- A brief history of Vietnamese Buddhism
- Ven. Dr. Thich Minh Chau
Vietnamese Buddhism has a long history of more than 2000 years.
Its origin dates back to the 3rd century B.C., when numerous Buddhist missions were sent
abroad by Emperor Asoka to disseminate Lord Buddha’s Teachings in such distant
countries beyond the borders of India as those in Africa, West and Central Asia as well as
South East Asia including Malaysia, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and North Vietnam,
which was known then as Giao Chau ( modern Bac Ninh province ).
Vietnamese Buddhism can be roughly divided into 4 periods:
1. From its beginning in Ancient Times to the 10th century A.D.,
2. Its Golden Age from the 11th century to the 14th century,
3. Its Decline in the 15th century and its Restoration in later centuries,
4. Contemporary Vietnamese Buddhism and its Activities in the present situation.
I. VIETNAMESE BUDDHISM FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO THE 1OTH
CENTURY:
It is believed that among the three Buddhist centres of ancient China ( Lo Yang, Ring
Ch’eng and Luy Lau ), Luy Lau centre in Giao Chau ( South China ) was then the first
to be founded under the Han Dynasty ( around the early part of the first century AD ). Luy
Lau, the capital of Giao Chau, which was then a Chinese vassal, was on the main trade
route between India and China; therefore undoubtedly it became a favourable and prosperous
resort for Indian pioneer missionaries to stay and preach the Buddha’s Teachings
before continuing their journey to the North.
The Order of Giao Chau monks was founded before Buddhism spread to other places. From the
evidence of historical records under the Latter Eastern Han Dynasty, we may conclude that
Luy Lau was the first to adopt the new faith from Indian monks who gradually found their
way to the North, i.e., South China and the Yangtse River Valley, and then to Lo Yang, the
capital of China, where the two other Buddhist centres were successively founded.
According to the documents recorded in THIEN UYEN TAP ANH ( an Anthology of the Most
Talented Figures in Ch’an Park), our most ancient Buddhist literary collection,
Master K’ang Seng Hui, a monk of Sogdiana origin was the first Buddhist Master at Luy
Lau Centre. He was born in Giao Chau, where he was received into the Order of Monks
afterwards. He became the most famous monk scholar who translated a large number of
Buddhist Canonical books into Chinese ( Han characters ) and later he visited Nanking,
where he built the first pagoda and preached the Dhamma.
Besides Master K’ang Seng Hui, there were many famous Indian monk scholars such as
Mahajivaka, Kalaruci ( Tche Kiang Liang ) and a Chinese scholar Mao Po ( Mui Tsu ), who
immigrated to Giao Chau and studied Buddhism under Indian monks there. At that time, there
were about 20 pagodas with at least 15 translations of Buddhist Text Books and 500 monks
at Luy Lau centre. "The Buddha’s Sutta in 42 Sections" which appeared at
Giao Chau in the 2nd century AD, is believed to be the first selection of Suttas
translated into Chinese at Luy Lau.
Therefore, one of the characteristics of Vietnamese Buddhism in Ancient Times is that it
had been introduced by Indian missionaries into Giao Chau long before it spread to China.
The literary evidence in the above translation proved that in its very beginning,
Vietnamese Buddhism adopted the fundamentals of Orthodox Buddhism from Indian monks and in
later centuries with the development of Buddhism in China, it received another trend of
Buddhist thought, the Mahayana doctrine, especially Chinese Ch’an Buddhism.
Another salient feature of Vietnamese Buddhism is that it has been closely connected with
national life and Buddhist monks have made their active contribution to the construction
and protection of their country. The best learned class of society, Vietnamese monks
practised their religion side by side with common people and were on friendly terms with
members of other religions such as Taoism, Confucianism. A large number of Ch’an
Masters were great Confucianist scholars who, besides their religious duty, played an
important part in social life. They might have made use of favourable conditions of
Chinese Buddhism under the Sui ( in the 6th century AD ) and the T’ang dynasties ( in
the 7th and 8th centuries ) in order to develop Vietnamese Buddhism and further a national
movement for liberation from Chinese yoke.
