Buddhism & Zen in Vietnam Quotes

“Throughout the history of Buddhism in Vietnam many distinguished monks, both foreign and native, contributed to the nation's welfare and enriched Vietnamese culture through their Buddhist activities, often serving as national masters or advisors to the king on important matters, compiling or writing various Buddhist works, and excelling in literary accomplishments.”
― Thich Thien-An, Buddhism & Zen in Vietnam: In Relation to the Development of Buddhism in Asia

“Although Hīnayāna disciplines and traditions continue to exert their influence in the daily activities of Vietnamese Buddhists, Zen comes closest to expressing the Vietnamese character, and as such, their attitude in all walks of life can best be described as a “Zen outlook.”
― Thich Thien-An, Buddhism & Zen in Vietnam: In Relation to the Development of Buddhism in Asia

“At present the most popular method of practice is meditation during recitation and recitation during meditation—meditation and recitation being one and the same for Vietnamese Buddhists. This is the doctrine of Thiền- Tinh Nhất-trί 禪淨—致, the union of Zen and Pure-Land recitation.”
― Thich Thien-An, Buddhism & Zen in Vietnam: In Relation to the Development of Buddhism in Asia

“Though Vietnam is a Mahāyāna Buddhist country, due to geographical location and historical connections, Hīnayā-na Buddhism deeply influences the disciplines and religious activities of the Vietnamese”
― Thich Thien-An, Buddhism & Zen in Vietnam: In Relation to the Development of Buddhism in Asia

“The mainstream of Chinese Ch'an provided the background tradition for Buddhism in Vietnam, particularly Vietnamese Zen Buddhism. An Indian monk and student of the third patriarch of Chinese Ch'an, Sêng-ts'an, a Chinese monk and disciple of the prominent master Pai-chang, and a second Chinese monk and follower of the famous Hsüeh-t'ou founded the first three schools of Zen Buddhism in Vietnam. Other schools of Buddhist philosophy and practice were also introduced to the country, and various indigenous sects grew up around celebrated Vietnamese masters. In the later development of Vietnamese Zen, the Lâm-Tế (C. Lin-chi, J. Rinzai) branch of practice came to the country and found firm basis for its growth through the innovations of a talented Vietnamese master, so that today most Buddhist monks, nuns, and laymen in Vietnam belong to the Lâm-Tế Zen tradition.”
― Thich Thien-An, Buddhism & Zen in Vietnam: In Relation to the Development of Buddhism in Asia

“With the exception of a few scholars, the majority of Western people still hold a number of misconceptions about Vietnamese Buddhism. It is commonly believed, for example, that Buddhism in Vietnam belongs to the Hinayāna tradition shared by neighboring Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. But most seriously of all, Vietnamese Buddhism is wrongly thought to be entirely political in emphasis with all its activities directed only towards gaining political power.”
― Thich Thien-An, Buddhism & Zen in Vietnam: In Relation to the Development of Buddhism in Asia