As relative newcomers to Korea and students of Vietnamese Buddhism, we have naturally drawn comparisons between Korean and Vietnamese Buddhism. Unfortunately, we have discovered a Buddhism in Korea racked by internal divisions, under assault from Christian extremists on one hand and in danger of being eclipsed by Christian activists on the other, with temples that seemed deserted, and monks and nuns who are reluctant to talk to Westerners. In many ways, Korean Buddhism seems hidden and kept out of the view of many observers while Christianity has very high visibility in this society. These conditions have lead us to conclude that Buddhism is in serious decline in Korea.

Vietnam has a population of about 25 million inhabitants, a fifth of which is imposed of mountain tribes. It is believed that of the rest at least three fourths, that is to say 15 million are "cool or warm Buddhists," according to a very accurate term of a French author - the reason is that the "Light of Asia" spread over the country in the very early days, from the beginning of the second century of the Christian era [*].

Evolution of architecture - A pagoda (from tamioul, pagoda, and from Sanskrit, bhagavat) is a building consecrated to the cult of Buddha, also an abode for monks. It comes from the Indian stupa. According to Thuy Kinh Chu, Indian King Asoka made people build at Luy Lau (in ancient Bac Ninh province) a stupa, which was considered the most ancient religious building on Vietnamese soil (3rd B.C.). At the beginning of the Christian era, the pagoda was called Tong Mieu or Mieu duong, but no vestige was left. In XIth century, Buddhism saw a full bloom. Pagodas were classified into 3 categories:

In the early 80s, I had the occasion of reading the French version of Zen doctrine by the Japanese professor D.T. Suzuki, a book lent to me by writer Nguyen Huu Dang. A volume of that work, "Satori" catches my attention. I have consulted many French and Vietnamese dictionaries in my possession and acquired a clear enough explanation of that key-word of Buddhism.

Before considering the Zen-Pure Land union as introduced to Vietnam through the Thảo - Đườngng school, let us survey the Vietnamese Buddhist scene from the Ddinh (969-981) to Trần (1225-1400) dynasties when Buddhism developed from a national religion to a nationalist religion before merging with aspects of Taoist and Confucian

Dau Pagoda is located in Thanh Khuong village, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh Province, about 30km from Hanoi. Being a center of the ancient Luy Lau Citadel that dates back to the second century A.D, this pagoda is considered the most ancient religious structure and an initial source of Buddhism in Vietnam.

Phat Tich Pagoda or Van Phuc Pagoda originally named Thien Phuc Tu - is situated on the side of Lan Kha mountain, Phat Tich village, Tien Du district, presently Phuong Hoang village, Tien Son district, Ha Bac province.

Ever since a very young age, the rather slim monk with sharply glinting eyes, had many times been at the podium of the Van Hanh Buddhist University (in Saigon before 1975) to lecture tirelessly on topics ranging from Ancient and Modern as well as Eastern and Western philosophical topics, to profound debates on the Original,

As various attempts to keep peace and improve the people’s living in the postwar period were proceeding, the Emperor Nhân Tông decided to hand over the imperial throne to his son Trần Anh Tông in the 3rd month of Quý Tỵ (1293)

Buddhism came to Vietnam in the first century CE [1]. By the end of the second century, Vietnam developed a major Buddhist centre in the region, commonly known as the Luy-Lâu centre, now in the Bắc-Ninh province, north of the present Hanoi city.