Are there monks in Europe?

Buddhism has spread in Europe and America for about 150 years. But Europeans' initial understanding of Buddhism can be traced back to the period when Alexander the Great invaded the Indus Valley in 329 BC. In 259 BC, King Ashoka of the Indian Peacock Dynasty sent a Buddhist mission to Greece to preach. In the Middle Ages, the original story of the Buddha was introduced to Europe through the introduction of Muslim scholars in Central Asia, and it was widely popular in many places in Western and Eastern Europe. According to the World Christian Encyclopedia 1982, there are more than 2 10000 Buddhists in Europe, close to 19000 in North America and more than 500000 in South America. Most of them are descendants or expatriates of Asian immigrants, belonging to many factions of Mahayana Buddhism spreading from south to north. After Buddhism was introduced into Europe and America, in order to adapt to the local social life, there were many changes in disciplines and rituals.

In Europe and America, the study of Buddhism preceded the spread of Buddhism. From 17 to 18, some famous European philosophers, such as Spinoza, Kant and Hegel, have all talked about Buddhism. Especially at the end of 18, after some capitalist countries in Europe colonized and expanded to Asia, they began to study eastern religions, especially influential Buddhism, in order to change the beliefs of local residents and make them become Christians. (see British Buddhism), (see German Buddhism), (see French Buddhism), (see American Buddhism),