Unconcluded Story Of The Vietnamese Buddhist Struggles By Arjanyai At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

BACKGROUND
The day of July 21, 2497/1954 marked the end of the war between the Viet Minh government and the French, the realization of Vietnamese independence and the split of Vietnam into two halves, North and South Vietnam. By a 2509/1966 estimate, the population of North Vietnam was 18,000,000, while that of South Vietnam was 16,000,000. About 1,662,000 Roman Catholics (three fourths of whom live in the South) formed a minority, while eighty percent of the Vietnamese were Buddhists. Of the 12,000,000 South Vietnamese Buddhists, about 2,000,000 were followers of Theravada Buddhism. The rest practised Mahayana Buddhism, often mixed with Taoism and Confucianism. South Vietnamese Buddhist temples then numbered 4,856.

According to tradition, Buddhism was introduced into Vietnam in B.E. 732/189 C.E. when the country was under the Chinese rule which lasted over one thousand years, culminating in 1482/939. Both forms of Buddhism were preached there until the ninth century when Chinese Buddhism became predominant. The 15th century was an era of nationalistic expansion, during which the Vietnamese destroyed the ancient Cham or Champa Kingdom and pushed the Cambodians out of the southern area of what is now Vietnam. The annexation of the Mekong Delta areas was completed in the 18th century. It is in this southern part of Vietnam that the Buddhists of Cambodian origin still continue their Theravada tradition.

The independence of Vietnam ended again in 2426/1883 when the whole country came under French control.
During almost a century of French rule, Catholicism was encouraged while Buddhism was removed from its place understate support and its development was checked. Then Vietnamese monks participated from time to time in resistance to the French and began a Buddhist revival. Both monks and laymen were active in reform programmes. Then the interest in the Pure Land School was revived while the influence of the Chan School declined. Associations for Buddhist studies were founded in Saigon, Hue and Hanoi in 2474, 2475, and 2477 (1931, 1932, and 1934) respectively. In spite of this, however, the role of the monks remained traditional. But, under the Catholic government of Ngo Dinh Diem, the first president of Vietnam, new tensions grew and a new direction began.

In 2497/1954, about 400,000 refugees came to the South from North Vietnam. About eighty percent of the refugees were Catholic and there were charges of favoritism in giving them aid. Charges were also raised in military promotions and other affairs. A Buddhist monk said, “Diem wants to unify the country into a Catholic bloc and convert all religious sects and parties to Catholicism ... If you want to be rich and wealthy, if you want to be a high-ranking officer, you must be a Catholic.”

Vietnam is approximately 331,688 km² (128,066 sq mi) in area (not including Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands), larger than Italy and almost the size of Germany. The perimeter of the country running along its international boundaries is 4,639 km (2,883 mi). The topography consists of hills and densely forested mountains, with level land covering no more than 20%. Mountains account for 40% of the area, with smaller hills accounting for 40% and tropical forests 42%. The northern part of the country consists mostly of highlands and the Red River Delta. Phan Xi Păng, located in Lào Cai province, is the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143 m (10,312 ft). The south is divided into coastal lowlands, Annamite Chain peaks, extensive forests, and poor soil. Comprising five relatively flat plateaus of basalt soil, the highlands account for 16% of the country's arable land and 22% of its total forested land.

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