Development Of Buddhist Education

Buddhism has greatly influenced present day Vietnam. The rise of its civilization fuel be traced by the effect of Buddhism on the different dynasties. The early wars win by Vietnam can be associated with Buddhisticic leaders and even the trust that kept the people together during the years of paroxysm was Buddhism. It has been proclaimed before as the national religious belief of the country because of its contri stillion to society and it is besides fitting that it be included in the education of Vietnamese children.To take in a better understanding of the development of Buddhist education in Vietnam, we need to know initiative the roots and development of Buddhism as a religion, what are its beliefs, how it affected the lives of the Vietnamese populace, how it was integrated to education and from at that ordinateon plow the developments that went through up to contemporary sequences. Buddhism Origin and Teachings Buddhism originated from southern Nepal around 530 B. C. as an offshoot of Hinduism. Gautama Buddha, a prince who brid take at the formalism of Hinduism as it was being see by the priestly caste of Brahmans , was its founder.He spent years meditating and wandering as an ascetic until he discovered the path of enlightenment to nirvana. Nirvana jibe to him is the world of endless serenity in which one is freed from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Buddhism espouses that there are four noble truths man is born to suffer in successive lives, earthly pleasures and possessions are the cause of this suffering, man shall be delivered from suffering upon cessation of this craving, and following the eight fold path, man shall achieved deliverance and through this he shall receive salvation.The foundation of the Buddhist concept of morality and remedy behavior, the eightfold path, consists of pay off views, or sincerity in leading a religious life right intention, or honesty in imagination right speech, or sincerity in speech righ t conduct, or sincerity in work right livelihood, or sincerity in making a living right effort, or sincerity in aspiration right mindfulness, or sincerity in memory and right concentration, or sincerity in meditation. It is the most of import religion in Vietnam.Unlike other religions, Vietnamese Buddhism stays on earth kind of than ascends up to heaven, attaches to exorcism and prayers for wealth, happiness and longevity rather than heads toward nirvana. Most Vietnamese practice Mahayana Buddhism rather than its Hindu counterpart. The doctrinal distinction between the ii consists of their differing views of Gautama Buddha the Mahayana check teaches that Gautama was only one of many enlightened ones manifesting the fundamental cleric power of the universe the Theravada school teaches that Gautama was the one-and-only enlightened one and the great teacher, but that he was non divine.The Mahayana sect holds further that stickpersons can attain nirvana, whereas the Theravada sc hool believes that only ordained monks and nuns can do so. The beginnings of Buddhism in Vietnam The early beginnings of Buddhism whitethorn be traced back from as early as 300 B. C. It was give tongue to that Therevada Buddhism have been imported directly into Vietnam from India through sea routes since the 2nd ampere-second A. D. Although some believe that Buddhism riddle first from China to Vietnams Red River Delta component part in approximately the second century A.D. , and then from India to the southern Mekong Delta bowl at some time between the third and the sixth centuries , depict channelises that Buddhism reached Vietnam even before it entered China. In the past, Vietnam was very much like the crossover between India and China. At that time, either walking, or by boat, people make a trip from India to China or vice versa, in doing so they must cross Vietnam. Vietnam, therefore, was a good place to stop by for foreign business people as healthy as Buddhist monks. Back to 3rd century BC, later on King Asoka organized the Third Council -a host to Collect the Dharma- at Pataliputra, India, he sent 9 Buddhist monk substitutes overseas. The monks went from Afghanistan to the Mediterranean to teach Dharma. One of these, lead by Sona and Uttara went to Burma then Indochina, including Viet Nam. Now, in Haiphong -60miles north east of HaNoi- there is a memorial tower to strike out King Asoka that was built by local Vietnamese Buddhists at that time to express their gratitude to King Asoka.From that evidence, we may come up with conclusion that Buddhism came to Vietnam as early as 300 years BC, even before China. hence in the second century, Buddhism in Vietnam became more(prenominal) popular and developed with the contributions of