Buddhism in the Philippines

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Buddhism in the Philippines
Hwa Chong Buddhist Temple in Malabon
Total population
2% in 2016[1]
Regions with significant populations
Throughout the Philippines
Part of a series on
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Buddhism by country

Filipinos of Chinese descent.[4]
The number of Buddhists in the country has been dwindling due to the lack or no significant presence of Buddhist missionary works where the teachings of the Buddha are translated and taught to the native regional languages.

History

See also:
History of the Philippines (900-1521), and List of India-related topics in the Philippines
northern India (dark orange) starting 5th century BCE, to Buddhist majority realm (orange), and historical extent of Buddhism influences (yellow). Mahāyāna (red arrow), Theravāda (green arrow), and Tantric-Vajrayāna (blue arrow). The overland and maritime "Silk Roads" were interlinked and complementary, forming what scholars have called the "great circle of Buddhism".[5]

The oldest archeological evidence of Buddhism's presence in the Philippines date back to the 9th century, when Vajrayana was known as the dominant branch of Buddhism. No early Buddhist written records have yet to be found from this era, likely due to the perishable nature of the writing mediums, which were bamboo and leaves. A few records also note of the historical presence of Buddhism in the islands prior to the arrival of colonizers and East Asian Buddhism. Independent states that comprise the Philippines were known to have Buddhist adherents, although the majority of the population adhered instead to the indigenous Philippine folk religions.[6][7]

Vajrayāna in the Philippines was also linked through the maritime trade routes with its counterparts in

China and Japan, to the extent that it is hard to separate them completely and is better to speak of a complex of esoteric Buddhism in medieval Maritime Asia. In many of the key South Asian port cities that saw the growth of Esoteric Buddhism, the tradition coexisted alongside Shaivism.[8]

Both the

Theravāda with the rituals of Vajrayāna in the 7th century.[9]

In and of itself not a

Mahāyāna Buddhism. Ritual practice rather than meditation is the distinguishing mark of Vajrayāna. In addition, its esoteric teachings may only be conveyed through dharma transmission
.

Archaeological findings

Main article:
Archeology of the Philippines

The Philippines's archaeological finds include a few Buddhist artifacts.[10][11] The style exhibits Vajrayāna influence,[12][13][14][9] and most of them dated to the 9th century. The artifacts reflect the iconography of the Śrīvijayan empire's Vajrayāna and its influences on the Philippines's early states. The artifacts' distinct features point to their production in the islands, and they hint at the artisan's or goldsmith's knowledge of Buddhist culture and literature because the artisans have made these unique works of Buddhist art. They imply also the presence of Buddhist believers in the places where these artifacts turned up.[citation needed] These places extended from the Agusan-Surigao area in Mindanao island to Cebu, Palawan, and Luzon islands. Hence, Vajrayāna ritualism must have spread far and wide throughout the archipelago.[citation needed]

In 1225, China's

Zhao Rugua, a superintendent of maritime trade in Fukien province wrote the book entitled Zhu Fan Zhi (Chinese: 諸番志; lit. 'Account of the Various Barbarians"'), in which he described trade with a country called Ma-i in the island of Mindoro in Luzon
, which was a pre-Hispanic Philippine state. In it he said:

The country of Mai is to the north of

Buddhas of unknown origin scattered about in the tangled wilds.[15]

"The gentleness of Tagalog customs that the first Spaniards found, very different from those of other provinces of the same race and in Luzon itself, can very well be the effect of Buddhism "There are copper Buddha's" images.[16]

The gold statue of the deity

Henry Otley Beyer
, the Philippines' pioneer anthropologist-archaeologist, and some experts have agreed on its identity and have dated it to belong within 900–950 CE, which covers the Sailendra period of the Srivijaya empire. They can not place, however, the Agusan image's provenance because it has distinct features.

In the archipelago that was to become the Philippines, the statues of Hindu and Buddhist gods were hidden to prevent destruction during the arrival of Islam, a religion which destroyed all cult images. One statue, a 4-pound gold statue of Vajrayana Buddhist goddess "Golden Tara", was found in Mindanao in 1917. The statue denoted the Agusan Image and is now in the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. The image is that of a Buddhist female deity, seated cross-legged. It is made of twenty-one carat gold and weighs nearly four pounds. It has a richly ornamented headdress and many ornaments in the arms and other parts of the body. Scholars date it to the late 13th or early 14th century. It was made by local artists, perhaps copying from an imported Javanese model. The gold that was used to craft this statue was from Mindanao, as Javanese miners were known to have been engaged in gold mining in Butuan at this time. The existence of these gold mines, this artifact, and the presence of "foreigners" suggests that there existed some foreign trade, gold being the main element in the barter economy, and of cultural and social contact between the natives and "foreigners".

