At present, the Buddhist ideology in general and the Filial Piety inBuddhism in particular still profoundly affects many aspects of the lifestyle ofthe Vietnamese in the Northern Delta s
Trang 1EDUCATION AND TRAINING ACADEMY OF POLITICS
ACADEMY OF JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATION
ĐINH THI GIANG
THE INFLUENCES OF FILIAL PIETY IN BUDDHISM
ON THE WAY OF LIFE OF VIETNAMESE PEOPLE
IN THE NORTHERN DELTA NOWADAYS
Major: Philosophy Code: 92.29.001
DISSERTATION SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE
OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
HA NOI - 2019
Trang 2INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATION
Science instructors:
1 Professor Dr Nguyen Hung Hau
2 Dr Le Tam Dac
Reviewer 1: Asociate professor Dr Tran Nguyen Viet
Reviewer 2: Asociate professor Dr Hoang Thi Lan
Reviewer 3: Asociate professor Dr Nguyen Thi Thuy Van
The thesis will be protected before the thesis review committee at the grassroots level: Institute of Journalism and Communication
At…… AM…… 2019
The thesis can be found at the library:
The Dissertation can be found at the National Library and the Library of
Institute of Journalism and Communication
Trang 31 Rationale
Buddhism is a religion with deep and profound creed Buddhism hasdiscussed about humanity and on that basis interpreting that the path toliberation of humanity is the way of perfecting personal morality including FilialPiety The ultimate purpose of the filial piety in Buddhism does not stop atawareness but also direct people to follow the "Noble Eightfold Path" to freepeople from worldly suffering and bring stability to the family and society.Filial Piety in Buddhism has discussed all aspects of the morality of humanity in
a very profound and inclusive way, from being grateful to and repaying parents
in the family and more widely, being grateful to and repaying the nation, peopleand mankind
Buddhism was introduced to Vietnam very early in the early centuries
AD through two paths which are from the Indian monks and China (MahayanaBuddhism) The Northern Delta is located in a favorable geographical position -the economic, political, cultural and social center of the whole country, a place
of great cultures, so the Northern Delta is a first place to be introduced withBuddhism It is easy to see that in the history of the Ly - Tran Dynasty,Buddhism was chosen by the Vietnamese feudal government as the nationalreligion At present, the Buddhist ideology in general and the Filial Piety inBuddhism in particular still profoundly affects many aspects of the lifestyle ofthe Vietnamese in the Northern Delta such as thinking, behavior, customs…Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta always have the spirit of inheriting andpromoting positive values and turning them into the typical ideology of theVietnamese nation, so the study of the Filial Piety in Buddhism in order to buildand complete the current lifestyle of Vietnamese people is an essential issue
On the other hand, Filial Piety in Buddhism has not only been valuable toIndian ideological and cultural history and some Eastern countries but also hasthe theoretical and practical value for humanity today Because the world which
we live in the world of great changes with the development of science,technology and market economy; the process of globalization takes place moreand more widely; life, economy, politics and society change constantly.However, human beings today are also facing many challenges such astraditional moral values are gradually being corrupted, many manifestations ofstrange lifestyles contrary to the fine traditions and customs in a group of thecommunity are becoming more and more popular, especially in young people
Trang 4They have a tendency to promote individuals, live selfishly and coldly, lackgratitude, pay little attention to their obligations and responsibilities to theirparents, pay little attention to those around them and especially in recentyears, moral degradation is becoming a serious problem when a series ofheartbreaking phenomena occurring in the family and in society as childrendeny their parents, even killing them
Where is the origin of those consequences of humanity? From the point
of view of Buddhism to human beings, it can be seen that people are ignorant,greed, jealous but they cannot see that they are destroying themselves, theirlineages and people In order to overcome and confront the above challenges,there are many ways and methods and one of them is that we can further exploitthe values of Eastern religions and philosophies, especially in Buddhism withthe profound concept of Filial Piety which has occupied a large part in thelifestyle of the Vietnamese here Promoting the value of the Filial Piety inBuddhism to educate and help the Vietnamese in the Northern Delta understandand live with the spirit of "when eating a fruit, think of the man who planted thetree" is a necessary task; it helps each person to orient themselves, to preservetheir conscience and fulfill their obligations and to live for themselves, theirparents and others
Therefore, studying this issue is not only meant to affirm the influences
of Filial Piety in Buddhism on the Vietnamese way of life in the Northern Deltanowadays but also helps us to have a full view of life values and orientation fortoday's life and to enrich the spiritual life of Vietnamese people in the new era
Thus, with these thoughts, the researcher chose the topic: "The Influences
of Filial Piety in Buddhism on the Way of Life of Vietnamese People in the Northern Delta Nowadays" for the philosophy dissertation.
