The Influence Of Chinese Buddhism Towards Vietnamese Buddhism During 17^thand 18^th Centuries

Basing on a compassionate and equal paradigm,Buddhism has easily blended in with many cultures in the world.Buddhism,by that virtue,always easily makes its way to the social life of,motivates multi-facet development for,the country into which it is introduced.There have been cross-buddhistical interactions among nations throughout the spreading and developing process.And that historical necessity has taken place between China and Vietnam,the two nations with a long-lasting tie in many areas such as economy,politics,and religion.Although it may carry a unique nuance,the history of development of Buddhism in Vietnam has been greatly influenced by China in such aspects as ideology,indoctrination,practicing method,ritual,art,etc.What make Buddhism in Vietnam different from that in China are philosophical paradigm,practicing method,orientation to mass deliverance,religious rapture right on Earth,which is typical of Venuvana under Tran dynasty.Chinese Buddhism has influenced Vietnamse Buddhism in many aspects during many periods of time.The subject matter of this thesis is limited to the seventeenth-to-eighteenth-century phase.Reckoning with the long-standing history of development of Vietnamsese Buddhism,it is difficult to determine whether a sect is original or adapted,orthodox or unorthodox.This study aims at discussing Chinese Buddhism's influences on Vietnamse Buddhism during the aforementioned phase,and thus pointing out the specific characteristics of Vietnamese Buddhism that could not be found in Chinese Buddhism.During the seventeenth-to-eighteenth-century phase,the political and social contexts of China and Vietnam were extremely knotty and insecure because the political forces opposed each other.This insecure social context,however,didn't hinder the development of Buddhism.Buddhist dharma was relentlessly indoctrinated from China to Vietnam through a great number of senior monks.This phase has also shown a revival of a Vietnamese-specific Buddhism-the renaissance of Venuvana.This sect of meditation got on well with the development of Lin Ji and Cao Dong,two Zen traditions of China.Though influenced by Chinese Buddhism,Vietnamese Buddhism stood firmly on its two feet with its own unique characteristics:harmony among the existing sects of meditation,simultaneous Meditation and Pure Land,co-originated tri-religion and orientation to mass deliverance.It was noteworthy that in the existing and developing process Buddhism made significant contributions to the history of Vietnamese culture in many aspects such as literature,folk verses,proverbs,custom,habit,architecture,fine art,and other art forms.The seventeenth-to-eighteenth-century phase was of paramount importance in the history of Vietnam.As a result of war,there was a restriction as to indoctrinating the right dharma southwards.During this phase,Chinese Buddhist missionaries followed the merchantmen to where the right dharma was needed to expand spirituality.Righteousness and virtue of Chinese Zen monks made the grade with Nguyen Lords and Trinh Lords,creating favorable conditions for themselves.A lot of Zen monks were even invited by Trinh Lords to Thuan Hoa,the capital of Canglan,to create altars of the law,deliver sermons on the scriptures in the court,set up sacred and magnificient national Buddhist temples,organize courses of religious learning and practicing,etc.It could be said that the influences of Chinese Zen monks are still in effect nowadays in Vietnam.The vast majority of Buddhist temples and Bodhi-mandalas are reminiscent nominally,manneristically,and operationally of those Chinese Zen monk whose tectonics has been popular thus far.Chinese Zen monks' fervent commitment has helped make Vietnamese Buddhism in a mass,and Buddhism in Tonkin in particular,stabilize and thrive.In conclusion,every phase in the introducing and developing process has had its own characteristics and nuance,and been suggestive of the prosperity of a certain sect.Vietnamse Buddhism during XVII-XVIII century-was known for the introduction and development of Lin Ji and Cao Dong,two Chinese Zen traditions,in parallel with the renaissance of Yen Tu Venuvana founded by King Tran Nhan Tong,a Vietnamese Zen monk.There were interactions during its existing and developing process.The interchange among Vietnamese Venuvana Zen tradition,Chinese Cao Dong and Lin Ji Zen sects formed a unique nuance of Vietnamese Buddhism in XVII-XVIII century.Representatively,Contemplation of Realities Zen sect in Canglan took shape and developed basing on the fusion of Chinese Lin Ji and Cao Dong Zen traditions.The Inter-religion Zen sect in Tonkin was founded on Lin Ji and Venuvana Zen traditions.This is one of the typical manifestations of the Sino-Viet cultural exchange between in XVII-XVIII century in Vietnam.