Buddhist Beginnings in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — It is established that the Philippines is the only predominantly Christian country in the Far East. It is known too that there is the strong presence of the Islamic faith in the southern parts of the country. Yet, other faiths have made its way to the islands long before the arrival of Spanish Catholicism. One of them, Buddhism, is said to have made its way to the Philippine archipelago around the 6th to the 13th century.

This was due to the early presence of various early states that were once tributary of the powerful Buddhist Srivijayan Empire based in present-day Indonesia.

Technically, though, there have been no written records that exist, proving of early Buddhism in the Philippines. However, recent archaeological discoveries suggest that Buddhism existed in the islands from the 9th century onwards.

One of these findings is the Golden Tara statue uncovered in 1918 at Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, and is now displayed at the Field Museum of Chicago. This artifact strongly tells that Buddhism made its way to Northern Mindanao, Palawan, some parts in Luzon, and even here in Cebu. Among the Buddhist sects at that time, it was Vajrayana Buddhism that prospered in these areas due to Srivijaya’s Vajrayana Buddhist influence.

Buddhism, along with other pre-colonial religions, like Hinduism and animism, slowly began to decline upon the arrival of the Spaniards and of Roman Catholicism during the 16th century. Much of Buddhism was practiced by Chinese merchants who eventually settled in trade centers like Cebu.

Today, it continues to be practiced with three Buddhist temples in existence here in Cebu. One of them is the Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple, constructed in 1988 and with its other buildings like the Kuan Yin and Ti Tcang shrines built later. The temple certainly serves as a reminder of Cebuanos’ cultural ties with Buddhism and Chinese culture.

In this year’s “Gabii sa Kabilin” tonight, Fo Guang Shan Chu Un Temple will hold various activities and presentations that will highlight Buddhist culture and practices, such as Chinese calligraphy, tea ceremony, bathing of the Buddha, Wu Shu and Tai Chi performances, Chinese dances, and Buddhist Chinese cuisine.