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RELIGION
More than 50% of Vietnamese are Buddhists. Another 6.5% are Roman Catholics, while the rest are Muslims, Hindus, Protestants, or members of syncretic sects, such as the Cao Dai and Hoa Hao. Animism and the philosophies of Taoism and Confucianism have been integrated into much of Vietnamese religious practice.
BUDDHISM is the religion of the majority of Vietnamese. Hanoi was a center for Vietnamese Buddhism as early as the 2nd century A.D. In the past, many joined the Buddhist priesthood for reasons
other than religious salvation. For some, it was the only way to get an education and
socially upgrade themselves. For others, it was an escape from taxation and military
service.
CONFUCIANISM was introduced to
Vietnam over 2,000 years ago. Although often thought to be a religion, it is in fact a
philosophy. Confucius was a teacher and philosopher who lived in China during the period
of the Warring States. He formulated a code of ethics that prescribed the correct conduct
for all citizens of a state. The emperor had the heaviest reponsibility, and the
well-being of the people depended on his behavior. Confucius believed that if an emperor
ruled justly and wisely, and was free from personal corruption, the affairs of state would
proceed smoothly.
TAM GIAO: THREE IN ONE Many Vietnamese combine
Buddhist beliefs with aspects of ancestor worship found in Confucianism and aspects of
deity worship found in Taoism. Vietnamese scholars call this practice Tam Giao or the
Triple Religion. Unlike religions such as Islam and Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism,
and Taoism are open to the idea of accepting other religions or philosophies. Mahayana
Buddhism accepts the existence of more than one Buddha; Taoism is based on the tradition
of noninterference and incorporates the worship of many gods including patron saints and
the spirits of famous generals; and confucianism respects all forms of learning and
advocates the worship of ancestors.
ANIMISM In Vietnam some aspects of animism, a belief
in the spiritual nature of living and nonliving things, have also been incorporated into
established religion. Five thousand years ago, the Vietnamese believed the world was
populated by gods and spirits, some benevolent, others evil. These spirits were
everywhere. A tree, a mountain, or a river might have a spirit or a number of spirits
residing in it. One had to be careful not to mention a spirit by name, which could result
in harm to the speaker. Dangerous animals like tigers, elephants, and crocodiles also had
spirits, so when referring to them, one did not use their names, but called them
"Lord" as a show of respect.
THE ADVENT OF CATHOLICISM
Catholicism was brought to Vietnam in the 16th and 17th centuries by
Portuguese, French, and Spanish missionaries. Vietnam's Catholic population of 5
million makes it the second largest in Asia after the Philippines. Catholic churches are
found throughout Vietnam, although at the time of the Vietminh takeover of North Vietnam,
700,000 Catholics, fearing religious persecution, fled to the south. During the 1970s,
land seized from the Catholic churches was gradually returned to them.
CAO DAI AND HOA HAO SECTS Two
Buddhist sects-the Cao Dai, founded in 1926, and the Hoa Hao, founded in 1939-were at
their most active during Vietnam's period of nationalist struggle. In the 1940s and
1950s, until their repression by president Diem, the Hoa Hao was the most powerful
military force in the Mekong delta. The Cao Dai were also active resistance fighters who
supported the Japanese in the 1940s and aimed to drive out the French colonists. The Hoa
hao sect has been described as "reformed Buddhism" based on personal faith
rather than elaborate ritual. There are an estimated 1.5 million.