The 50 Most Famous Buddhists
There are probably a lot more famous Buddhist people than you realize. This is a list of Buddhist famous figures, featuring well-known individuals who practice or have heavily studied Buddhism. All branches of Buddhism have been included. Buddhism is a philosophy and religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known to most of us as "the Buddha."
Though it's found throughout the world, Buddhism is most popular in Asia, and it originated within India. There are two major branches of Buddhism, Mahayana and Theravada, the former being the most popular. The common thread among all branches of Buddhism is the concept of "dependent origination,"Â that reality is an interwoven web of cause and effect.
Though its origins are distant, there are plenty of famous American Buddhists. Beloved Star Wars director George Lucas is Buddhist, as is Goldie Hawn and Orlando Bloom. They are far from the only celebrity Buddhist followers though. David Bowie and Steve Jobs were both known Buddhists. Tiger Woods is one of the Buddhist athletes.Â
Did you know that Richard Gere studied Buddhism? Read on below to learn more about famous important people in Buddhism.Â
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David Bowie experimented with multiple religions throughout his life, including Buddhism. At one point, he was studying under Tibetan lama Chime Rinpoche. Bowie described himself as a "mid-art populist and postmodernist Buddhist surfing his way through the chaos of the late 20th century."
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Star Wars visionary George Lucas has described himself as a "Buddhist Methodist," connecting to both the eastern philosophy as well as the religion of his childhood.
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Goldie Hawn was raised by Jewish and Presbyterian parents, but found herself drawn to Buddhism as an adult.
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Steve Jobs took a trip to India in 1974, which sparked a lifelong interest in Buddhism. Jobs' Buddhist principles were part of the influence behind his Apple products.
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Jeff Bridges is a Buddhist and even believes The Big Lebowski could be considered a Zen Buddhist classic.
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Beat poet Allen Ginsberg learned of Buddhism's teachings from Jack Kerouac. He eventually became a follower of Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
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Actor Jet Li is a devout Tibetian Buddhist. At one point, he even considered quitting acting to focus on his spiritual studies.
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Former Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch was raised with both Catholocism and Judaism, but began practicing Buddhism beginning in 1994.
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Kate Bosworth started dabbling in Buddhism while dating fellow Buddhist Orlando Bloom. "It's just a really incredible state of mind. It's just a beautiful place to try and be at," she stated.
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Kate Hudson was raised with Buddhist influences from her mother, Goldie Hawn. Hudson credits Hawn for showing her how to live out Buddhism in her life. "Her philosophy has stopped me from becoming cynical, which squashes the good things. If you focus on positivity and honesty, you’ll be happy," she said.
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Orlando Bloom has practiced Soka Gakka Buddhism for many years.
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Tina Turner was raised in a Baptist household, but found comfort in Buddhist principles as an adult. However, she hasn't shut the door on her former religion. "I still believe in the Lord's Prayer. I find a form of the Lord's Prayer in Buddhism," she told Oprah. "Every religion has rules for living a good life."
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Tiger Woods is a practicing Buddhist, and even credits it with his golfing success.
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Hollywood director Oliver Stone was raised Episcopalian, but has since converted to Buddhism.
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Richard Gere's first encouter with the Buddhist dharma was in his early twenties. He remains actively involved in the faith.
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America's Next Top Model contestant Naima Mora lives out her Buddhist beliefs daily. "Buddhism is about everyday life,” she explained. “The average person here and now—anyone—has the potential to attain enlightenment."
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Singer k.d. lang became a devoted Buddhist in 2000.
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British actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is a practicing Buddhist who enjoys chanting with his friends.
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Actor Chow Yun-Fat lives the Buddhist principle of a non-materialistic lifestyle, even opting to donate almost his entire net worth ($714 million) to charity.
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Courtney Love is a Nichiren Buddhist, and revealed that her practice of daily chanting "turned everything around".
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Activist and environmentalist George Dvorsky describes himself as a "secular Buddhist" and humanist.
Seagal is a Buddhist, and was formally recognized as a tulku — a reincarnated lama —by the oldest sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
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Herbie Hancock has practiced Nichiren Buddhism as a member of the Buddhist association Soka Gakkai International.
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Writer Hermann Hesse was raised in Christianity, moved towards Hinuism, and then finally arrived at Buddhism. Eventually, he would go on to explore Chinese Taoism.
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From the mid-to-late 1950's, writer Jack Kerouac was a serious Buddhist. Later on, he followed a looser form of the philosophy.
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Leonard Cohen studied Zen Buddhism for three decades, and was even a Buddhist monk for a period of five years in the 1990s.
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Actor Patrick Duffy has been a practicing Buddhist for over four decades.
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Composer and pianist Philip Glass became a student of Buddhism in 1966.
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Sharon Stone is a Buddhist, stating that she believes in the yin-yang practice.
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Penélope Cruz was raised Catholic, but found herself looking for a different spiritual path. While she "believes in God in her own way", she enjoys Buddhism because "it is the one that respects others and the one that doesn’t say that this is the only way."
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