RELIGION has played an important role in present day history in Vietnam. President Ngo Dinh Diem’s government was toppled after a long siege of activity by Buddhists, who claimed religious discrimination on the part of the Catholic President, his family, and their government. In the past, many religious groups have had armies of their own.
Despite all of this, there is little evidence of religious conflict between the people on a day-to-day basis. Everyone seems to go his own way in this respect, as shown by the numerous religions in practice in the country today. Often, an individual’s religion is a combination of many different beliefs.
There is no religious belief in South Vietnam which is recognized as the official religion of the government. Leaders of the nation have generally been from different religious faiths.
Basically, the Vietnamese are a very religious people, and this is the reason for the numerous pagodas and temples in the country. Many of them have been built and dedicated to famous people who have served Vietnam, including national heroes, craftsmen, (see Chapter 7), and other men of virtue and religion.
The majority of the religions discussed are also practiced in North Vietnam. Many Catholics fled the north in 1955 when the country was divided, because they were afraid of religious persecution under the communists.
CONFUCIANISM
Confucianism began in China in the sixth century B.C. Confucius, a scholar and "ne’er do well" politician, was a contemporary of Buddha and Pythagoras. He believed that he was divinely inspired to show the correct way of life to his fellow men.
Therefore, Confucianism is not truly a religion, but is a way of life involving a code of ethics and morals. It was introduced into Vietnam at the beginning of the Chinese domination during the first centuries of the Christian era. Even after the Chinese were pushed out of Vietnam, their influence of Confucianism remained with the people.
Since Confucianism is not an organized religion, there are no figures as to the number of followers it has in Vietnam.. however, Confucianism has a tremendous influence on the life of the Vietnamese people. Many practice it and belong to other religions. It is considered practical for the rich and the poor alike.
Confucius did not believe in a supreme being, but believed in"force" and "matter." He believed that man was essentially of a good nature, but that he must constantly work to keep it. He taught conscience and that man could distinguish between good and evil. By adhering to virtue, one would receive tranquility of the soul.
Confucius accepted the main religious rites, but rejected many superstitions and the idea of eternal life via reincarnation as believed by the Hindus of that time. He taught that man was made up of a living and spiritual soul. At death, the living soul turned to dust along with the body, but the spiritual soul wanders in the ethereal realm. He taught that this spiritual soul could evaporate into nothing; therefore, it was the duty of living persons, through ancestor worship, to keep the spiritual soul alive. He also believed in the enjoyment of a simple life with harmony in social relations.
As a scholar, Confucius compiled the classics from the Chou period in Chinese history (1100-481 B.C.). These books became a standard of Confucian orthodoxy.
Besides Confucian ethics, regulations involving relationships between people, such as emperor and subjects; fathers and sons; husbands and wives; elderly and young etc. were prescribed. Confucius believed that harmony could only be achieved be obeying these laws. Only be achieving harmony can one have tranquility of the soul.
In order to conform to these principles and ensure harmony, Confucius said that one must follow a group of high moral principles of relationship which were called "Phan" and to observe rules of etiquette and ritual, called "Li," which were in the books he compiled.
One of the rules in Confucius’s books was similar to the Golden Rule in the Christian Bible and yet it appeared long before the birth of Christ. It said, "What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others."
Under Confucianism, a man maintains an even temper; shows himself as being just and fair; adjusts to the life around him; avoids exaggeration and practices ancestor worship.
Perhaps the most important feature of Confucianism regards the family. In the system, the father is highly respected and completely rules the family and the household. The rest of the family practices filial piety. Confucius emphasized that his beliefs should be taught by example, thus in the right Confucian manner, the father would rule with a stern, but loving, and compassionate hand.
The most important ritual in Confucianism is that of ancestor worship.
Most Vietnamese homes will have an altar dedicated to the family ancestors. It will be decorated with candlesticks, incense bowls, flower trays, an alcohol pot, and the tablet containing the names of those ancestors who have died during the past five generations.
On the anniversary of each ancestor’s death, offerings of food and symbolic votive paper, clothes, money houses etc. are made by the chief of the family. The chief of the family varies in Vietnam according to the area. In some areas, the oldest son is chief. In others, it is the youngest son. Prayers are said to all the ancestors and then to the ancestor whose anniversary is being celebrated. He is asked to return and receive the offerings. Even though the more modern Vietnamese know that the ancestor probably doesn’t receive the gifts, they do this out of respect.
