. Rinzai Zen, am Buddh. Center Vienna
Dai Shin Zen Center Mishoan	Vienna- Alsergrund (9.)	W.	~!	2006	Ma	Rinzai tradition of japan. Zen; Dai Shin Zen Center (2008)
Fo Guang Shan	Vienna- Rudolfsheim (15.)	W.	~!	~!	Ma	chinese-taiwan. Fo Guang Shan Order; Fo Guang Shan Temple (err. 2010)
Peace Stupa Institute	Vienna- Leopoldstadt (2.)	W.	~!	~!	Ma	for Theravada , Tibet. Buddh. , Zen , mahayana practice of the lotus sutra ; from South Korea and Austria; Pyung Hwa Sa Peace Association ; Peace Stupa Zalaszanto / HU (2007)
Lotus Sangha	Vienna new building (7.)	W.	~!	2001	Ma	Yun Hwa Dharma Sah , Korean Buddh .; Centers Linz (-Altenberg) , Wienerwald (-Dornbach)
Senkozan Sanghe Nembutsu Do	Lunz - Bodingbach	Lower Austria	Dha	1997	Ma	Japan. Tatsutayama Senkobo (Senkobo Buddh.) ; Senkozan Temple Vienna, Senkozan Sanghe Nembtsu Ji Temple ( Linz , 2008 ); Stadtdojo Vienna (16.) , Stadtdojo Linz , Dojo Wachau ( Hollenburg )
New World Institute	Neunkirchen	Lower Austria	~!	1986	Ma	Naikan Center , Japan. Zen
Nipponzan Myohoji	Vienna- Leopoldstadt (2.)	W.	~!	1983	Ma	Order of Nipponzan Myōhōji , Japan. Nichiren Buddh. ; Peace Pagoda Vienna (err. 1983) , Tempel
Puregg - House of Silence	Dienten - mountain	S.	~!	1989	Ma	Japan. Soto Zen Buddha .; Jakkoji Temple; Zen community Kannon Do ( Innsbruck ), Zazen group Bregenz
Austria Soka Gakkai International (ÖSGI)	Vienna- Penzing (14.)	W.	Ord	1991 (member 2001)	Ma	Lay order of japan. Sōka Gakkai Nichiren-Buddh.
Pu Fa meditation center Linz	Linz-Kleinmünchen	Upper Austria	~!	2009	Ma	chinese-taiwan. Chungtai Chan-Buddh.
Shaolin Culture Association	Vienna- Margareten (5.)	W.	~!	2011	Ma	Chinese Shaolin Chan-Buddh. ; Shaolin temple
Drikung Kagyud order	Vienna Inner City (1.)	W.	Ord	2002	Va	Drikung Kagyu School, Tibet. Buddh .; Drikung Phuntsog Chöling (founded 1983) on Buddh. Center Vienna , Dharma group Drikung Samten Chögar Wilhering / Upper Austria (2008)
Karma Kagyu Diamond Way	Graz- Andritz (12.)	St.	Ord	1986	Va	Diamond Way of the Karma Kagyu School, Tibet. Buddh .; BG Bludenz , BZ Bregenz (- Rieden ), BG Dornbirn-Markt , BZ Graz, BZ Innsbruck (-Wilten) , BZ Judenburg , Mautern (adD) , BZ Linz with stupa Freinberg (built 2013) , BZ Murau , BZ Salzburg , BG Steyr , BZ Villach , BZ Vienna (2.)
Karma Kagyu Sangha	Vienna Inner City (1.)	W.	Ord	1981 (1997)	Va	Bodhi Path Network of the Karma Kagyu School, Tibet. Buddh .; Centers: Karme Tschö Ling am Buddh. Center Vienna and Graz (1981) ; Bodhipath Bregenz (2005) and Innsbruck (2006)
Karma Samphel Ling	Vienna- Leopoldstadt (2.)	W.	~!	2010	Va	Karma Kagyu School, Tibet. Buddh.
Ligmincha Austria	Vienna- Wieden (4.)	W.	~!	2012	Va	Ligmincha Network, Tibet. Bon Buddh. ; Groups Vienna, Graz, Upper Austria / Salzburg, Vorarlberg
Maitreya Institute Gutenstein	Gutenstein - Blättertal	Lower Austria	~!	1989	Va	Karma Kagyu School, Tibet. Buddh.
Austrian Dzogchen community	Vienna- Mariahilf (6.)	W.	~!	1980 (member 1997)	Va	Dzogchen Community, Nyingma School, Tibet. Buddh .; Groups Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria ( Gersdorf - Gschmaier ) with the Yeselling Meditation Center (2008) and the Shang Shung Institute (2000) , Tyrol, Vienna
Palpung Yeshe Chökhor Ling Europe, Palpung Europe	Purkersdorf	Lower Austria	~!	1997	Va	Palpung Congregation of the Karma Kagyu School, Tibet. Buddh .; Palpung Yeshe Chöling's branch centers in Austria and Germany
Panchen Losang Chogyen Gelug Center (PLC-Vienna, FPMT)	Vienna- Alsergrund (9.)	W.	~!	2003	Va	Gelug tradition, Tibet. Buddh .; Society for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT)
Rangjung Yeshe Gomde	Scharnstein - Bäckerberg	Upper Austria	~!	2004	Va	Chokling-Tersar line, Dzogchen - Nyingma -School, tibet. Buddh.
Shambhala meditation center	Vienna new building (7.)	W.	~!	1978	Va	Shambhala Buddh. ; Groups in Graz , St. Pölten , Innsbruck
She Drup Ling Graz	Graz-Gries (5th)	St.	~!	1995	Va	Gelug tradition, Tibet. Buddh .; Association for the Promotion of Buddhist Values ; Buddh. Center Graz ; Peace stupa in the Volksgarten (err. 1996–98) , Kalachakra Kalapa retreat center with stupa ( Garanas , 2002 )
Counter Dho-ngag Choeling (TDC)	Vienna- Floridsdorf (21.)	W.	Ord	2005	Va	Gelug tradition, Tibet. Buddh .; TDC-Vienna, TDC-Salzburg am Buddh. Center Salzburg , TDC-Carinthia in the Tibet Center (IIHTS , Hüttenberg - Knappenberg , 2008 )

