Chinese Chan Buddhist Church of Hungary

The Chinese Chan Buddhist Church of Hungary (Chinese: 匈牙利中國禪宗佛教會; Pinyin: Xiōngyálì zhōngguó chánzōng fójiào huì; Hungarian: Magyarországi Kínai Chanbuddhista Egyház) is one of the official Buddhist religious organizations in Hungary, representing the Chan school of Mahayana Buddhism. Its center is the Pu-ji Temple in Budapest. The establishment of the church was significantly influenced by the Chinese Arts Center of Hungary and chinese Buddhist monks living in Hungary. The church's leader, Ming Lai, a Buddhist abbot, has lived in Hungary for 14 years.

The Pu-ji Temple, located in Budapest, regularly holds noon and evening ceremonies, as well as traditional Buddhist festivals. Ming Lai leads meditation courses within the institution.

One of the prominent Buddhist figures venerated by the church is Guan Yin (Chinese: 觀音 / 观音, Pinyin: guānyīn), a bodhisattva. Unlike her Indian counterpart, Avalokiteshvara, Guan Yin is most often depicted as female in China and other Southeast Asian countries. The main statue at the Pu-ji Temple also represents Guan Yin.

 History 
At the invitation of Abbott Ming Lai, the Chinese Arts Center helped establish the Hungarian Chinese Chan Buddhist Church and a community. The church was officially registered on September 14, 2002. The community actively involves the Chinese colony in Hungary. The Chinese Arts Center also played a role in the construction of the Pu-ji Temple, which opened its doors on August 2, 2003. During the temple's consecration ceremony, monks and worshippers from various countries attended. On this day, a Chan wedding ceremony was also held for the first time in Europe. The historical event featured the young couple, XiaoFeng Cserkész Gábor, president of the Chinese Arts Center, and YaoXian Cserkészné Prokop Nikoletta.

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Category:Buddhism
Category:Chinese culture