In addition to the anniversary veneration, ancestors are worshiped on other special days including festivals and holidays. Other opportunities to pay homage to them are at major family events such as weddings, graduations, births, etc. These are held to apprise the ancestors of family events. Far more elaborate preparations and more ceremonies are held for a period of two years after death. (See Chapter 6)
In the Confucian theory of filial piety, ancestor worship is extremely important. After parents die, they must be venerated in such a way as to testify to the children’s gratitude and ask for protection and blessings from their souls.
They believe that the deceased ancestors can continue to play a role in their children’s lives, sharing the family’s joys and sorrows. The souls of the departed ancestors warn their descendents through dreams about misfortunes which can be avoided.
In addition to the altar at home, family clans often have ancestral halls where the tablets containing the names of the oldest ancestors are kept. Sometimes, this place is the home of the chief of the clan. Each clan is a unit of Vietnamese society extending to nine generations. The chief of the clan is responsible for carrying out the veneration of the ancestors. He pays for all the expenses of the ceremony and receives the use of the clan’s property in compensation. Sometimes, relatives may bring symbolic gifts to help out on this occasion. Often dinners are held on these occasions.
Thus, with ancestor veneration, the Vietnamese family demonstrates to their children the virtues of filial obedience, piety, and family continuity. This is the bond that binds the family so closely together and continues ties with the dead.
A family that does not have sons to continue this ancestor veneration is thought to have received the worst fate dealt to mankind. They will often adopt a son and leave him money to continue the veneration ceremonies. A family that has no son to continue this process is thought to have "disappeared" forever.
Any failure in fulfilling filial duty is considered to be a crime, and it is every family member’s obligation to try and earn fame and wealth to increase his clan’s reputation and to please the ancestors.
CAO DAI
In 1921, Mr. Ngo Van Chieu was the Chief of Phu Quoc island off the coast of Ha Tien province. To pass the lonely evenings, he went to seances. One evening at a seance, a spirit told him that he was to found the Cao Dai religion and would worship an "all-seeing eye," and to follow a vegetarian diet for three years. Four years later, Chieu went to Saigon and began to attract followers to the new religion. Later, two followers of the religion, Le Van Trung and Pham Cong Tac took over much of its leadership when Chieu went to Can Tho to establish a new branch of the sect.
Le Van Trung’s organizational efforts resulted in over 20,000 followers within a year. The religion rapidly spread until it had three million followers. The reason for its popularity may be that it combines many different religions, appealing to the Vietnamese who have been exposed to them all.
Cao Dai believe that the God of Christians and Jews, is also the Supreme Being of the Buddhists, and the Brahmnan of the Hindu. They contend that different religions were founded because of a lack of communication and transportation, and that all religions are seeds of wisdom planted by God.
The founder, Nguyen Van Chieu said that there were three amnesties of sin granted by God. The first was proclaimed through Moses and Jesus; the second through Buddha and Lao-Tse; and the third was delivered through spiritualistic seances. He claimed that he received the third, but would not be the last to receive the divine messages.
Cao Dai morality believes in man’s duty to himself, his family, society, and humanity. Its members should seek pure spirituality without seeking honor and riches. Some of these beliefs can be traced to other religions. For instance, Confucianism teaches obligations to society and ancestor veneration; Buddhism teaches reincarnation and not eating meat. Taoism discourages honor and riches. The church is organized along similar lines as those of the Catholic church and has a Western type political structure.
The Cao Dai also believe in spirits, eternal life after death, heaven and hell, and ancestor worship.
Requirements of followers differ with their category: special clergy, clergy, and laymen. For example, a layman should follow a vegetarian diet six days a month, fast regularly, and follow the commandments. These requirements are more stringent for the clergy. The commandments include prohibitions against killing living creatures, stealing, eating meat, drinking alcohol excessively, sinful sexual intercourse, and lying.
Places of Worship
and Ritual
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There are numerous Cao Dai temples in Vietnam, but the largest and most impressive one is at Tay-Ninh, 55 miles northwest of Saigon.
It looks like a cathedral on the outside and is rather unusual inside. The ceiling is extremely high similar to many Catholic cathedrals. Inside there are odd-looking statues of Confucius, Jesus, Buddha, Lao-Tse, Brahman, Siva, and Vishnu. There are pictures of their "spiritual guides" who include Victor Hugo, the French writer and poet; Sun Yat Sen, the founder of the Chinese Nationalist Republic; and Trang Trinh, a Vietnamese diviner.
