Books
Vernacular Buddhist literature in the form of books
can be divided into two categories: books on a variety
of topics on Buddhism and translations, mostly from
Chinese, of Buddhist texts. Around 1932 in Saigon,
the lay Buddhist scholar Ðoàn Trung Còn founded a
publishing house named Phât Hoc Tùng Thu,(Bud-
dhist Publications), which published a number of
books covering a wide range of Buddhist topics. In
1940 the Phât Hoc Tùng Thu,began publishing books
aimed at a young audience. Some of the most prolific
authors in this period, such as the monk Thiên Chiê ́u,
aimed at explaining Buddhism from a modern per-
spective to a new generation of intellectuals with a
Western education. In sum, the majority of Viet-
namese books on Buddhism were written with a view
to making Buddhism accessible to the general popu-
lace. They range from Buddhist catechism to instruc-
tions on niêm Phât (contemplating the name of
Amitabha Buddha, NENBUTSU).
Translations of Buddhist texts
Most Buddhist literature in quô ́c ngu ̃,consists of trans-
lations of Buddhist texts from Chinese. Quô ́c ngu ̃,
translations of Buddhist texts began in the 1920s with
the translation of the Guiyuan zhizhi(Returning to the
Sources), a Chinese text on the practice of Pure Land
Buddhism. During the 1930s the Phât Hoc Tùng Thu,
published translations of the major Mahayana sutras
and philosophical treatises such as the LOTUSSUTRA
(SADDHARMAPUNDARIKA-SUTRA), the Amitabha Sutra,
the LIUZU TAN JING(Platform Sutra),the DIAMONDSU-
TRA, and the AWAKENING OFFAITH(DASHENG QIXIN
LUN). This effort continued in subsequent decades, and
eventually other principal Mahayana sutras, such as
the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras,the Ratnakuta-sutra,
and the S ́uran ̇gama–sutra,were also translated into
Vietnamese. In the 1970s the monk Thích Minh Châu,
then rector of Van Hanh Buddhist University, trans-
lated the Pali nikayasinto quô ́c ngu ̃,.Given the fact that
Vietnamese Buddhism is predominantly Mahayana,
Minh Châu’s work was a remarkable contribution to
the country’s Buddhist literature. Since the fall of
South Vietnam in 1975, there have been massive
reprints of Buddhists texts, mostly quô ́c ngu ̃,transla-
tions by Vietnamese Buddhists living overseas.
The most important vernacular Buddhist works in
Vietnamese, however, are manuals for daily chanting
and occasional rituals. These manuals vary from one
temple to another, but they contain almost the same
materials: complete or partial quô ́c ngu ̃,translations or
transliterations of the Buddhist texts that are used in
daily and special rituals and observances.
In sum, Buddhist literature in quô ́c ngu ̃,includes an
array of writings on a variety of topics covering basic
Buddhist teachings and practices, together with trans-
lations of the major Buddhist sutras. Most were pub-
lished for practical religious use and to address the
immediate needs of Vietnamese Buddhists. Occasion-
ally, books on aspects of Buddhist philosophy or trans-
lations of philosophical treatises are published. For
instance, there are quô ́c ngu ̃,translations of some prin-
cipal treatises of the MADHYAMAKAand YOGACARA
schools (the two major philosophical schools of Ma-
hayana Buddhism), but these are intended more for
personal intellectual gratification than as part of a
larger systematic program of sectarian learning or
practice.See also:Pure Land Buddhism; Ritual; VietnamBibliography
Nguyê ̃n Kha ̆ ́c Kham. So,-thao muc-luc thu,-tich v`ê Phât-Giáo
Viêt-Nam (A Bibliography on Vietnamese Buddhism).
Saigon, Vietnam: Ministry of National Education, 1963.
Nguyê ̃n Lang. Viêt Nam Phât Giáo Su,Luân(Essays on History
of Vietnamese Buddhism). Hanoi, Vietnam: Literature Pub-
lishing House, 2000.
Pham Thê ́ Ngu ̃. Viêt Nam Va ̆n Hoc Su,Gian Uó,,c Tân Biên(A
New Concise History of Vietnamese Literature), Vol. 1.
Saigon, Vietnam: Quô ́c Hoc Tùng Thu,, 1961–1965.
Tran, Van Giap. Contribution à l’Etude des Livres Annamites con-
servés à l’Ecole Francaise d’Extrême-Orient.Tokyo: La Soci-
ete Internationale du Bouddhisme au Japon, 1943.
Trâ`n Hô`ng Liên, Phât Giáo Nam BôTù,Thê ́ Ky 17 ê ́n 1975
(Buddhism in the South: From 17thCentury to 1975). Ho
Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Phô ́ H`ô Chí Minh City Publish-
ing House, 1996.CUONGTUNGUYENVIJÑANA. SeeConsciousness, Theories ofVIJÑANAVADAThe label Vijñanavada (consciousness school) was ap-
plied to the epistemological and ontological positions
of the YOGACARA SCHOOLand the Buddhist logic tradi-
tion in the polemical debate literature of their medievalVIJNANA