2 Aims and tasks of the study
2.1 Aims of the Study
On the basis of analyzing the main contents of the Filial Piety in Buddhism,the dissertation will clarify its influence on the lifestyle of Vietnamese people inthe Northern Delta nowadays
2.2 Tasks of the Study
Firstly, analyze the content of the Filial Piety in Buddhism and the way
of life of Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta
Trang 5Secondly, analyze and evaluate the process of Filial Piety in Buddhism
goes into the aspects of lifestyle such as the way of thinking and the behavior ofthe way of life of Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta nowadays
Thirdly, propose some views and solutions to promote the positive
influences of the Filial Piety in Buddhism on the way of life of Vietnamesepeople in the Northern Delta nowadays
3 Research Subjects and Scope of the Study
3.1 Research Subjects
The dissertation focuses on studying the influence of Filial Piety inBuddhism on the way of thinking and behavior in the way of life of Vietnamesepeople in the Northern Delta nowadays
3.2 Scope of the Study
3.2.1 Study the main ideas of Filial Piety in the sutra such as Báo ân cha
mẹ Scripture, Vu lan bồn Scripture, Hiếu Tử Scripture, Tâm địa quán Scripture,Mục Liên sám pháp Scripture and related documents (Gia huan, law)
3.2.2 About space: Understand the influences of the Filial Piety in Buddhism
on the way of life of Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta nowadays onsome aspects: the way of thinking and the behavior of some typical provinceslike Hanoi, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, Ha Nam, Thai Binh, Hai Phong
The survey subjects of Vietnamese people living in the Northern Deltainclude 02 groups living, studying and working in the 06 provinces of theNorthern Delta at present: Hanoi, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, Ha Nam, Thai Binhand Hai Phong: Firstly, non-Buddhist practitioners include Buddhists and non-Buddhists; Secondly, Buddhist practitioners (monks and nuns)
3.2.3 About time: Dissertation is limited since the renovation (in 1986) so
far, especially since 1990, the Politburo issued the resolution "Strengtheningreligious affairs in the new situation" (called Resolution No 24 for short) ThisResolution sets out the views on religious work in accordance with the situation
of the country entering the first phase of the reform process
4 Theoretical Basis and Research Methodology
4.1 Theoretical Basis
The thesis is built on the basis of the theoretical basis of dialecticalmaterialism and historical materialism Especially the dialectical relationshipbetween social existence and social consciousness, the relative independence ofsocial consciousness In addition, the dissertation is also based on Ho Chi
Trang 6Minh's Thoughts and views of the Communist Party of Vietnam on lifestyle aswell as beliefs, religions in general and Buddhism in particular.
