Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [355]
The best times to visit a pagoda are the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month (new moon and full moon), when they are at their busiest. Note that it’s customary to remove your shoes when stepping on the floor mats and sometimes when entering the main sanctuary – watch what the locals do, or ask, to be on the safe side.
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Religion and beliefs | Buddhism | The history of Buddhism in Vietnam |
Vietnamese deities
Religion and beliefs | Buddhism | The history of Buddhism in Vietnam | Vietnamese deities |
Buddhist deities
A Di Da or Amitabha The Historical Buddha, the most revered member of the Buddhist pantheon in Vietnamese pagodas.
Avalokitesvara A bodhisattva often represented with many arms and eyes, being all-powerful, or as (See "Buddhist deities").
Di Lac or Maitreya The Future Buddha, usually depicted as chubby, with a bare chest and a huge grin, sitting on a lotus throne.
Ong Ac or Trung Ac One of the two guardians of the Buddhist religion, popularly known as Mister Wicked, who judges all people. He has a fierce red face and a reputation for severity – of which badly behaved children are frequently reminded.
Ong Thien or Khuyen Thien The second guardian of Buddhism is Mister Charitable, a white-faced kindly soul who encourages good behaviour.
Quan Am The Goddess of Mercy, adopted from the Chinese goddess, Kuan Yin. Quan Am is a popular incarnation of Avalokitesvara. She is usually represented as a graceful white statue, with her hand raised in blessing.
Thich Ca Mau Ni or Sakyamuni The Present Buddha, born Siddhartha Gautama, who founded Buddhism.
Religion and beliefs | Buddhism | The history of Buddhism in Vietnam | Vietnamese deities |
Other characters
Ngoc Hoang The Jade Emperor, ruler of the Taoist pantheon who presides over heaven.
Ong Tau God of the Hearth, who keeps watch over every family and reports on the household to the Jade Emperor every New Year.
Quan Cong A Chinese general of the Han Dynasty revered for his loyalty, honesty and exemplary behaviour. Usually flanked by his two assistants.
Thanh Mau The Mother Goddess.
Thien Hau Protectress of Sailors.
Tran Vo Properly known as Tran Vo Bac De, Taoist Emperor of the North, who governs storms and generally harmful events.
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Religion and beliefs |
Confucianism
The teachings of Confucius provide a guiding set of moral and ethical principles, an ideology for the state’s rulers and subjects onto which ritualistic practices have been grafted.
Confucius is the Latinized name of K’ung-Fu-Tzu (Khong Tu in Vietnamese), who was born into a minor aristocratic family in China in 551 BC. At this time China was in turmoil as the Zhou Dynasty dissolved into rival feudal states battling for supremacy. Confucius worked for many years as a court official, where he observed the nature of power and the function of government at close quarters. At the age of 50, he packed it all in and for the next twenty years wandered the country spreading his ideas on social and political reform in an effort to persuade states and individuals to live peacefully together for their mutual benefit. His central tenet was the importance of correct behaviour and loyal service, reinforced by ceremonial rites whereby the ruler maintains authority through good example rather than force. Important qualities to strive for are selflessness, respectfulness, sincerity and non-violence; the ideal person should be neither heroic nor extrovert, but instead follow a “golden mean”. Confucius remained silent on spiritual matters, though he placed great emphasis on observing ancient rituals such as making offerings to heaven and to ancestors.
Confucian teachings