The first period of DaiViet’s independence began with King Ly-Nam-De, who highly
honoured Buddhism and used to consult Buddhist monks and follow their advice on religious
and worldly affairs in protecting the young nation against foreign invasions. Finally came
the glorious victory at Bach Dang River in 930, which opened a new page of DaiViet
history.
II. THE PERIOD OF NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE FROM THE 11TH
CENTURY TO THE 14TH CENTURY: THE GOLDEN AGE OF VIETNAMESE BUDDHISM:
The 10th century marked a new era of both the independence of DaiViet nation and the
prosperity of Vietnamese Buddhism. Many Buddhist monks were engaged in politics under the
Dinh ( 968-980 ), the Former Le ( 980-1009 ), the Ly ( 1010-1225 ) and the Tran (
1225-1400 ) Dynasties. Some were appointed both "State Counsellors and National
Teachers" such as Ch’an Masters Khuong Viet, Phap Thuan, Vien Chung and above
all, Ch’an Master Van Hanh, who made his great contribution to the enthroning of King
Ly-Thai-To, the founder of the Ly reign, and was later granted the title "Sangha
President".
As a monk of great talent, he devoted himself to the teaching of the Dhamma and the
construction of the kingdom; yet, he remained aloof from worldly life. His philosophical
attitude was beautifully expressed in his serene and noble Utterance before his
death:
( Our personal existence is like a lightning flash that passes into nothingness,
All plants prosper in Spring and wither in Autumn,
Despite all the ups and downs of fortune, we fell no fear,
For these are mere dewdrops on the grasstips. )
The prosperity of Vietnamese Buddhism reached its height under the Ly and the Tran
Dynasties during 4 centuries, King Ly Thai To and his successors were devout Buddhist
supporters and patrons who officially recognized Buddhism as state religion and ruled
righteously in accordance with the TEN DUTIES of a king ( Dasarajadhamma ). They showed
their great compassion and tolerance towards their people, even criminals, prisoners and
foreign enemies or rebels. By order of the Kings, thousands of pagodas and stupas were
built all around the country, among which One-Pillar Pagoda (in Hanoi) was the most
famous. Some of the kings resigned their power after a time of reigning, and became
Ch’an Masters such as Ly Thai To, Ly Thanh Ton, Ly Anh Ton, Ly Cao Ton, Tran Thai
Ton, and in particular, King Tran Nhan Ton, a great Buddhist scholar who, after his two
victories over the Mongols (Yuang Meng), abdicated and became the founder of the Truc Lam
(Bamboo Grove) at Mount Yen Tu. It was the first Vietnamese Ch’an Sect that had ever
been founded and the king was consecrated as the first Patriarch of Truc Lam Ch’an
sect of Viet Nam, the others being Vinitaruci (an Indian monk), Wu Yan T’ung (a
Chinese), and Tsao T’ang (a Chinese). It was under his leadership that the 3
Ch’an sects (Vinitaruci, Wu Yan T’ung-Speechless Understanding, and Tsao
T’ang-Hermitage) were unified into one Vietnamese Ch’an Sect.
During the Golden Age, Vietnamese Buddhist thought, literature and architecture were best
developed in poetry, in prose and in various works of arts. Above all, the achievement of
engraving Buddhist scriptures which lasted 24 years (1295-1319) at Quynh Lam Pagoda under
the auspices of King Tran Anh Tong was the most influential one. The great task was
carried out by Master Phap Loa, the second Patriarch of the Truc Lam Ch’an Sect,
alongside hundreds of monks and lay followers, making over 5000 engravings of Buddhist
Scriptures including those composed by the Truc Lam Sect. Master Phap Loa made his best
contribution to the growth of over 15.000 monks in more than 200 Truc Lam monasteries
then. Next to Phap Loa was Huyen Quang, thus forming the Trinity of Truc Lam Patriarchs,
the symbol of the Buddhist Golden Age. Master Huyen Quang, a great monk scholar and poet,
led a secluded life at Mount Con Son, teaching the Dhamma, practising Ch’an
meditation, and composing poems after 20 years of serving the Court.