The Cao Dai also claim to have spiritual contact with Shakespeare and intend to establish contact with Churchill.
The triangle is a sign of the Cao Dai. It represents Sun Yat Sen, Trang Trinh, and Victor Hugo (as described above) and surrounds the all-seeing eye of God in the middle.
There are four prayer times each day. Laymen should pray at the most convenient time to them. At the midnight prayer time, however, Cao Dai, their God, speaks to the people through a medium.
Priests in the Cao Dai wear different color robes according to the branch in which they belong: Confucian-red; Taoist-sky blue; Buddhist-saffron. The Superior wears white with trim of the three colors representing the branches. Women may become members of the clergy but must always wear white. They may rise to the rank of Cardinal.
Political
and Military
Background
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This religious sect had an army of its own and wielded a lot of power. They were encouraged by the French to establish physical control over the provinces in which they were numerous, after the Japanese withdrawal. This was a means to fight communism that was filling the vacuum when the Japanese left. By 1950, the sect ran their provinces like an autonomous state with troops.
In 1955, the new South Vietnamese government, led by President Diem, told them to lay down their arms and revert to their former religious status. A few were eliminated by force. Their leader, Pham Con Tac, fled to Cambodia taking some church funds with him. He died in 1963.
After the coup d’etat in November 1963, the church resumed its religious activities on a fairly large scale. The new leader is Tran Quang Vinh of Tay Ninh.
BUDDHISM
Buddhism was originated in India about 500 B.C. by Gautama Buddha and was carried to other Asian and Far-Eastern countries. It reached Vietnam as early as A.D. 189 when Chinese bonzes took refuge in North Vietnam during a period of dissention in China, following the death of the Chinese Emperor Han Linh De. In the third century, more bonzes came to Vietnam, this time from India.
The history of Vietnam’s Buddhism can be classified into four stages: the beginning, the height of its glory, a period of decline, and a period of revival.
The beginning is characterized by the first bonzes coming into Vietnam from China and India, spreading the first knowledge about Buddhism among the Vietnamese people. This epoch can be placed between the second and the sixth centuries, B.C.
The period in which Buddhism reached its height in the country was between the seventh and fourteenth centuries, A.D. During this time, the kings of Vietnam were especially interested in Buddhism and made it the religion of the kingdom. They often donned the habit of bonzes themselves and had many pagodas built in the country. The kings conferred the title of Master of the Kingdom on the Superior of the Buddhist clergy. The kings of this period are often quoted by historians as having been very devoted to the welfare of the people and as having led exemplary lives.
Buddhism began to decline in the sixteenth century during the last part of the Le Dynasty. The kings last interest in the religion; the bonzes became less learned and began to turn away from the original form of Buddhism and substituted many practices that were considered to be little more than superstition. Also, Buddhism was verbally attacked by the scholars of the Confucianist school.
Buddhism, nevertheless, remained an important part of the religious life of the people of Vietnam.
During the French administration of Vietnam, some restrictions were placed on the Buddhists, such as limitation on the number of monks per pagoda; no new pagodas could be constructed without prior French approval; and limitations were set on the acceptance of gifts and legacies.
According to a Vietnamese writer, this caused the more scholarly and devout Buddhists to withdraw from active participation in Buddhist affairs. As a result, those who employed more mysticism, tantrism, animism and polytheism, became more active in the religion.
In 1920, an attempt was made to reform the Buddhist religion in Vietnam. Those working with this called it "restoring" Buddhism, and attempted to eliminate non-Buddhist elements of belief and practice from the religion in Vietnam at the time.
The Associations for Buddhist Studies were established in Saigon in 1931; in Hue in 1932; and in Hanoi in 1934. An attempt was made to strengthen discipline in the monasteries, improve the religious training for priests and to change the written vehicle of Buddhism in Vietnam from Chinese to the newer romanized Vietnamese. As this was still during the French control of the country, it was evidently done with their blessing.
Some of the Buddhist activities were slowed down during the years of World War II and the French-Viet-Minh war. Major works continued, however.
In 1949, a wave of rehabilitation and new building began among the Buddhist organizations in Hanoi and Hue. Buddhist periodicals began to be published again, and authors and translators took up their work once more.
A new Association for Buddhist Studies was begun in 1951 in Saigon as the older one had become ineffective.
