EXPLORING Buddhist temples is usually a staple on the tourist trail in far-eastern countries, such as China, Thailand, and Myanmar, and these splendid, colourful and intricate buildings, radiating peace inside and out, always make for highly photogenic subjects for long-haul holiday snaps.
The Buddhist temple, or Stupa, in Benalmádena - the largest in the western world (photo: Pedro J Pacheco/Wikimedia Commons)
Buddhism originated in Asia over 2,500 years ago, and it is this vast, culturally-rich continent we usually associate with the calming, healing religion and its elaborately-designed, eye-catching places of worship. But a small handful of temples have been set up elsewhere in the world, including in Europe – not to such an extent as those of other world religions, such as mosques, churches or synagogues, although if you search thoroughly enough, you'll find one somewhere in Europe or the Americas to capture for your social media sites.
In fact, the biggest Buddhist temple in the whole of the West is in Spain – and, again, right on the tourism trail.
You'll find it on the Costa del Sol, where it's been attracting visitors for over two decades.
Spiritual enlightenment at the turn of the Millennium
Spain's first Buddhist temple to pop up was also on the Costa del Sol, in Vélez-Málaga, meaning at least two are now based in the same province.
A Buddhist temple with a panoramic sea view - calm and reflection in the heart of the Costa del Sol (photo: Asociación Cultural Karma Kagyü de Benalmádena)
Some 30 or 40 years ago, eastern culture began to catch on in the country, more and more residents were keen to learn about it, becoming interested in the notion of meditation, harmony and relaxation, and drawn to Buddhism as potential source of comfort and stress relief, a fresh outlook on life, a simpler way of viewing the world and of coping within it.
This growing fascination led Buddhist master Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche to commission a temple in Spain's far south and, after its opening in 1994, it would serve as inspiration and a blueprint for another 18 he founded worldwide.
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