Today, there is a sizable Buddhist community in Greece, comprising immigrants and native Greek converts. Buddhism has influenced Greek literary tradition to some extent, as evident in the works of
Nikos Kazantzakis.[3] There are many Buddhist centers in Greece, four centers founded by the
Diamond Way and other centers in cities such as
Athens,
Thessaloniki,
Sparta and
Rhodes. The Athens Diamond Way Buddhist Center was founded in 1975 when
Lama Ole Nydahl visited
Athens for the first time.[4] There are also Buddhist retreats in
Corinth and on
Mount Olympus, and nine
stupas.[5]