4.2 Research Methodology
The dissertation uses Marxist methodology, interdisciplinary researchmethods such as history, culture, ethnology, sociological and statistical studies,with emphasis on the use of materials and original documents research methods,specific methods such as logic - history, analysis - synthesis, conclusion -interpretation, comparison, generalization
5 Scientific Contributions of the Dissertation
Firstly, the dissertation helps clarify Filial Piety in Buddhism in general
and Filial Piety in Buddhism in the Northern Delta in particular on some specificcontents: parents' grace, People's grace, Three jewels' grace and nation's grace
Secondly, the dissertation analyzes the influences of the Filial Piety in
Buddhism on the way of life of Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta nowadays
on a number of specific manifestations: thinking and behavior through surveyresults in typical provinces such as Hanoi, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, Ha Nam, ThaiBinh and Hai Phong
Thirdly, the dissertation proposes some key solutions to promote the
positive influences of Filial Piety in Buddhism on the lifestyle of Vietnamesepeople in the Northern Delta nowadays
6 The Theoretical and Practical Significance of the Dissertation
6.1 Theoretical Significance
The dissertation helps clarify the content of the Filial Piety in Buddhismand its influences on some aspects of life such as the way of thinking andbehavior of Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta nowadays through surveyresults in some typical provinces such as Hanoi, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, HaNam, Thai Binh and Hai Phong
6.2 Practical Significance
The research results of the dissertation can be used as a reference forfurther studying of the influence of the Filial Piety in Buddhism on the lifestyle
of Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta nowadays
The dissertation can be used as reference for the research and teaching ofPhilosophy, Religion, Culture, Ethics and related majors in colleges,universities and academies in Vietnam today
7 Organization of the Study
Trang 7In addition to the Commitment, Table of Contents, Overview, Overview
of research situation, Conclusion, List of the author's scientific works related to
the dissertation, References, Appendix summarizing the results of the survey,Questionnaire for information collection, the content of the dissertation sconsists of 3 chapters and 10 sections
OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH SITUATION
1 The classic works of Buddhism on filial piety
Buddhism as well as Confucianism and traditional Vietnamese moralityall respect filial piety, consider filial piety as the basis of morality and thoughts
of filial piety which are found in many Buddhist scriptures such as Vu lan Scripture, Báo ân cha mẹ Scripture, Mục liên sám pháp Scripture, Thai Cốt Scripture và Huyết Bồn Scripture, Hiếu Tử Scripture, Tâm Địa Quán Scripture, Địa Tạng Scripture, Thiện Sinh Scripture, etc The original scriptures presented
above are of great value to help graduate students have an overall view of filialcontent in Buddhism
2 Studies on filial piety in Buddhism
In the process of studying the Buddhist filial piety and its influence on theVietnamese way of life in the Northern Delta, there are many scholars who havecarefully studied to introduce, translate and annotate the scriptures of Buddha,
there are some outstanding works such as the book Hạnh Hiếu trong đạo Phật written by Thích Nhật Quang; Lý hoặc luận by Mâu Tử, Lục độ tập kinh by Khương Tăng Hội, The thought of filial piety in Buddhism translated by Thích Nhuận Đạt, Công ơn cha mẹ by Đại Đức Thích Giác Thiện, Kinh Phật cho người tại gia và Chữ Hiếu trong đạo Phật by Thích Nhật Từ…
In addition to the research works as analyzed above, there are somearticles published in magazines that address filial piety in the Buddha such as
Chữ “Hiếu” với “nỗi khổ treo ngược” trong đạo Phật published in Buddhist studies journal, No 5 in 2009, Đạo Hiếu của Phật giáo qua Kinh Thiện sinh by
Thích Nhật Từ, etc These works have made important contributions inanalyzing the basic contents of filial piety in Buddhism, while emphasizing thepositive elements and meanings of filial piety in Buddhism This helps the PhDstudent to have an objective basis to understand the content of Buddhism in itsreligion and its influence on the present lifestyle of Vietnamese people innorthern delta
Trang 83 Studies on the lifestyle and influence of filial piety in Buddhism on lifestyles in Vietnam and The influence of the Filial piety in Buddhism on the behavior of Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta today.
