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VIETNAMESE BUDDHISM:

PAST & PRESENT

PAST: From A.D. 43 to A.D. 1975 (except A.D. 1010 – A.D. 1400): foreign aggressions / civil wars.

PRESENT: From 1975 up to now.

Buddhism

arrived in VN

around the 2nd

century B.C.

Luy lâu, 25 km

Northeast of

Hà Nội, an

important

Buddhist

centre.

A. VIETNAMESE BUDDHISM IN THE PAST

I. Preserving the Nation culture and independence

• Sĩ Nhiếp (137 – 226): Chinese origin / barbarian

religion (Buddhism) / Pháp vân pagoda / Hồ.

• The text Lý Hoặc Luận (a summary of struggle on

culture): 37 pairs of questions and answers, late in

the 2nd century A.D. by Mâu Tử (a Chinese convert),

highlighting the superiority of Buddhism to

Confucianism and Taoism. A magical Buddha.

• Khương Tăng Hội (? – 280): A student of Mâu Tử’s,

bringing the cultural influence from Vietnam to Nan-

king, China under the reign of king Ngô Tôn Quyền in

247 A.D. An-ban-thủ-ý, a text on meditation, leading

to magical powers and seeing the Buddha.

Pháp vân Pagoda in Luy Lâu

Pháp Vân Pagoda

Pháp Vân Pagoda Pháp Vân Pagoda

II. New Buddhist ideology

Nobody saw the Buddha. Till the mid-5th century A.D., the doubt was discussed by Lý Miễu (a newly Buddhist tendency) and two monks, Đạo Cao and Pháp Minh (a supernatural Buddhism).

After Hội’s death, there were many uprisings. Strength from inside. Leaders Lý Thường Nhân, Lý Thúc Hiến (458 - 485). Especially, Lý Bí (mid-6th) found state of Vạn Xuân, Khai Quốc Buddhist pagoda.

Tì-ni-đa-lưu-chi zen school (580): The enlightenment is from within.

A magical Buddhism was turned into a secular or socio-political one.

Khai Quốc Pagoda in Hà Nội

(Past)

III. Vô Ngôn Thông Zen school and Independence

For a clear-cut solution of the crisis of Magical

Buddhism in mid-5th century and Taking part in the

protection and construction of the country – Vô Ngôn

Thông Zen school was founded.

In 820, Vô Ngôn Thông, a Chinese Zen Master, came

to Vietnam. He refused the viewpoint that Zen

originated from India or China and advocated that

Whoever enlightens is Buddha, Wherever is

enlightened is Zen. This Zen school asks for the

Buddhists to put their ideas into practice by engaging

in worldly life, politics.

When the Đường Dynasty in China became

weak and confused, the Viets started rising up.

Mai Hắc Đế (722) and Bố cái Đại vương (766 –

799) failed. But Khúc Thừa Dụ (906 – 907),

Khúc Hạo (907 – 917), Khúc Thừa Mỹ (917 -

923) and Ngô Quyền (905 -938) continuously

rose up, defeated the Chinese and started a

long, stable period of National independence on

every aspect with successive dynasties Ngô,

Đinh, Tiền Lê, and especially the Lý (1010 -

1225) and Trần (1225 – 1400) dynasties.

• It is during this period the intellectual Buddhist

monks were skilful counselors who helped the

leaders to gain success:

• Monk Định Không (730 – 808) said Buddhism can

only develop in an independent country.

• Monk Vạn Hạnh advised King Lý Công Uẩn to

shift the Capital from Hoa Lư to Thăng Long (now

Hà Nội) for keeping the National independence

long.

• Monk Pháp Thuận utilized prophecy to help king Lê Đại Hành (980 -1005) seize power. The verse “Quốc tộ” (The first Vietnamese theory of government):

“Quốc tộ như đằng lạc

Nam thiên lý thái bình

Vô vi cư điện các

Xứ xứ tức đao binh.”

(The state destiny is like winding strings,

The Southern Heaven opens the prosperous and peaceful sight.

Vô vi stays in the royal palace,

Everywhere stops hostility.)

IV. Thảo Đường Zen school and South March

• Under the Lý dynasty, one more Zen school -

Thảo Đường – was founded to meet a new

demand of the country.

Một Cột Pagoda under the Lý dynasty (Present) Một Cột Pagoda under the Lý dynasty (past)

• In 1069, Champa king, Chế Củ, offered 3

provinces Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình and Quảng Trị .

• Thảo Đường, a Chinese monk among the

prisoners was appointed Imperial Preceptor.

• Thảo Đường Zen school spent nearly 150 years

with 18 Zen Masters, half Successors laity, half

Successors monks.

• Tì-ni-đa-lưu-chi Zen school survived over 600

years, all Successors were monks.

• Vô-ngôn-thông Zen school surviving around 250

years had 3 laymen as Successors.

• The impact of Buddhism shifted gradually from

monks to laity

V. TRÚC LÂM ZEN SCHOOL

• King Trần Nhân Tông (1258 – 1309) with the idea “Cư trần

lạc đạo” (Living a worldly life and loving the Way).

• In 1307, the king received 2 provinces, Thừa Thiên and

Quảng Nam.

• The expansion of new territories and the menace of

aggressions put forward an urgent demand for population

growth.