What is essential of Truc Lam Ch’an Buddhism is that it lays the emphasis on the
mental cultivation whatever condition one may live. It is a mind-oriented training for
every Buddhist, whether he is a monk or a lay follower. This way of practising the Dhamma
is best expressed in a hymn entitled "Cu Tran Lac Dao Phu" (Taking Delight in
Religion While Dwelling in the World) composed by King Tran Nhan Ton, Truc Lam First
Patriarch, who concluded the hymn with the following reputable verse:
( Let’s take delight in religion in whatever condition we may live,
Let’s eat when hungry and sleep when tired,
Within ourselves lies the gem, so let’s give up searching elsewhere,
When our mind is detached from the surroundings, there is no more question of
concentration.)
Another interesting feature of Ly-Tran Buddhism is its trend of blending Buddhism with
Taoism and Confucianism. This growing tendency of combining the 3 religions together in a
harmonious way resulted in producing experts in the three branches of learning. Many of
them were Ch’an Masters, kings and court mandarins who played a very active role as
leaders in several struggles against the Sung’s army and later the Mongols’
invasions. In peace time as well as in war time, these Buddhists made their great effort
to bring welfare and happiness to their nation. In the period of unprecedented prosperity
of Vietnamese Buddhism, both Taoism and Confucianism were also well-developed and very
popular with all social classes.
III. THE DECLINE OF BUDDHISM IN THE 15TH CENTURY AND ITS
RESTORATION IN LATER CENTURIES:
By the end of the Tran Dynasty, as Confucianist scholars gained their
monopoly at court, Buddhism gradually lost its influence especially after the invasion of
the Ming in 1414, DaiViet became a Chinese vassal again, and the Ming rulers oppressed
Vietnamese Buddhists by confiscating most of Buddhist text books in DaiViet, then sending
them to Chin-Lang and destroying a large number of pagodas. Moreover, numerous talented
monks were sent to China in exile. All that lay in the policy of assimilating the
Vietnamese into the Chinese and spreading Confucianism as the only dominating doctrine
while keeping Buddhism and Taoism under strict control.
After a ten-year fight against the Ming, finally came the victory won by Le Loi, the
national hero who founded the Latter Le. But Buddhism was in unfavourable condition then:
By King Le Thai To’s order, Buddhist monks had to pass an examination or they had to
return to secular life. Confucianism had a great influence on the king and especially on
the intellectuals of the time since it was the best way leading to power and glory at
Court. What remained fortunate was that Buddhism had been so deeply rooted in all classes
of people that they constantly kept their faith alive in hard times by building pagodas,
temples and reprinting Buddhist Scriptures despite Confucianist scholars’ strong
opposition and the kings’ exclusive order.
In the 16th century and during the Trinh-Nguyen Conflict lasting about 300 years, the
Trinh and Nguyen Lords tried to restore Buddhism in order to win people’s heart. Many
of them were devout Buddhists who decreed the building or renovating of lots of well-known
pagodas or stupas such as Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue ( buy Lord Nguyen Hoang’s decree in
1601 ), Thien Tho ( Bao Giac) Pagoda, An Ton ( Tu Dam) Pagoda...
In the 17th century, a number of Chinese monks came to Vietnam founded such Ch’an
sects as Lin Chi and T’sao Tung Sect. They were warmly received by the Trinh who, at
the same time, encouraged the restoration of Truc Lam Ch’an sect.