A Buddhist National Congress convened at Hue in 1951 and voted the unification of the three associations of Hanoi, Hue, and Saigon. Plans were laid by the congress for the increased propagation of the religion to include the formation of a Buddhist Youth Movement and joining the World Buddhist Fellowship.
Later, when a Buddhist relic enroute to the World Congress meeting in Tokyo was allowed to stay in Saigon for 24 hours, a solemn reception drew more than fifty thousand Buddhists to the scene, with less than six days’s notice. This successful gathering was said to have re-invigorated Buddhism throughout Vietnam.
The 1954 partition of Vietnam ended relationships between the northern Buddhist and the two southern units.
Buddhism emerged as a powerful political force in South Vietnam after a series of repressions from the government of the late President Diem.They brought world attention to Vietnam when the Venerable Thich Quang Duc burned himself to death at the intersection of Le Van Duyet and Phan Ding Phung streets in Saigon at approximately 9 a.m. on June 11, 1963, in protest against the Diem regime. This event was memorably photographed by the outstanding Associated Press Correspondent, Malcome Browne and within hours his picture flashed around the world. Several other Buddhist clergy members followed suit, but none in so spectacular a manner.
Compared with Buddhism in other Asian countries, the religion does not seem as well organized in Vietnam. Of course, many of these other countries have offered state support to the religion. The pagodas are not nearly so elaborate in Vietnam as those found in other Asian countries. To the casual onlooker, Buddhism appears to be most appealing to the women of the country, and the young people and men do not seem to take as much interest in the religion as their counterparts in other Asian countries.
It has been estimated that there are approximately 10 million fervent Buddhists in North and South Vietnam with approximately another 40% of the remaining population being nominal followers. There are approximately 30-33 million people in North and South Vietnam.
There are those who contend that at least 95% of the southern country is Buddhist and cite as examples the large number of followers involved in the demonstrations, riots and other public gatherings before and after the Diem regime was toppled. It is my opinion that the old saying, "all the world loves a parade" would be a more apt explanation of the numbers in the numerous demonstrations in the country. The history of Buddhism in Vietnam clearly shows that it is not nearly so strong there as it is in other Asian countries.
There are two major branches of Buddhism. One is called Mahayana, the Greater Vehicle. The second is named Hinayana, the Lesser Vehicle. The Mahayana is practiced in southern areas. This is the state religion of the Cambodians. Also, the large Cambodian minority group in Vietnam live in the southern delta area.
THE MAHAYANA (Greater Vehicle)
The doctrine was developed in India during the first and second centuries after the Birth of Christ. This division of Buddhism is primarily practiced in the countries of Chinese civilization such as China, Tibet, Korea, and Vietnam.
This group considers Gautama Buddha as one of many "Enlightened Ones" or Buddhas and a divine manifestation of the god of the universe. They believe that anyone could become a Buddha, but there are very few people who have actually attained Buddhahood. Those who try to become a Buddha by living lives of perfection according to the Buddhist doctrine are called "bodhisatvas".
They believe that man must save others before he can be saved himself and that love must be expressed through compassion and good works. The priests of the Mahayana branch are bodhisatvas who live in a community and help others attain salvation.
THE HINAYANA DIVISION (Lesser Vehicle)
Started about the fourth century after the birth of Christ, it has kept closer to Buddhist orthodoxy than the other branches. Their scriptures are written in Pali.
It is primarily practiced in countries along the Indian Ocean, Ceylon, Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and the southern delta of South Vietnam.
Youngsters following this belief retire for a short period into Buddhist monasteries as student monks, called "arhats." They do not take any binding vows which cannot be revoked and may leave when they so desire. Like the monk, the arhat’s possessions are few, limited to the necessities of saffron robe, begging bowl, water strainer, needle and razor.
The Hinayana branch followers believe that Buddha was not a diety but just a man who was a good teacher and master. Therefore, one may venerate Buddha if he so desires, but it is not necessary for salvation. According to their belief, one can reach Nirvana during life on earth.
GAUTAMA BUDDHA AND HIS TEACHINGS
Buddha was a prince of the Sakya clan in India and lived in the fifth century B.C. He married at an early age, 16, and later had a son. One account states that he had three wives.
Buddha was distressed at the sights he saw outside of his own private world living as a prince. Finally, he left home at the age of 29 to seek new answers for the problems he saw. He was especially unhappy with the Brahman teaching of reincarnation or one soul being transmitted from body to body in an eternal never ending existence. He felt that this was one of the prime causes of the misery he saw, and he sought an escape.
