Some Contributions of Buddhism to Vietnamese Culture

Abstract

In Vietnamese history, Buddhism has had a deep ideological influence and has great contributions to the national culture. The article focuses on the analysis of four main cultural fields that have got important contributions from Buddhism. First, Buddhism had contributed to training a class of intellectuals for Vietnam. The first intellectual class trained by Buddhism was familiar with Confucianism and was the first intellectual class. Many monks had helped the feudal court to administer the affairs of the state in the first stage of its foundation. In Ly, Tran dynasties, Buddhism had flourished and was considered as a national religion. Second, Buddhism had contributed to writing. In South Indochina, people had inherited from Buddhism and Brahmanism their writing. This was a writing based on Sanskrit writing. But in North Indochina, when Buddhism came from India, people had made use of Chinese writing but this writing had an official character, and was not popular among the common people, it therefore led to the formation of Nom writing. Buddhism had, therefore, led to the formation of Nom writing in North Indochina, Cham, Khmer writings in South Indochina. These three kinds of writing had contributed to the preservation of Vietnamese, Cham, Khmerian languages. Third, Buddhism had brought to Vietnam a rich tradition of architecture for pagodas, towers. The author introduces different types of architecture for Buddhist pagodas and temples throughout the three regions (Northern, Central, Southern Vietnam). These constructions express harmony with nature and become famous places of scenic beauty. Fourth Vietnamese Buddhism bears a deep popular character with ideas of compassion, saving from misfortune and danger. Vietnamese Buddhism tends to Beauty, Good and Love of the Fatherland. Full text in Vietnamese Religious Studies 2005/5 pp.16-25