The European Buddhist Union (EBU) is an international umbrella association of Buddhist organizations and national Buddhist unions in Europe, founded in 1975. The presence of Buddhism in all European countries has been growing considerably in the last 50 years so as to represent a number of several million Buddhists, not only through the presence of natives of traditional Buddhist countries, but mainly because an ever-increasing number of Europeans have adopted Buddhism as their philosophy of life, being inspired by the message of wisdom, altruism, open-mindedness, loving kindness and limitless compassion towards all living beings.