3.1 Studies on lifestyle
Vietnam in recent decades, studying the lifestyle of society has become
quite extensive, achieving many achievements such as book Về lối sống mới của chúng ta (About our new lifestyle) by Phong Châu, Lối sống xã hội chủ nghĩa & xu thế toàn cầu hóa (Socialist lifestyle & globalization trend ) by Thanh Lê, Bản sắc dân tộc trong lối sống hiện đại (National identity in modern lifestyle) by Lê Như Hoa, etc., There are also articles like: Nghiên cứu về lối sống: Một số vấn đề về khái niệm và cách tiếp cận (Lifestyle research: Some
conceptual issues and approach) by Phạm Hồng Tung, etc The works haveshown the concept and structure of the lifestyle This is a useful referencesource, a scientific basis for the author of the thesis when analyzing andinterpreting the way of life of Vietnamese people in the Northern Deltanowadays
3.2 The research works on the influence of filial piety in Buddhism on lifestyle in Vietnam
The issue of the influence of Buddhism in general and filial piety inBuddhism in particular on the lifestyle in Vietnam has been studied for a longtime in history In recent decades, the study of the influence of filial piety inBuddhism on the way of life in Vietnam has become quite extensive, achieving
certain achievements such as Ảnh hưởng của các hệ tư tưởng và tôn giáo đối với con người Việt Nam hiện nay (The influence of ideologies and religions on Vietnamese people nowadays) by Nguyễn Tài Thư, Phật giáo với văn hóa Việt Nam (Buddhism for Vietnamese culture) by Nguyễn Đăng Duy, Việt Nam Phật giáo sử luận (Vietnamese Buddhist commentary) by Nguyễn Lang, Lịch sử Đạo Phật Việt Nam (History of Vietnamese Buddhism) by Nguyễn Duy Hinh…
Recently, a number of articles in the journal Philosophy, Religion, BuddhistStudies, etc mentioned the issue of Buddhist influence on the lifestyle in
Vietnam nowadays such as Phật giáo và sự hình thành nhân cách con người Việt Nam hiện nay (Buddhism and the formation of human character in Vietnam nowadays) (1993) by Nguyễn Tài Thư; Ảnh hưởng của Phật giáo đối với đạo đức (The influence of Buddhism on morality) (1999) by Lê Hữu Tuấn; Đạo đức Phật giáo với vấn đề xây dựng nhân cách con người Việt Nam (Buddhist ethics
with the issue of building up the Vietnamese personality) (2002) by Hoàng Thị
Trang 9Thơ, etc The opinions mentioned in the works and articles are references,important suggestions to help the thesis author continue to study in depth theissues that are being set.
3.3 The research works on the influence of filial piety in Buddhism on the Vietnamese way of life in the Northern Delta nowadays
The study of the influence of filial piety in Buddhism on the Vietnameseway of life in the Northern Delta is now mentioned in research works in various
approaches such as culture, religion, philosophy, etc., specifically, Người Việt vùng Đồng bằng Bắc Bộ (Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta region) by Diệp Đình Hoa, Những khía cạnh triết học trong tín ngưỡng thờ cúng tổ tiên của người Việt ở Đồng bằng Bắc Bộ hiện nay (The philosophical aspects of the
ancestor worship of Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta nowadays) byTrần Đăng Sinh, Research Institute of Religion and Beliefs of the Ho Chi MinhNational Academy of Politics and Public Administration carried out the project
of the “Ảnh hưởng của Phật giáo đến đời sống tinh thần nhân dân vùng Đồng bằng Bắc Bộ hiện nay” (The influence of Buddhism on the spiritual life of the
people in the Northern Delta) led by Phạm Văn Dần In addition to the aboveresearch works, there are some works with the content and research directionrelated to the influence of filial piety in Buddhism on the Vietnamese way of
life in the Northern Delta nowadays such as Management of traditional festivals
of Vietnamese in the Northern Delta from 1945 to present (2007), Ph.D dissertation of cultural studies by Bùi Hoài Sơn; Some issues of belief and religion in the Red River Delta nowadays (2007) of Nguyễn Quốc Tuấn and
Nguyễn Ngọc Quỳnh which is published in a religious research journal, No 3;
The philosophical aspect in the worship of Mother Goddess of Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta region (2013), Ph.D dissertation of Nguyễn Hữu
Thụ, etc These research results help the author of the thesis to have a richer,more diverse and comprehensive view of the status of the Buddhist influence onthe Vietnamese way of life in the northern delta and solutions to promote thepositive side of filial piety in Buddhism for building and improving the lifestyle
of Vietnamese people in the northern delta nowadays
4 The issues raised need further research in the dissertation
4.1 The content of the research that has been achieved
Firstly, the works mentioned the basic content of filial piety in Buddhism,
gave the concept, structure of life and approached under different perspectives
on the influence of filial piety in Buddhism on lifestyle in Vietnam, but generally
Trang 10stops at the general level, didn’t present the problem comprehensively, the system
of the influence of filial piety in Buddhism to the aspects of social life
Secondly, the works have shown the role of filial piety in Buddhism to
lifestyles in Vietnam and the necessity to inherit the values and overcome thelimitations in the concept of Buddhist filial piety towards the process of building
a new society in our country today
Thirdly, issue of the influence of Buddhism in the Vietnamese way of
life in the Northern Delta has been mentioned but not much and scattered inresearch works based on the cultural approach that Buddhism relates to