• Vienam continued its South March and Buddhism as a

cultural instrument was necessary to stabilize the new

territories.

• The next Lê dynasty (1428 – 1527) marked a newly

developing period of secular Buddhism based on the idea

of “Cư trần lạc đạo”. The Lê kings were ardent supporters

of Buddhism, especially king Lê Thánh Tông, well-versed in

both Confucianism and Buddhism.

Trúc Lâm Yên Tử

Chùa Đồng (Bronze Pagoda)

Hoa Yên Pagoda Mộ Tổ

Trúc Lâm Tam Tổ

VI. PERIOD OF NEW BUDDHISM

• In 1698, Lord Nguyễn Phúc Chu completed the

South March. The idea “Cư Nho mộ Thích” (Living

as Confucianist but loving Buddhism). Buddhists

of this period must master the art of

(Confucianism in) governing the country.

• 6 Zen schools, Tào Động, Trúc Lâm, Quốc Ân,

Thập Tháp, Chúc Thánh and Liễu Quán have still

existed until now.

• Under the French colony (1883 – 1945), many

eminent Buddhists were ardent patriots and

leaders of insurgent movements.

• In 1920’s, inspired by reformed movements in East

Asian countries, particularly the Chinese monk

Thái Hư Đại sư (1890 -1947), Vietnamese

Buddhist magazines and periodicals appeared with

a view to addressing political and social issues.

• In the 1930’s, there appeared 3 new Associations

of Buddhist studies.

• The unity of three Associations were hindered by

the French and lack of communication.

VII. VIETNAMESE BUDDHISM FROM 1945

• In 1945, Hồ Chí Minh formed the Vietnamese

People’s Democratic Government. Buddhists

participated in the construction of the country and

later on in the resistance against the French.

• In 1949, king Bảo Đại (1913 – 1997) assumed the

role of head of South Vietnam. In 1951 he signed

Decree No. 10 relegating all religions (except

Catholic and Protestant missions) to the status of

“public associations”.

• On assuming power in 1955, Ngô Đình Diệm

(1901 – 1963) retained Decree No. 10. In 1957 he

removed the Buddha’s birthday from the list of

official holidays.

• On June 11, 1963, under the repressive policy of

Diệm, the self-immolation of Monk Thích Quảng

Đức partly resulted in the overthrow of this regime.

Self-immolation Thích Quảng Đức

In 1964, the Vietnamese Unified Buddhist Sangha

was founded and Vạn Hạnh Buddhist University was

established.

Eminent monks Thích Trí Quang, Thích Tâm Châu,

Thích Nhất Hạnh (founder of School of Youth for

Social Service).

Vietnamese failed to seize a rare opportunity to

reform and explore the potential of Buddhist culture

in its country.

B. VIETNAMESE BUDDHISM IN THE PRESENT

• In 1975 Vietnam was unified.

• 09 Vietnamese Buddhist sects / associations

nationwide were unified in an Organisation called

“Giáo hội Phật giáo Việt Nam” (Vietnam Buddhist

Sangha) with its motto: “Dharma – Nation –

Socialism.” The Sangha is divided into two ranks: a)

Central and, b) Local.

• The Central Sangha includes a Sangha Patronage

Council (Hội đồng Chứng minh) and a Dhamma

Executive Council (Hội đồng Trị sự) including 09

Departments and 01 Institute as follows:

• 1) Tăng sự (Sangha affairs),

• 2) Giáo dục tăng ni (Training monks and nuns),

• 3) Hoằng pháp (Dharma propagation),

• 4) Hướng dẫn Phật tử (Guidance of laity),

• 5) Nghi lễ (Buddhist rites),

• 6) Văn hóa (Buddhist culture),

• 7) Kinh tế – Tài chánh (Economics and Finance),

8) Từ thiện xã hội (Social charity),

• 9) Phật giáo quốc tế (International Buddhism), and

• 10) Viện Nghiên cứu Phật học Việt Nam (Vietnam

Buddhist Research Institute).

The Local Sangha in cities and provinces also have

the same works as for the Central except the 10th.

A report of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in August, 2012:

• There have been 46,495 monks and nuns in the whole

country – Mahayana: 34,062; Theravada: 9,379 [Khmer:

8,574]; Mendicant: 3,054. There also have existed 14, 778

monasteries and temples – Mahayana: 13,710; Theravada:

527, Mendicant: 541, ...

• Over 200 monk and nun students are studying abroad and

over 100 have returned homeland after completing their

Ph.D or M.A.’degrees. Particularly, in early 2012, 15 monk

and nun students started school in Taiwan for their Buddhist

studies.

• There exist 4 Buddhist Universities in Hà Nội, Huế, Hồ Chí

Minh and Cần Thơ; 8 Buddhist colleges, 31 Buddhist high

schools and over 1,500 Elementary monk and nun students

in the whole country.

Vietnam Buddhist University in Hồ Chí Minh City

• There exist over 65 Tuệ Tĩnh Đường (Buddhist

clinics) nationwide. The Sangha spent over

214,643,530,274 VND (≈ 1,000,000 USD) for the

social and relief works for the first 6 months of

2012.

• As for the Vietnamese Buddhists abroad, the

Sangha has a number of intimate foundations or

persons in North America, Australia and Europe

(Germany, Czech, Hungary, Russia, Poland,

Ukraine).

Thank You