As previously stated, this statue is not in the Philippines. Louise Adriana Wood (whose husband, Leonard Wood, was the military-governor of the Moro Province in 1903–1906 and governor general in 1921–1927) raised funds for its purchase by the Chicago Museum of Natural History. It is now on display in the museum's Gold Room. According to Professor Beyer, considered the "Father of Philippine Anthropology and Archeology", a woman in 1917 found it on the left bank of the Wawa River near Esperanza, Agusan, projecting from the silt in a ravine after a storm and flood. From her hands, it passed into those of Bias Baklagon, a local government official. Shortly after, ownership was passed to the Agusan Coconut Company, to whom Baklagon owed a considerable debt. Wood bought it from the coconut company.

A golden statuette of the Hindu-Buddhist goddess Kinnara was also found in an archeological dig in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.

The Philippines's archaeological finds include many ancient gold artifacts. Most of them have been dated to belong to the 9th century iconography of the Srivijaya empire. The artifacts' distinct features point to their production in the islands. It is probable that they were made locally because archaeologist Peter Bellwood discovered the existence of an ancient goldsmith's shop that made the 20-centuries-old lingling-o, or omega-shaped gold ornaments in Batanes.[17] Archaeological finds include Buddhist artifacts,[10][11] the style of which are of Vajrayāna influence.[12][18]

The other finds include the

Padmapani images. Padmapani is also known as a manifestation or avatar of Avalokitesvara, the enlightened being or Bodhisattva of Compassion.[19]

Surviving Buddhist images and sculptures are primarily found in and at

Tabon Cave.[18] Recent research conducted by Philip Maise included the discovery of giant sculptures, and he also discovered what he believes to be cave paintings within the burial chambers in the caves depicting the Journey to the West.[20] Scholars such as Milton Osborne emphasize that despite these beliefs being originally from India, they reached the Philippines through Southeast Asian cultures with Austronesian roots.[21] Artifacts[verification needed] reflect the iconography of the Vajrayāna tradition and its influences on the Philippines's early states.[22]

Butuan

Main article:
Rajahnate of Butuan

Evidence indicates that Butuan was in contact with the

memorial requesting equal status in court protocol with the Champa envoy. The request was denied later by the Imperial court, mainly because of favoritism over Champa.[31]

Mindoro

Main article: Ma-i

In 1225, China's

Manjusri, in Tabon Caves in Palawan
.

Palawan

In the 13th century,

Tabon Cave.[32] Recent research conducted by Philip Maise has included the discovery of giant sculptures and cave paintings within the burial chambers in the caves depicting the Journey to the West.[33]

Tondo

Main article: Tondo (historical polity)
The Main Altar of a Buddhist Temple in Masangkay Street, Tondo, Manila.

A relic of a bronze statue of

Lokesvara was found in Isla Puting Bato in Tondo, Manila,[23] and the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, which specifically points to an Indian cultural (linguistic) influence in Tondo, does not explicitly discuss religious practices. However, some contemporary Buddhist practitioners believe that its mention of the Hindu calendar month of Vaisakha (which corresponds to April/May in the Gregorian Calendar) implies a familiarity with the Hindu sacred days celebrated during that month.[34]

Present day

Both extant

Fo Guang Shan Manila is the main branch of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order in the Philippines, which has several temples across the country.[38]

Despite being located in Southeast Asia, the

Quezon Province
.

Incorporation of folk religion

Main articles: Anito, Indigenous Philippine folk religions, Philippine mythology, and Indigenous religious beliefs of the Tagalog people
Part of a series on the
Culture of the Philippines
Society
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Other
Symbols

Philippines portal

The Tagalog and Visayan belief system was more or less anchored on the idea that the world is inhabited by spirits and supernatural entities, both good and bad, and that respect must be accorded to them through worship.

Hindu gods in Java, and was also assumed by the ruler of Majapahit
.

Influence on Philippine languages

See also: Indosphere

Pāli have left lasting marks on the vocabulary of almost every indigenous language of the Philippines.[43][44][45]

