Buddhism in Vietnam is Buddhism that had been localized to Vietnam from India and later from China. Vietnamese Buddhism has many characteristics different from Buddhism practiced in other countries. Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ...

Buddhism is the most influential religion in Vietnam, with about 50 percent of Vietnamese being Buddhists. The number of practicing Buddhists numbers about three million, those who frequently visit Buddhist temples and participate in Buddhist rites number about ten million, and those living under the influence of Buddhism number in the tens of millions.

Formation and Spread of Buddhism in Vietnam

Buddhism was imported into Vietnam fairly early, at around the beginning of the Christian Era with the legend of Chữ Đồng Tử studying Buddhism from an Indian priest. Luy Lau (in Bac Ninh Province), the capital of Jiaozhi District (Giao Chỉ) soon became an important center of Buddhism. Legends about Thạch Quang Phật and Man Nương Phật Mẫu appeared with the teachings of Ksudra in around 168-189. Anno Domini (Latin: In the year of the Lord), or more completely Anno Domini Nostri Jesu Christi (in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ), commonly abbreviated AD or A.D., is the designation used to number years in the dominant Christian Era in the world today. ... Events Change of Han Huandi to Han Lingdi of Han Dynasty; first year of Jianning era. ... Events Pope Victor I succeeds Pope Eleuterus The Prince of Hongnong succeeds Han Lingdi as Chinese emperor of Han Dynasty Dong Zhuo has the Prince of Hongnong poisoned and installs Han Xiandi as emperor. ...

Because Buddhism was imported directly from India, the word Buddha was directly imported into Vietnamese as Bụt, still in use in many folk tales. At that time, Vietnamese Buddhism was influenced by Theravada Buddhism, and Bụt was seen as a deity who helps good people and punishes bad people. In the 4-5th centuries, because of influence of Mahayana Buddhism from China, the word Bụt gradually lost its Buddhist meaning and was replaced by Phật from the Chinese pronuncation of Buddha. A stone image of the Buddha. ... Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikāya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Guan Yin from Mt. ...

Buddhism took roots in Vietnam very early. Lý Nam Đế (who became king in 544) was also known by the name Lý Phật Tử (Lý the Buddhist). In the Ly and Tran dynasties, Buddhism developed rapidly, was seen as the state religion, and influenced all aspects of life. In the Le Dynasty, Confucianism replaced Buddhism as state religion and Buddhism entered a period of decadence. At the beginning of the 18th century, King Quang Trung took efforts to revive Buddhism by building and renovating temples, but died before accomplishing his goals. In the 20th century, although strongly influenced by the process of Westernization, Buddhism experienced a resurgence, beginning in the southern cities with important contributions from the priests Khánh Hoà and Thiện Chiếu. Events Belisarius is sent back to Italy to once more fight the Ostrogoths who have been making reconquests in the area. ... The Ly Dynasty was the first Vietnamese native dynasty to take over from Chinese rule in 1000 AD. It retained a Chinese ruling ideology and maintained Chinese political institutions to secure a functioning centralized authority. ... The Trần Dynasty was a Vietnamese dynasty that began in 1225 when king Thái Tông ascended to the throne after overthrowing the Lý Dynasty and ended in 1400 when king Thiếu Đế, then 5 years old, was forced to abdicate the throne in favor of his maternal grandfather Hồ Quý... Confucianism (儒家 Pinyin: rújiā The School of the Scholars), sometimes translated as the School of Literati, is an East Asian ethical, religious and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of Confucius. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Westernisation is a process whereby traditional, long-established societies come under the influence of Western (European or American) culture in such matters as industry, technology, economics, lifestyle, food and moral and cultural values. ...

In summary, the history of Vietnamese Buddhism can be divided into four periods:

• from the beginning of the Christian Era to the end of Chinese domination is a period of formation and development;
• Buddhism reached its zenith during the period of independence (Đại Việt);
• from the Lê Dynasty to the end of the 19th century is the period of decadence;
• from the beginning of the 20th century until now is the period of resurgence.