One of the brilliant torchlights of Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha in North Vietnam ( Dang
Ngoai ) was Ch’an Master Chan Nguyen, who was conferred the title "Sangha
President" by king Le Du Tong. The Master and his excellent disciples Nhu Hien, Nhu
Trung made their great effort to restore the Truc Lam Ch’an Sect tradition and
reprint numerous literary works composed by Truc Lam Patriarchs. Another outstanding
figure was Ch’an Master Huong Hai, who preached the Dhamma at Nguyet Duong monastery
to thousands of disciples. Some of them became very famous and were later appointed Sangha
Presidents.
In the South ( Dang Trong ) , the Nguyen Lords heartily welcomed numerous Ch’an
Masters from China. They founded the Lin Chi Sect and the T’sao Tung Sect and built
pagodas in many provinces while the territory extended southwards. Besides, Vietnamese
Ch’an Masters tried their best to restore Vietnamese Buddhism; among them, Ch’an
Master Lieu Quan was considered the leader of the Buddhist restoration. He preached the
Dhamma in many provinces and was highly esteemed by the Nguyen. He belonged to the Lin Chi
Sect, but his teaching was coloured by Vietnamese way of thinking since he tried to
remodel the religion imported from China, making it completely Vietnamese and lively in
such aspects as rites and hymns or poems. His chief disciples continued to spread this way
of teaching throughout the South and the influence of this Ch’an Sect could be found
even in the Buddhist Restoration in the 20th century.
From the beginning of the French colonialists’ domination over Vietrnam, the
condition of Buddhism was obviously worse. Under the Nguyen Dynasty, Buddhism got violent
opposition from courtiers who were Confucianist scholars while it was neglected by most of
the kings who were not zealous Buddhist supporters. In addition, as a time-honoured
religion, Buddhism was confronted with many difficulties from the colonialist government.
IV. CONTEMPORARY VIETNAMESE BUDDHISM AND ITS ACTIVITIES AT
HOME AND ABROAD.
Under the influence of Chinese Buddhist Restoration in 1920, there was a
movement for the Restoration of Vietnamese Buddhism headed by Master Khanh Hoa and many
Buddhist associations were established in South VN, central VN and North VN from 1931 to
1934. The Buddhist Reformation received great approval from Buddhists especially the
intellectuals in all over the country, but it was interrupted by World War II.
In 1948, the United VN Buddhist Association came into being and it resumed its activities
in Ha Noi. Many Buddhist magazines and Vietnamese translations of Buddhist books were
issued then. In Hue, the Most Venerable Elder Giac Tien and Doctor Le Dinh Tham, a lay
Buddhist scholar, founded a Buddhist Institute at Truc Lam Pagoda, then "The Buddhist
Association of An Nam" at Tu Quang Pagoda and two Buddhist schools for monks and
nuns. It was Dr. Le Dinh Tham who made his best contribution to the Buddhist Restoration
by disseminating the Buddha’s Teachings in Vietnamese, founding various Buddhist
youth organisations and translating the Suramgama Sutra into Vietnamese. He was, in fact,
the spirit of the Buddhist Restoration then.
In 1951, a National Buddhist Conference held in Hue aimed at unifying all Buddhist
Associations and reorganising the Sangha’s activities. Besides, it approved the
participation of Vietnamese Buddhists in the World Fellowship of Buddhists ( WFB ) founded
in Colombo in 1950.
From 1954, after the division of VN into two regions by Geneva Agreement, Vietnamese
Buddhists in the South suffered from the religious discrimination and restrictions imposed
by the Diem Regime until the day when its oppression grew stronger and the non-violent
Buddhist demonstrations broke out all over the countrry, the Bodhisattva Thich Quang
Duc’s self-sacrifice (by burning himself alive for the cause of religion) followed by
those of other Buddhist martyrs paved the way for the overthrow of the Diem Regime in
1963.