He sought out the priests of the day and talked with them but was not satisfied. He and five friends decided to take up asceticism, and they almost starved themselves to death. This did not provide any satisfaction either, and only left them weak and ill.
Six years later, Buddha sat under a Pippala Banyan (Bodhi) tree and made up his mind that he would stay there until he found a solution. The answer supposedly came to him after 49 days, and he sought to spread the word to others through his teachings.
Among the things he preached are the following concepts:
Moderation and the middle path were emphasized.
Self-denial is as bad as over-indulgence.
Four noble truths were taught: life is a succession of suffering; ignorance of true reality is the cause of suffering; by eliminating selfish desires man can eliminate suffering; man must strive to perfect himself through right concentration, speech, action, and living.
Reincarnation is basic to the belief. Everyone has had many previous lives and will have future lives. A record is kept of the sum total of one’s good and bad actions during these lives. This is called the law of Karma. At the end of a life, if the good actions outnumber the bad ones, the future life will be better. If not, the next life will be worse. This accounts for the Buddhist fear of killing animals and insects, as well as that of killing people.
After living many lives, with a good Karma, one may enter Nirvana, a state of oneness with the universe---a point at which the endless cycle of reincarnation is ended. Peace of the soul is thus attained.
HOA HAO
The Hoa Hao religious sects get its name from a village in the That Son mountain range of An Giang province. This village is the birthplace of Huynh Phu So, the founder of the religion.
Huynh Phu So was a sickly boy in his youth and his father entrusted his care to a monk who was considered to be a healer. His name was Thay Xom, but he was known as Monk Tra Son because he practiced medicine and religion in a place by that name. Monk Tra Son was a disciple of a philosopher by the name of Nguyen Van Huyen who lived on Mount Cam in the mountain range. He often came down from his home to teach the villagers about self-denial, spiritual discipline,and Buddhism. Thus, Huyuh Phu So is also considered to be a student of Nguyen Van Huyen.
The Monk Tra Son was never able to cure Huynh Phu So, but the young man continued to live with him until the monk died. He then returned to his home. In 1930, he was supposed to have arisen from his bed one night and prostrated himself before the family ancestral altar. From that day on, he was cured and declared himself a prophet and began to preach.
Huynh Phu So was known as a fantastic miracle "healer" and was so dynamic that he had over 100,000 followers within one year. He was called the "living Buddha." The number of followers eventually grew to almost two million. At the present time, the religion does not have such a large following, due to political and military movements. It is strongest in An Giang province.
This religion is considered to be the poor man’s dream. it is an offshoot of Buddhism with out all the expense of that religion.
Huynh Phu So’s teachings included the following:
Elaborate pagodas were unnecessary. There was also no necessity for fancy rituals or large numbers of priests in order to worship God.
Internal faith is more important than external experiences or ceremonies. In essence, he said, "It is better to pray with a pure heart before the family altar than to perform a lot of gaudy ceremonies in a pagoda with an evil heart."
Offerings were approved of for Buddha, one’s ancestors, and for national heroes, but not for other spirits.
Elaborate and costly funerals which caused great impoverishment for the living were not desirable. Mr. So taught that it was better to do good things for people while they were living than after they died.
Followers of the religion pray four times each day. The prayers are for Buddha, the Reign of the Enlightened King, ancestors---living and dead, and for the masses of little people. Each group is prayed for at a separate session.
Prayers are said before a simple table covered with a plain red cloth with four characters inscribed upon it: "Bao Son Ky Huong," a good scent from a strange mountain. Water and flowers are offered instead of wine and food. Incense is used to ward off evil spirits.
There is a Hoa Hao shrine located in An Giang province near Long Xuyen at Tan Chau village.
Political
and Military
Background
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This sect was important militarily and politically with the French, the Japanese, and the succeeding governments led by Diem and those that overthrew his government.
The leader of the sect, Huynh Phu So, had so many followers before and during the Second World War that the French became concerned. He was arrested and placed in a mental hospital for almost a year.
At this time, the Japanese were streaming into Vietnam, and became interested in the religious sects as a means to establish anti-French forces. They armed the Hoa Hao and promised to grant its members liberty and independence.
The troops of the religion ran rampant after the departure of the Japanese and committed many murders and pillaged villages.