Sources: buddhismus-austria.at → groups ; ÖBG: Buddhism in Austria (2013); BKA: Religionsbericht (2014); Status of the list 6/2014

activities

The legal recognition brings a number of privileges for the religious community, such as the possibility of giving denominational religious instruction in public schools, pastoral care in justice and hospitals, and easier visas for monks and nuns from abroad.

The ÖBR is responsible for Buddhist religious instruction, representation in interreligious bodies and the organization of courses and ceremonies as well as running the Buddhist cemetery in Vienna.

The religious education in Austria began in the 1993/94 academic year. It takes place in the afternoons across all schools and levels, and is designed for all Buddhist currents as well as for the whole religious society. More than 200 students take part in a total of 19 groups; these are spread across six federal states (Lower Austria, Burgenland and Vorarlberg are missing). The education and training of the religious teachers took place mostly in Salzburg; in the future it will take place within the framework of the Kirchliche Pädagogische Hochschule Wien / Krems .

The mobile hospice association of the ÖBR is active in care for the elderly and terminal care, regardless of religious orientation and origin, at home and in inpatient facilities.

In addition, the ÖBG publishes the magazine Buddhismus in Österreich , as well as the ÖBR yearbook and the regular ÖBR newsletter .

International and interreligious dialogue

The ÖBR is a member of the European Buddhist Union and the World Fellowship of Buddhists .

Events

Ceremony 25 years of ÖBR

On February 23, 2008, the Austrian Buddhists celebrated the 25th anniversary of their recognition in a ceremony at the University of Vienna in the presence of the responsible Federal Minister Claudia Schmied together with high-ranking representatives from other religious communities.

The Austrian Buddhist Religious Society organized an autumn symposium on October 23 and 24, 2009 in the Billrothhaus in Vienna. The theme of the conference was Ways to a New Paradigm - Healing from Suffering Developments .

