What South America’s largest Buddhist temple says about the religion’s growing influence in Brazil 

Zu Lai, the largest Buddhist temple in South America, is located in Cotia, just 18 miles from downtown São Paulo, Brazil. 

Still, it feels like another country. 

The massive Chinese palace — with more than 100,000 square feet — sits on a hilltop and is surrounded by gorgeous bamboo gardens and a lake. Inside, it has white walls and black pillars and is decorated with hundreds of red lanterns.

“If the building wasn’t beautiful, would you visit it?” asked monk Miao You, the abbess, or the CEO, as she put it, of Zu Lai.

“People come here and they fall in love. Or sometimes, they arrive crying and leave smiling. The building serves a function; it calms the mind,” she said.

Zu Lai is a major tourist attraction — with as many as 15,000 people visiting it every month. The temple opened in 1992 and it went through a major expansion in 2003. It was the first in the region from the Fo Guang Shan order of Taiwan. There are now eight in Latin America.

The order was founded by a Chinese monk called Hsing Yün in 1967.  Fo Guang Shan practices humanist Buddhism. 

“Do nice things, say nice words, have nice thoughts. That’s what humanist Buddhism is in a nutshell,” You said.

You is originally from Malaysia and has held this position for 19 years. She said most monks in the order are women, and they practice celibacy.

“It was to do with the background of Chinese culture,” she said. “Men have more responsibilities, so it’s more likely that women become monks.”

Zu Lai is not only a place of worship, according to You.

“We spread the word about Buddhism through cultural events. We cultivate talent through education. We benefit society through social programs. And we purify the mind through religious practice,” she said. “We don’t offer just noodles, but a whole feast.”

There are about 250,000 Buddhists in Brazil, a tiny number for a country with more than 220 million people.

Frank Usarski, a religion professor at Pontifícia Universidade Católica of São Paulo, explained that Buddhism hasn’t grown much as a formal religion in the country, but many Brazilians practice it informally.

“They do it to enrich their personal lives. It’s like a spiritual spa,” he said. “That means Buddhism is much stronger here than what the official statistics show.”

Márcia Cuba, who works in retail, was visiting Zu Lai for the first time recently at the invitation of friends. She is 56 and Catholic, but said she also adopts some Buddhist practices.

“I don’t get very deep into it, but I like Buddha, I have two statues at home, I feel like it brings good luck,” she said, laughing.

Environmental engineer Lucas Chagas, 35, was also raised Catholic, but he converted to Buddhism about 10 years ago. He said that Buddhism appeals to him because even though it’s complex, it’s also very simple.

“It speaks about the essence of life. We live a lot based on appearances, and Buddhism calls us to look at the reality of things,” he said.

Usarski said Zu Lai’s impressive building has helped attract people to Buddhism.

“If you look at Tripadvisor, you will find Zu Lai. That gigantic, impressive building can convince people who, for example, want to practice Buddhism as an instrument to succeed in today’s world,” he said.

You confessed that, initially, she was uncomfortable with the volume of tourists. 

“In the beginning, it bothered me a bit. I thought this is not a tourist attraction, this is a religious sanctuary,” she said. “But then I realized, it’s not bad to be a tourist destination.”

Since she started the job, the number of members has doubled, to about 1,000 people.

And there are times when the temple feels small, You said. 

“You think it’s big, but when we host big events, we run out of space,” she said.