4.2 The issues raised need further research in the dissertation.
Firstly, based on the material, there are researchers who have initially
introduced the concept of filial piety in Buddhism to serve the study of itscontents
Secondly, to study fully, scientifically, systematically about filial piety in
Buddhism and its influence on the way of life of Vietnamese people, studentsmust study in many fields without excluding other specialized books such ashistory, literature, religion, etc., which have content of filial piety in Buddhism
Thirdly, the issue of "the influence of filial piety in Buddhism on the
lifestyle of Vietnamese people in the Northern Delta nowadays” is a newproject, there has not been a researcher who has studied in depth, thus enablingthe PhD student to continue to study deeply to explain scientifically about theinfluence of filial piety in Buddhism on the lifestyle of Vietnamese people in theNorthern Delta today
Fourthly, offer solutions to promote the positive side, limit the negative
side of filial piety in Buddhism to the lifestyle of Vietnamese people in theNorthern Delta today
Trang 11Chapter 1 SOME THEORETICAL ISSUES ABOUT THE INFLUENCE
OF FILIAL PIETY IN BUDDHISM ON THE PRESENT LIFESTYLE OF
VIETNAMESE PEOPLE IN NORTHERN DELTA
1.1 Filial piety in Buddhism and filial piety in Buddhism in the northern delta
1.1.1 Filial piety
From the perspective of scholars as well as real life, we believe that filialpiety is a code of conduct whereby people voluntarily adjust their behavior to
show gratitude to parents, grandparents and ancestors
1.1.2 Filial piety in Buddhism
1.1.2.1 Concept of filial piety in Buddhism
From the analysis of the Buddhist scriptures, we believe that the filial piety in Buddhism is the Buddhist conception of thanksgiving, the way of thanking parents, sentient beings, the King and the Three Jewels
1.1.2.2 Some basic contents of filial piety in Buddhism
Firstly, Buddhist conception of thanksgiving towards parents
On the merit of parents, according to Buddhism, parents have the merit ofbirth and nurturing “In this world, the merits of parents are the greatest”; “Thếgian, núi non là cao, ơn của mẹ còn cao hơn thế - cao hơn núi Tu di, Thế giancõi đất là nặng, ơn mẹ còn nặng hơn thế” (Moutains are high, but mother’ssacrifice is unmeasurable – The Earth is heavy, but not as much as sacrifice thatmother carries)
On how to thank parents, Buddhism shows how to tell the parents' deepgratitude, there are filial piety and afterlife filial piety For filial piety, according
to Buddhism, when parents are still alive, children have the obligation toprovide material and spiritual support for their parents For afterlife filial piety ischildren help their parents to be liberated and go to Nirvana The care forparents in spiritual life is the educational goal of Buddhism and also thesuperiority of Buddhism compared to the traditional Vietnamese filial piety aswell as the filial piety in other religions and doctrines ever
Secondly, the Buddhist conception of gratitude and how to repay gratitute to living beings.