Web links

Official website

Individual evidence

↑ http://www.buddhismus-austria.at/oebr-organisation/praesidium/

↑ ^a ^b ^c Federal Chancellery (Ed.): Religions in Austria . Overview of the religious communities recognized in Austria. Bundespressedienst, Vienna 2014, 2.13 Austrian Buddhist Religious Society , p. 54–56 ( pdf [accessed on June 18, 2014] editorially edited own presentation). pdf ( Memento of the original from July 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2
↑ ^a ^b ^c One pizza Buddhista, please! Work on awakening: 30 years ago, under Bruno Kreisky, the doctrine of compassion for all beings in Austria became a denominational religion. Wolfgang Koch in Standard.at, April 5, 2013, sections organization in the decade of suspicion of sects and affidavit from 1000 people
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Constitution of the Austrian Buddhist Religious Society . Approved by decision of the Federal Ministry for Education and Cultural Affairs of January 13, 1997, GZ 6531 / 29c / 96 (doc, buddhismus-austria.at).
^ Quote from the Federal Chancellery (ed.): Religions in Austria . 2014, p. 55 , col. 2 (pdf p. 50).
↑ ^a ^b ^c various formulations quoted verbatim and compiled from the program ( memento from June 29, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), buddhismus-austria.at, accessed July 2, 2014.
↑ Other groups ( Memento from July 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) , buddhismus-austria.at
↑ So Gerhard Weißgrab in an interview with the Wiener Zeitung, 2013 : "over 3000 people ... registered". In an interview with Weissgrab in the Wiener Zeitung in 2008 , this number was even lower: “... few registered members. We are just over 2,200 people who officially identify themselves as Buddhists based on their religion ”.
↑ W. Schandor: A religion on quiet feet . In: Wiener Zeitung , February 23, 2008.
↑ For the estimate, see also Gerhard Weißgrab, President of the Religious Society, in an interview, “More and more are looking for answers” , Nina Brnada, in Wiener Zeitung (reproduced on ninabrnada.com, February 22, 2013), on the question “How many Buddhists are currently alive in Austria?"
↑ cf. approximately speech Councilor Christian Oxonitsch, the award of the Golden Medal of the Province of Vienna for Eva Maria Zöpnek-Twardowski, Vice President of the Austrian Buddhist religious society in. Vienna: Merit for four dedicated Vienna , archive message of Rathauskorrespondenz of 16 March 2011: Today view , wien.gv.at.
↑ cf. One Pizza Buddhista, please! Koch, Standard.at, section 7,000 euros building costs per dead , 3rd paragraph.
↑ Gerhard Weißgrab, President of the Religious Society, in an interview, “More and more are looking for answers” , Nina Brnada, in Wiener Zeitung (reproduced on ninabrnada.com, February 22, 2013), on the question “How well does the dialogue between the 14 religious communities work are recognized in Austria, among each other? "
↑ For example, it is important to avoid an association between “religion” and “God” in legal texts. Compare on this, Austria Convention , 5th meeting, Friday, November 21, 2003, tape copy, p. 54 ( PDF ), konvent.gv.at, accessed June 2, 2014.
↑ Oliver Freiberger, Christoph Kleine: Buddhism: manual and critical introduction. Verlag Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2010, ISBN 978-3-647-50004-1 , p. 167 ( limited preview in the Google book search).
↑ Currently (2014) only one community: “The Austrian Buddhist Religious Society is initially establishing a single Buddhist community that covers the entire territory of the Republic of Austria. Its seat is Vienna. The establishment of further Buddhist communities can be decided by the Sangharat at any time. ”§ 7.9. Seat of the Constitution
↑ "in particular for the promotion and dissemination of teaching, holding religious exercises, holding seminars, possibly for setting up schools, hospitals, children, old people and nursing homes, social services or similar purposes" § 11. Institutions of the constitution
↑ The headquarters of Sayagyi U Ba Khin is the IMC-Rangoon in Myanmar
Jump up ↑ Fo Guang Shan Order - Buddhist Temple , tour of the temple; A small guide (folder, pdf, fgsvienna.at → about us ).
^ The Peace Stupa Institute also tried to build a stupa in Gföhl / Lower Austria, which was rejected in a local referendum;
Referendum: Two thirds against Buddha Tempel in Gföhl , In: Der Standard online, February 12, 2012;
Chronicle: After the referendum: No to the stupa building in Gföhl (Lower Austria) ; Letter from the institute to diocesan bishop Dr. Küng , both stupa.at, accessed June 2, 2014;
Municipality of Gföhl: Figures for the referendum of February 12, 2012 , accessed on November 26, 2012.
↑ Yun Hwa Denomination of World Social Buddhism ; The main seat is the Lotus Buddhist Monastery in Hawaii; Yun Hwa Sangha (yunhwasangha.org)
↑ Headquarters is the Chungtai Chan monastery Lin Quan in Puli in central Taiwan, 中台世界 - Chung Tai World (ctworld.org)
↑ ^a ^b Karma Kagyü Diamantweg formerly Karma Kagyü Austria (KKÖ); the Karma Kagyu Sangha left the KKÖ in 1997, and has also been in the Bodhi Path network since 2010 . History of the Vienna Karma Kagyu Center , karma-kagyu.at, accessed June 2, 2014.
↑ Headquarters of the international Ligmincha network is the Ligmincha Institute , Serenity Ridge, Nelson County, Virginia, USA; Ligmincha International (ligmincha.org) .
^ Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), Portland, OR, FPMT International (www.fpmt.org)
^ Wiener Zeitung 2013 . This report of a religion lesson with only two students (this group includes “up to 18 students”) states that 190 students take part in Austria and 13 teachers teach.
^ Buddhist religious instruction in Austria
↑ KPH Vienna / Krems also trains Buddhists , Niederösterreichische Nachrichten on November 21, 2017
↑ ^a ^b P. Matusek: Ways out of the crisis. Cause & Effect , 2009, 70, pp. 46–47.
^ Page no longer available , search in web archives: Ways out of the crisis@1@ 2 , buddhismus-austria.at, 2009, accessed on January 6, 2009

48.210195 16.37652Coordinates: 48 ° 12 ′ 36.7 ″ N , 16 ° 22 ′ 35.5 ″ E