The Viet-Minh were also becoming active and collaborated with the Hoa Hao to fight against the French. The Hoa Hao were centralized in the western part of Vietnam. This peaceful co-existence did not last long and the Hoa Hao split from the Viet-Minh and began to fight both sides, the Viet-Minh and the French.
In April of 1947, the Viet-Minh succeeded in killing Huynh Phu So, the founder and leader of the sect. This inflamed the people of the sect and they joined forces with the French to fight the communists. Despite this alliance, the Hoa Hao army still lacked discipline and continued to terrorize the countryside and commit numerous crimes. Disagreements caused the army to split three ways. One group fled to the mountains, another to the jungle, and the third collaborated with the Cao Dai religious sect.
The combined group of Cao Dai and Hoa Hao’s fought with the French while the other two split fractions of Hoa Hao fought both sides and terrorized the countryside.
After the defeat of the French and the establishment of the new government in South Vietnam, the Hoa Hao’s were still dissidents. They, along with the Cao Dai, were brought to defeat by the Republic of Vietnam military forces. The main leader at the time, Ba Cut, was beheaded for his crimes against his fellow Vietnamese by the South Vietnamese government.
The Hoa Hao has never found a successor with the leadership qualities of Huynh Phu So. Whereas in t he past it had over a million followers, it is no longer very strong.
The spiritual leadership of the sect is now carried out by the ailing, elderly mother of Huynh Phu So in An Giang province. The government has attempted to reconcile the group, as well as the Cao Dai, in order to gain their support for the government.
TAOISM
Like Confucianism and Buddhism, Taoism came to Vietnam from China centuries ago. There is very limited historical information available about the religion, but traditional stories handed down through generations indicate that it was founded by Lao Tse in China 604 years before the birth of Christ.
Taoism was popular during the early Christian era, but does not appear to have a large religious following in Vietnam today. Instead, the Vietnamese look upon the priests as skilled magicians and diviners. They believe that the priests can help control the spirit world by contact with the Taoist gods. Priests for this religion follow a family line. The father who is a priest teaches his work to his son. Persons of other religions may go to a Taoist priest in cases where they deem magic to be necessary to help them solve their problems.
Taoist philosophy centers on the idea of human being’s oneness with the universe. They believe that the laws of the universe and nature cannot be changed, one should not try to change them but be content to live with them as best ha can under the circumstances. This theory is popular with the Vietnamese and they often stoically accept their lot in life as if there is nothing that they can do about it.
Because of some people’s belief that they are powerless against the forces of the universe and man’s place in life, they often consider themselves helpless. They then call on the Taoist priest to help them contact the spirits and delay the defeats of death and disaster. Taoists believe in spirits, including demons, ghosts and the like.
Yogi, a mental physical discipline, is considered to be a part of Taoism. This is a way to accommodate one’s self to the surroundings with minimum effort and discomfort.
Magic and sorcery dominate this religion today in Vietnam, and there seems to be little connection with the original religion as found in China.
OTHER RELIGIOUS GROUPS
In addition to the larger religious sects described in this chapter, many small groups spring up from time to time. A good example of this is the case of the Palm Tree Prophet, a man who has a small following.
Nguyen Thanh Nam is the leader of the Palm Tree Prophets. He spends every evening atop palm trees and towers praying to Buddha and Jesus Christ. In March of 1964, Nam and some of his followers tried to pay a call on American Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge and Secretary of Defense McNamara right in the middle of an important meeting they were holding at the U.S. Embassy.
He wanted to show the Americans a cat that he had that was nursing several mice. This, he said, proved that people who hate each other can co-exist.
Calling himself a prophet, Nam said he had not bathed in fourteen years. He is well-known in the Delta area of South Vietnam but does not have a large religious following. Many peasants go to him for advice, however.
The Palm Tree Prophet told correspondents gathered at the Embassy that day in March of 1964 that he had the plans that would stop the war in Vietnam. He wanted to travel and see the leaders of the United States, Great Britain, France, Russia, France, Red China, and North Vietnam, in order to ask them to hold an international conference to end the war in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government did not approve his request.
Periodically, the Palm Tree Prophet shows up on the Saigon political scene. Each time there is a new group of leaders, he tries to see them to plead his case. The leaders often say that he is a man being used by the Viet-Cong.
Apart from the many religions practiced in Vietnam, many of the people, believe in spirits. There are all kinds of spirits, present between birth and death, and perhaps even before and after these two events. There are good spirits and bad ones, funny ones and stupid ones. There are spirits of people, rocks, animals, trees, of the heavens, kitchen spirits, hearth spirits, master spirits, and subordinate ones. One could go on and on with a list of spirits and what they can supposedly do.