Trang 12In addition to grateful to their current parents, people also need to thank the
"living beings" of the six paths as all beings can be affectionate parents for many oftheir lives On the other hand, living beings not only have special karma (karma ofeach individual) but also common karma (karma of the whole community)
The way to repay gratitute to living beings, according to Buddhism,people should help each other, find ways to repay each other, not to slaughter andharm each other, people must have the spirit of compassion, joy, continent, etc
Thirdly, the Buddhist conception of gratitude and how to repay gratitute to the Fatherland
Regarding the merit of the Fatherland, according to Buddhism, it is thegrace of "the leaders of the country" These people also have great grace forpeople They use laws to manage society and the Dharma of Buddha "transformspeople's hearts, makes the country develop steadily, not falling into eight majorcrises", etc
Regarding the way to repay gratitude to the country, people are gratefulfor merit by developing the country to show their obedience to the law, tofollow the true politics, to promote the development society, the rich and
Fourthly, the Buddhist conception of thanksgiving, gratitude to the Three Jewels
For the gratitude of the Three Jewels The Three Jewels in Buddhismmean that teachers like Buddha, Dharma, Sangha who have great grace forpeople, liberating people from the cycle of birth and death, to the Nirvana.How to repay the gratitue of Three Jewels? Buddhism advises peoplefirst of all to strive to train moral, to illuminate ignorance with the wisdom lamp
to not discourage the teacher's teaching, to respect the teacher, to live according
to the teacher and to encourage the teacher to follow the Buddha’s teachings
1.1.2.3 Characteristic of Filial piety in Buddhism
From the above analysis, some characteristics of the Filial piety inbBuddhismcan be drawn:
Firstly, the Filial piety in Buddhism is built on the basis of the law of cause
and effect and the theory of reincarnation and karma
Secondly the Filial piety in Buddhism has a greater spirit of equality and
fertility than the Confucianism and traditional filial piety
Trang 13Thirdly, the peculiarity of the Filial piety in Buddhism compared to other
Filial piety is the way to practice the Filial piety in non-dogmatic way
Fourthly, the Filial piety in Buddhism is a means of morality for liberation Fifthly, the path of practicing Filial piety in Buddhism is idealistic and
utopian
1.1.3 The Filial piety in Buddhism in the Northern Delta
1.1.3.1 Some basic contents of filial piety in Buddhism in the Northern Delta
The Filial piety in Buddhism on the way to penetrate into the NorthernDelta has changed to adapt, in necessary cases, willing to cooperate with otherbeliefs and religions in a selective way to develop Therefore, Buddhism in theNorthern Delta was formed and developed in the background of Confucianculture and indigenous beliefs Since the 15th century, in Gia Huan's works, filialpiety has been discussed as a virtue, with a wider scope, with deeper contenttypical of Gia Huấn Ca of Nguyen Trai, “Hành tham quan gia huấn của nhaNho” of Bui Huy Thich The works speak of the great merits of parents and themethod of responding to that great merits
In the Le dynasty, Filial piety in Buddhism has many new and progressivefeatures Due to the influence of the French family, Confucianism and folklore,the content of the Filial piety does not stop at ideology, conception but has beeninstitutionalized by the laws of the feudal State, mostly by the law of Le dynasty
Ly - Tran dynasties - the most developed period in the history ofBuddhism in the Northern Delta The Filial piety in Buddhism was present in thebrilliant and wisely political way of the Ly - Tran dynasties, contributing to therecovery of the people and the unity of the nation to keep the land, socialstability, land construction truly independent and autonomous
In early modern period, The Filial piety in Buddhism in the NorthernDelta not only stops within the family but also extends the scope of the nation,show that the Filial piety in Buddhism in the Northern Delta accompanied withthe nation in the process of building and protecting the country expressedthrough King, Buddhist Tran Thai Tong, King Tran Nhan Tong, Tue TrungThuong Si, etc
In the Early modern period, the content of Filial piety in Buddhism in theNorthern Delta had the meaning of struggle for national liberation, building a