Three schools of Mahayana Buddhism, now most influential, were imported into Vietnam: Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, and Vajrayana Buddhism. Bodhidharma, woodblock print by Yoshitoshi, 1887. ... The Buddha Amitabha, 13th century, Kamakura, Japan. ... A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ...

Zen Buddhism

Zen Buddhism, known as Thien Buddhism in Vietnam, is a branch of Buddhism created by the Indian priest Boddidharma in China at the beginning of the 6th century. Zen is an abbreviation of Dhyana. (5th century — 6th century — 7th century — other centuries) Events The first academy of the east the Academy of Gundeshapur founded in Persia by the Persian Shah Khosrau I. Irish colonists and invaders, the Scots, began migrating to Caledonia (later known as Scotland) Glendalough monastery, Wicklow Ireland founded by St. ...

Translating from Vietnamese

Thiền tông (còn được biết là Zen hay Ch'an) là một tông phái Phật giáo do nhà sư Ấn Độ Bồ Đề Đạt Ma (Boddidharma) sáng lập ra ở Trung Quốc vào đầu thế kỷ thứ 6. Thiền là cách gọi tắt của Thiền na (Dhyana), có nghĩa là "Tĩnh tâm", chủ trương tập trung trí tuệ để suy nghĩ (thiền) nhằm tìm chân lý của đạo Phật. Cách tu theo Thiền tông đòi hỏi phải tập trung toàn bộ công sức và thời gian cộng với phải có khả năng trí tuệ. Yêu cầu đó chỉ có giai cấp trí thức và thượng lưu mới có được nên Thiền tông không dành cho giai cấp bình dân. Cũng vì thế mà lịch sử Thiền tông ở Việt Nam có lịch sử rõ ràng hơn cả.

Dòng thiền tu thứ nhất trong lịch sử Phật giáo Việt Nam do nhà sư Tỳ Ni Đa Lưu Chi (Vinitaruci) lập ra. Ông là người Ấn Độ, qua Trung Quốc rồi đến Việt Nam vào năm 580, tu tại chùa Pháp Vân (hay chùa Dâu), thuộc huyện Thuận Thành tỉnh Bắc Ninh và truyền cho tổ thứ hai là Pháp Hiền. Dòng thiền này truyền được đến 19 thế hệ. Dòng thiền tu thứ hai do Vô Ngôn Thông, người Trung Quốc lập ra vào năm 820, tu tại chùa Kiến Sơn, thuộc Gia Lâm, Hà Nội. Dòng thiền này truyền được đến 17 đời. Dòng thiền thứ ba do Thảo Đường, người Trung Quốc, vốn là tù binh bị bắt tại Chiêm Thành và được vua Lý Thánh Tông giải phóng khỏi kiếp nô lệ và cho mở đạo tại chùa Khai Quốc vào năm 1069. Dòng thiền này truyền được đến 6 đời. Năm 1299, vua Trần Nhân Tông, dưới sự hướng dẫn của thiền sư Tuệ Trung Thượng Sỹ, xuất gia và lên tu ở núi Yên Tử, thuộc huyện Đông Triều, Quảng Ninh, thống nhất các thiền phái tồn tại trước đó và lập nên Thiền phái Trúc Lâm. Sau này, một số thiền phái khác xuất hiện như phái Tào Động dưới thời Trịnh-Nguyễn, phái Liên Tôn vào thế kỷ 16-19 (có trụ sở tại chùa Bà Đá và chùa Liên Phái, Hà Nội), phái Liên Quán vào thế kỷ 18 (miền Trung), phái Lâm Tế dưới thời nhà Nguyễn (miền Trung, và sau này phát triển ở miền Nam).

Pure Land Buddhism

Vajrayana Buddhism

Characteristics of Vietnamese Buddhism

Syncretism

Syncretism between Buddhism and traditional beliefs

Syncretism between different Buddhist branches

Syncretism between Buddhism and other religions

Ying-yang harmony

Flexibility

Hoa Hao Buddhism