On Kapampangan

Clark Field, Pampanga
, October 2003

On Tagalog

Main article: List of loanwords in Tagalog

See also

References

  1. ^ "The International Day of Vesak | Philippines".
  2. ^ "The International Day of Vesak | Philippines".
  3. ^ Mapa, Dennis S. (February 22, 2023). "Religious Affiliation in the Philippines (2020 Census of Population and Housing)" (Press release). Philippine Statistics Authority. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  4. ISBN 978-88-7652-848-4
    .
  5. ISBN 9780199340378. Archived
    from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  6. ISSN 0193-600X. Archived
    from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved May 30, 2019. This image was previously thought to be a distorted Tārā, but was recently correctly identified as a Vajralāsyā ('Bodhisattva of amorous dance'), one of the four deities associated with providing offerings to the Buddha Vairocana and located in the southeast corner of a Vajradhātumaṇḍala.
  7. ^ Weinstein, John. "Agusan Gold Vajralasya". Google Arts & Culture. Archived from the original on June 1, 2019. Scholars think that the statue may represent an offering goddess from a three-dimensional Vajradhatu (Diamond World) mandala.
  8. ^ Acri, Andrea. Esoteric Buddhism in Mediaeval Maritime Asia: Networks of Masters, Texts, Icons, page 10.
  9. ^ a b filipinobuddhism (November 8, 2014). "Early Buddhism in the Philippines". Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  10. ^ a b Jesus Peralta, "Prehistoric Gold Ornaments CB Philippines," Arts of Asia, 1981, 4:54–60
  11. ^ a b Art Exhibit: Philippines' 'Gold of Ancestors' Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine in Newsweek.
  12. ^ a b Laszlo Legeza, "Tantric Elements in Pre-Hispanic Gold Art," Arts of Asia, 1988, 4:129–133.
  13. ^ "Camperspoint: History of Palawan". Archived from the original on January 15, 2009. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  14. ^ "History of Palawan". Archived from the original on January 15, 2009. Retrieved December 5, 2018.. Accessed 27 August 2008.
  15. ^ a b Prehispanic Source Materials: for the study of Philippine History" (Published by New Day Publishers, Copyright 1984) Written by William Henry Scott, Page 68.
  16. ^ a b Rizal, Jose (2000). Political and Historical Writings (Vol. 7). Manila: National Historical Institute.
  17. ^ Khatnani, Sunita (October 11, 2009). "The Indian in the Filipino". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  18. ^ a b c Camperspoint: History of Palawan Archived 2009-01-15 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed August 27, 2008.
  19. ^ "Early Buddhism in the Philippines". November 8, 2014. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  20. ^ "'Great Sphinx' Found in Tabon Caves in Palawan". MetroCebu. August 12, 2015. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  21. ISBN 1-74114-448-5
    .
  22. ^ Laszlo Legeza, "Tantric Elements in the Philippines PreHispanic Gold Arts," Arts of Asia, 1988, 4:129–136.
  23. ^ a b c d http://www.asj.upd.edu.ph/mediabox/archive/ASJ-15-1977/francisco-indian-prespanish-philippines.pdf Archived February 19, 2018, at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]
  24. ^ "tribhanga". Archived from the original on January 15, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2007.
  25. ^ http://asj.upd.edu.ph/mediabox/archive/ASJ-01-01-1963/Francisco%20Buddhist.pdf Archived January 21, 2020, at the Wayback Machine [bare URL PDF]
  26. ^ Agusan Gold Image only in the Philippines Archived 2012-06-27 at the Wayback Machine.
  27. ^ Agusan Image Documents, Agusan-Surigao Historical Archives.
  28. ^ Anna T. N. Bennett (2009), Gold in early Southeast Asia Archived May 14, 2015, at the Wayback Machine, ArcheoSciences, Volume 33, pp 99–107
  29. ^ Dang V.T. and Vu, Q.H., 1977. The excavation at Giong Ca Vo site. Journal of Southeast Asian Archaeology 17: 30–37
  30. ^ "Timeline of history". Archived from the original on November 23, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
  31. ^ Scott, William Prehispanic Source Materials: For the Study of Philippine History, p. 66
  32. ^ Camperspoint: History of Palawan Archived 2009-01-15 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed August 27, 2008.
  33. ^ "'Great Sphinx' Found in Tabon Caves in Palawan". MetroCebu. August 12, 2015. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  34. Binondo, Manila: Philippine Theravada Buddhist Fellowship. November 9, 2014. Archived
    from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  35. ^ Hessler, Z. (2020, December 26). Burmese Theravada in a Catholic land (28) [Audio podcast episode]. In Insight Myanmar. https://www.insightmyanmar.org/complete-shows/2020/12/25/episode-28-voices-burmese-theravada-in-a-catholic-land-part-2 Archived July 25, 2021, at the Wayback Machine
  36. ^ "Directory of Buddhist Organizations and Temples in the Philippines". Sangha Pinoy. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  37. ^ The Dharma Wheel, 1:1, 1998 Philippines Centennial Issue
  38. ^ "History of Fo Guang Shan in the Philippines". Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  39. ^ "Achieving communal enlightenment toward Nirvana through Theravada Buddhism". thelasallian.com. January 21, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  40. ^ Philippine Folklore Stories by John Maurice Miller. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  41. ISBN 971-550-135-4
    .
  42. ^ "The Ancient Visayan Deities of Philippine Mythology". May 13, 2016. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
  43. ISBN 978-3110218435
    .
  44. ^ Virgilio S. Almario, UP Diksunaryong Filipino
  45. ^ Khatnani, Sunita (October 11, 2009). "The Indian in the Filipino". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.

Sources

External links

Theravāda

Mahāyāna

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