Marajivaka, KAng Seng Houei, Tchi Kiang Liang three great Buddhist monks who came from India and a local scholar, Mecu Fo. Because Mecu Fo is a key character in Buddhisms development in Vietnam, we should take a close r look at him. He was Vietnamese or might have been born and raised in a great Chinese-Vietnamese family.We must take into consideration that his place of birth was not originally a Chinese territory, it was just annexed to China from Vietnam. Since he was handy in Chinese education, he used this skill in severalize to convert more people into Buddhism. Mecu Fo was mandarin and took advantage of his lay out to teach his people about Buddhism. Due to his contributions in the propagation and spread of Buddhism in Vietnam, he is considered as the first ever Buddhist lay man in Vietnam. Buddhism Its Role in Liberation and Its Golden AgeDuring the Ly and the Tran dynasties, Buddhism achieved a golden age in Vietnam. It was during the time of Emperor TRAN NHAN TONG that the first Vietnamese Meditation, Truc Lam Yen Tu was founded , this however did not come until 1010 several decades after Vietnams independence from China. However, it is accurate to say that Buddhism was a very importa nt element in the countrys fight for freedom. For several centuries, the Chinese conquered Vietnam and ruled the people with an iron hand.The Chineses main butt was to transform Vietnam into some other Chinese territory and annex it afterwards to mainland China. In order to achieve their goal, great atrocities were done to the people both physically and psychologically, the Chinese even employed Sinicization or cultural invasion in order to uproot Vietnamese culture from its citizens and replace it with theirs to ease the annexation. notwithstanding the suffering, there was one thing that kept the Vietnamese people from suspension down and it was their religion.By living on the precepts of Buddhism, the people believed that the wicked shall eventually be punished and that they should keep on surviving until that day comes. During the Chinese rule, revolutions such(prenominal) as that led by two sister trung aimed at run were attempted but to no avail. In these revolts, Buddhism also played a great role, its synagogues became the common meeting grounds for freedom fighters and the perfect place to mobilize troops. Finally, in 939 a Vietnamese general named NGO QUYEN, led the Vietnamese people to victory over the Chinese on the determinant battle on Bach Dang river thus ending the Chinese rule.After the war, Buddhist monks in coordination with the newly established disposal tried to build the body politic. To show his gratitude, the emperor Dinh Tien Hoang helped organize the Shangha and named Khuong Viet and Phapthuan, both Buddhist monks, as his national credential adviser and Secretary of State respectively. Another major milestone for Buddhism during this dynasty was that it was stated as the national religion by the emperor, who was himself a Buddhist.The establishment of the kingdom was coupled with several hardships, the most crucial of all is the threat of another Chinese invasion. Although at first was a perfect thought among the people, it b ecame exceed when a Chinese spy disguised as a delegate for diplomatic relations entered Vietnam to size up its military power. Upon entering Vietnam, the first person the delegate met was a ferry-man who was to take him to the capital, he was however strike when the ferry-man was able to converse with him at a level worthy of government office.When the delegate arrived and conversed with Vietnams national Security adviser, he concluded found on his meeting with the ferry man and Khuong Viet that Vietnam was well-prepared for an invasion and that invading it would be disastrous. Apparently, the ferry-man who amazed and confused the delegate with the level of learning of a mere ferry-man was Phaptuan in disguise. In the end, the two nobleest-ranking monks were responsible for averting a come-at-able attack through their diplomatic skills and it forever went on in invoice as the first diplomatic war won by Vietnam.After more than 30 years, the Chinese began to strengthen its mil itary force on the borders of Vietnam resulting to an choice of a fitting leader to decide on the course of satisfy on the said threat. The leader chosen was a talented, kind and high moral man, he was the Commander in Chief of the army and is know as Ly Cong Uan, thus started the Ly Dynasty. Ly Cong Uan was a Buddhist monk raised by Zen Master Van Hanh in a Buddhist temple who then became his national adviser. Under his reign, 300 Buddhist temples were built and the Sangha was well organized with over 1000 monks. He incorporated Buddhist teaching in all aspects of governance.