Buddhist temples open their doors to visitors

Buddhist temples in Vienna and Graz are welcoming visitors today, with talks, meditation sessions and other activities to introduce them to Buddhist traditions, ORF reports.

At the Fo Guang Shan Temple on Sechshauserstraße, visitors can try a Zen tea ceremony, meditation or Chinese calligraphy. The Austrian Buddhist Religious Society is inviting people to learn about the traditions of its different religious groups through talks, rituals, taster sessions and guided tours.

The Buddhist Center on Fleischmarkt is hosting talks throughout the day, including sessions on Buddhism as an ethical guide and on Buddhist principles and meditation. The Daijihi Soto Zen Sangha in Hietzing is holding an open house, where visitors can have tea, look around and ask questions.

The society estimates that about 13,000 Buddhists live in Vienna. It says membership and services have grown since Buddhism was officially recognised as a religious community. These services include pastoral care, a mobile hospice and two Buddhist schools.