IOverview
Vietnamese Theravada is the Theravada lineage of the ethnic Vietnamese, or Kinh, distinct from the Theravada of the Khmer minority. It began in 1938, when Buu Quang temple was built at Go Dua in Thu Duc.
Its doctrine and discipline follow the Pali Canon, as in Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand. What sets it apart is that texts are chanted in Pali alongside Vietnamese translations, and that its community is Kinh people raised around Mahayana temples. Before 1981 it was known as Original Buddhism. Today it is the Vietnamese Theravada lineage of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.
IIOrigins and History
According to the Journal of Buddhist Studies, in 1938 the family of Bui Nguon Hua donated three hectares at Go Dua hamlet, Tam Binh commune, Thu Duc, to a lay group including Nguyen Van Hieu, Vang Cong Huong, Nguyen Van Quyen and Doan Van Huong, who built Buu Quang temple. The pioneering monks were Thien Luat, Hue Nghiem, Buu Chon and Ho Tong, ordained between 1937 and 1940. Common biographies say they studied and took Theravada ordination in Cambodia before returning to teach.
- 1938Buu Quang templeThe first Theravada temple of ethnic Vietnamese, at Go Dua, Thu Duc.
- 1952Consecrating the simaOn 17 February 1952 the ordination boundary was consecrated at Buu Quang, witnessed by the abbot of Mahamontrey temple in Cambodia.
- 1953 and 1956Into central VietnamTam Bao temple in Da Nang was founded in 1953 and Tang Quang temple in Hue in 1956.
- 1957Original Buddhist AssociationAuthorised by the government of the time.
- 1958Original Buddhist SanghaA congress at Ky Vien temple on 11 to 13 July elected the Venerable Ho Tong as Sangharaja, with Buu Chon and Thien Luat as deputies.
- 1964 and 1967The Unified Buddhist ChurchIt helped found the Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam in 1964 and withdrew in 1967.
- 1981Vietnam Buddhist SanghaOne of the nine bodies that founded the national Sangha.
- from 2010The name Nam tong KinhThe Sangha's Ho Chi Minh City office adopts the name Vietnamese (Kinh) Theravada lineage.
IIITeachings and Distinctive Features
The lineage sees itself as keeping the Buddha's teaching as preserved in the Pali Canon, following ethics, concentration and wisdom toward arahantship. Temples honour only the Buddha Shakyamuni. The old name, Original Buddhism, expresses its aim of returning to the earliest teaching.
Compared with the Mahayana temples most Vietnamese know, the visible differences are:
- Monks wear saffron robes, go on alms rounds, eat before noon and are not required to be vegetarian.
- Chanting is in Pali and teaching in Vietnamese, based on the Nikayas and the Abhidhamma.
- Calm and insight meditation are the main practices. There is no recitation of Amitabha's name and no Great Compassion mantra.
People often assume that a Theravada temple in Saigon must be a Khmer temple. In fact the Kinh lineage is an ethnic Vietnamese community that worships in Vietnamese, with its own history and organisation. The two share Theravada doctrine but are separate lineages within the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.
IVPractice, Ritual and Daily Life
Monks keep the 227 rules of the Pali Vinaya. The rainy season brings a three month retreat that ends with the Kathina robe offering, the biggest lay festival of the year. Many temples hold alms rounds on set days so that lay people can make offerings.
Theravada has no nuns' order recognised everywhere, so women who renounce in the Kinh lineage live as precept nuns. The Journal of Buddhist Studies counted 654 of them around 2019, more than half the number of monks.
Lay followers take refuge, keep the five precepts and the eight precepts on observance days. Short insight meditation retreats, open even to non Buddhists, draw many city dwellers.
VOrganisation and Distribution
From 1958 to 1981 the lineage was organised as the Vietnam Original Buddhist Sangha, led by a Sangharaja with its seat at Ky Vien temple in Saigon. Since 1981 its leaders have sat on the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha over many terms, among them the Venerables Sieu Viet, Buu Chanh, Thien Tam and Vien Minh.
| Measure | Figure | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Temples | 106 | Journal of Buddhist Studies, around 2019 |
| Monks | 1,100 | Journal of Buddhist Studies, around 2019 |
| Nuns | 654 | Journal of Buddhist Studies, around 2019 |
VIToday
Today the Kinh lineage is part of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, strongest in Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces. Buu Quang is still regarded as its ancestral temple. Meditation centres such as Vien Khong on Dinh Mountain, in the former Ba Ria Vung Tau province, founded by the Venerable Vien Minh, attract people who want to practise meditation in the Pali tradition.
Many Pali texts now exist in Vietnamese translation, letting Vietnamese read the teachings directly rather than through Chinese. The lineage keeps close ties with Khmer Theravada and with Theravada countries, and many of its monks study in Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
VIISymbol of the Branch
No symbol of its own is recorded with a source for this branch, so the library uses the common symbol of the path.
VIIIOther Branches of Buddhism
Mahayana BuddhismMahāyāna 大乘, the Great VehicleThe largest branch, centred on the bodhisattva ideal of liberating oneself and others.
Theravada BuddhismTheravāda, the teaching of the eldersThe second largest branch.
Vajrayana BuddhismVajrayāna, Tibetan rdo rje theg pa, also Mantrayana or Esoteric BuddhismThe branch that uses mantra, mudra and mandala visualisation, with a strong role for the teacher.
Pure Land Buddhism淨土宗, also called the Lotus School 蓮宗, Japanese JōdoA Mahayana school centred on reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha for rebirth in the Pure Land.
Chan and Zen Buddhism禪 Chan, Japanese Zen, Korean Seon, Vietnamese Thiền, from Sanskrit dhyānaA Mahayana school that points directly to the mind rather than relying on scripture.Khmer Theravada Buddhism in VietnamTheravāda of the Khmer of southern VietnamThe Theravada tradition of the Khmer people in the Mekong Delta.Uses the common symbol of the pathKhất Sĩ BuddhismĐạo Phật Khất Sĩ Việt Nam, Vietnamese Mendicant BuddhismA Vietnamese lineage founded in the South by Patriarch Minh Đăng Quang around 1944 to 1946.Uses the common symbol of the pathVietnamese (Kinh) TheravadaTheravāda among the Kinh, formerly called Original BuddhismThe Theravada lineage among ethnic Vietnamese, begun at Bửu Quang temple in Thủ Đức in 1938 by monks including Hộ Tông (Vansarakkhita), Thiện Luật, Bửu Chơn and Huệ Nghiêm.Uses the common symbol of the pathIXSources
The library cross-checks the sources below. Where they disagree, the page gives both.
?Quick Questions
How does Kinh Theravada differ from Khmer Theravada
They share Theravada doctrine but differ in community and history. Khmer Theravada belongs to the Khmer minority, is centuries old and uses Khmer. Kinh Theravada belongs to ethnic Vietnamese, began in 1938 and uses Vietnamese.
Which was the first Theravada temple of ethnic Vietnamese
Buu Quang temple at Go Dua hamlet, Thu Duc, built in 1938 on land donated by the family of Bui Nguon Hua.
Are Original Buddhism and Kinh Theravada the same
Yes. Original Buddhism is the older name, tied to the Vietnam Original Buddhist Sangha founded in 1958. Since about 2010 the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has used the name Vietnamese (Kinh) Theravada lineage.
Can women ordain in Kinh Theravada
Yes, as precept nuns. The Journal of Buddhist Studies counted 654 nuns in the lineage around 2019.