In 1975, after the Liberation Day of the South, there was a movement led by the Most
Venerable Thich Tri Thu to unify all Vietnamese Buddhist sects and organisations and then
the VN Buddhist Sangha was founded in 1981. The VN Buddhist Sangha headed by the Most
Venerable Dhamma Patriarch Thich Duc Nhuan approved an action program for national
co-operation and harmony among all Buddhist sects, disseminating the Dhamma at its best so
as to make known its special features, establishing a system of monastic education and
promoting friendship among world Buddhist organisations for peace on earth.
In 1981, the Institute of Higher Buddhist Studies was established in Hamoi, and in 1984,
another one in Hochiminh City. Their purpose is to train a new generation of
well-qualified monks and nuns so that they can effectively serve the VN Buddhist Sangha in
various activities. The monk and nun students are instructed in both canonical and
non-canonical subjects include the Doctrines of three main Buddhist schools: the Theravada
(Orthodox Buddhism), the Sarvastivada (the Theory of the Pan-Realists) and the Mahayana
(Developing Buddhism) Graduate students can continue their studies at home or abroad in
order to become researchers at the VN Buddhist Research Institutre founded in 1989.
The VN Buddhist Research Institute as a new field of activiy of the VN Buddhist Sangha
undertakes the important responsibility of elucidating the Buddha’s Teachings,
emphasising creativeness in the Dhamma dissemination in accordance with the social and
scientific progress of our time. Moreover, it tries its best to widen world Buddhist
activities and promote exchanges of Vietnamese Buddhist culture with those of other
countries.
The leadership of the VN Buddhist Research Institute consists of the Most Venerable Elder
Thich Thien Sieu as Vice Rector in charge of the Department of Vietnamese Buddhism and the
Venerable Dr. Thich Thien Chau (at Truc Lam Pagoda, France) as Vice Rector in charge of
the Department of world Buddhism.
In addition, there are other Departments such as The Department of Buddhist Specialties,
The Department of Monastic, Education, and above all, The Department of Translating and
Publishing the Tipitaka (The Buddhist Canon) into Vietnamese. The great task of
translating The Tipitaka from Pali, English and Chinese into Vietnamese, and publishing
the Vietnamese Tipitaka has been under way since 1991. It will take about 2 decades to
fulfil the assignment.
As far as world activities are concerned, the VN Buddhist Sangha’s (VBS) delegations
attended the 6th and 7th ABCP general conferences and the Most Venerable Dr Thich Minh
Chau was elected Vice President of the ABCP Leadership and President of the VN ABCP
National centre. In 1984, the VBS delegation attended the Round-Table Conference in New
Delhi and in particular, the VBS and the ABCP National Centre hosted the Conference of the
ABCP Executive Council and the International Secretariat in Hanoi in 1985. In 1986, the
International Year of Peace, two seminars on the theme "Buddhism and Peace" were
held in Hanoi and HCM City. In recent years, many VBS delegations have attended religious
seminars or conferences held in different countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Japan,
Australia, Rome, France, Taiwan...
CONCLUSION
Throughout twenty centuries in the long history of VN, Vietnamese Buddhism
has been closely linked with the survival of the nation, whether in its rise and fall.
Since the early days of its introduction, the mind of Vietnamese Buddhists has been so
well imbued with the Buddha‘s Teachings about love, tolerance and sympathetic
understanding that Vietnamese Buddhism has been able to co-exist in peace with other
religions for over 2000 years. On the one hand, generations of Vietnamese monks and nuns
and lay followers, unknown or well-known, have somehow participated in making it a unique
Vietnamese religion coloured with Vietnamese ways and customs. On the other hand,
Vietnamese Buddhism has had a great influence on Vietnamese literature, art, music,
architecture and Buddhism, so to speak, has become a part of Vietnamese life.
Most. Ven.Thich Minh Chau
Ho Chi Minh City, 5 Sept 1994
Computer typesetting: Minh Thien Trinh Chinh;
Source: Quang Duc Home page