Vietnamese people deal with spirits as the need arises. They have all kinds of ceremonies in which spirits are appeased, scared, tricked, flattered, paid-off, fed, or whatever is called for in the particular case. An example of this may be found in Chapter 10. Appeasing the spirits is most important at Tet, the lunar New Year.
Each small village has its own guardian spirit, and he is worshiped by the whole village in annual ceremonies. Many times, shrines, temples, and buildings called "dinhs" are built for the worship of spirits. Dinhs usually have a high pointed roof. Each occupation such as various handicrafts, fishing, etc. has a guardian spirit.
Many Vietnamese customs, such as not touching another person’s head or shoulder, stem from the belief that spirits reside there.
Diviners specialize in spirits and are often called in to "diagnose" which one is causing difficulty and what ceremonies are necessary to appease the spirit.
Spiritism is prevalent in all parts of Vietnam, but is especially strong in the mountain areas with the tribespeople.
Pseudo-Sciences
and
Fortune Telling
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Vietnamese rely to a great extent on the advice of pseudo-scientists and fortune tellers when there is an important decision to be made. The pseudo-scientists include astrologers, chiromancers, physiognomists, zoochiromancers, and geomancers.
Astrologers predict the Vietnamese person’s future by working with the birth date, including the year, month, day, hour, minute, and especially where the heavenly bodies were at that time. This is especially important to the Vietnamese when thinking about getting married. Certain times have to be picked by astrologers as being favorable for events to take place. In addition, the tow people’s birthdates must be considered harmonious. (See Chapter 6)
Chiromancers also predict the future, but they do it by reading the palm, to include the lines on the hands and fingers.
Physiognomists foretell the future by studying the shape of the person’s head, including the features and brow.
Zoochiromancers carefully inspect boiled rooster feet, especially the joints of the three longer toes. In this manner, they tell the future of the rooster’s owner.
A geomancer is called upon when buildings are being erected, for he knows just where they should be situated due to his knowledge of how invisible streams of force flow around the earth creating magnetic fields. Buildings should be placed to agree with these influences. On occasion, if a building is not properly placed for one reason or another, scary looking stone dogs are placed in front of the building to scare away evil spirits.
In addition to these specialists, there are numerous fortune tellers in Vietnam. Many of them can amaze you with their accuracy. They are often poor people who claim that they have seen a vision. They are not usually poor very long after seeing the vision, as people come to them from near and far for advice and to have their fortunes told.
CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS
Portuguese and Italian Jesuit missionaries introduced the Catholic religion to Vietnam in the latter part of the 16th century. during the 18th century, Alexander de Rhodes developed "Quoc Ngu," a written, romanized version of spoken Vietnamese. This enabled the Catholics to spread knowledge about their religion and, in addition, was a great help to Vietnamese in many other fields.
In 1658, a Vicar Apostolic was appointed by the Pope in Rome, and he also made the Catholic church in Vietnam an extension of the Church of France.
During the French period in Vietnam, more converts were made. It is estimated that approximately ten per cent pf the population in South Vietnam is Catholic. Many of them are peasants living in the Mekong delta. A large number of Catholics fled the North when the country was divided to escape religious persecution under the communists.
The Catholics have many medical facilities operating in the country, including hospitals, clinics, leprosariums, etc.
The Catholic church of Vietnam is now independent from its connections with the French church. There are quite a few seminaries in the country.
Vietnam has the second largest population in Asia, after the Philippines.
American Protestant missionaries began going to Vietnam at the end of the First World War. Their influence has been limited until recently when it has been greatly expanded. It is estimated that thee are over 100,000 Protestants in the country.
The American Christian and Missionary Alliance is the main Protestant activity in Vietnam today. Their activities were centered mostly with the mountain people but is now spreading to other parts of the country. Three of their missionaries, including a woman doctor, have been captured by the Viet-Cong.
The Seven-Day Adventists have a mission in Saigon, including a most popular hospital.
Also in the country are Mennonites. One of their main activities is a medical clinic at Banmethuot.
There is a Baptist church in Saigon on Cach-Mang street.
The Wycliffe Bible translators from California are working on a Vietnamese translation of the Bible, as well as forming written languages, and translating the bible for the many different mountain tribes.
