VI. THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE’S THOUGHT OF THE THREE TEACHINGS’ COMMON ORIGIN THROUGH AGES
From the second century
onwards the theory of the common origin of the Three Teachings started in Vietnam Vietnam ,
India , and China
The case of MOUBO or Mouzi (c. 165 or 170 – c. 230) is one typical example. Mouzi, whose
real name was Mourong, styled Zibo China
after the death of Emperor Han Lingdi (reigned 168-189), he fled China and came to live in Giao Châu (Vietnam
In the
preface of Lihuolun (Dispelling
Doubts Treatise) Mouzi says that after his mother’s death, he did not want to
hold any official post, but spent all of his time in studying the Three
Teachings: “Since then, I have devoted myself to Buddhism, ground away at Laozi’s
five thousand characters,[1] swallowed
mystery as good wine, and regarded the Five Classics ([2]) as zithers
and flutes.” [3]
This fact shows that the
Three Teachings coexisted in Giao Chỉ in the time of Prefect Shi Xie. That
spirit of harmonious unity from the early times was a contributory factor for
the theory that the Three Teachings are of the same origin to become a traditional
cultural identity of the Vietnamese during later centuries, and it has been
mentioned by eminent monks, priests, and scholars under many dynasties. Some
typical figures are as follows:
1. VIÊN CHIẾU (999-1091)
Zen Master Viên Chiếu
(999-1090), whose lay name was Mai Trực, lived under the Lý dynasty, a native
of Phúc Đường village, Long Đàm district. He was the Zen master of the seventh
generation of Quán Bích (Wall-Contemplation) Zen school of Vietnam
In daytime the brilliant sun shines,
Then comes the night
bathed in bright moonlight.[5]
His implication is that
Buddhas and Confucian Sages have different functions in life, but their
ultimate purposes are to shine bright light to the world or, in other words, to
help sentient beings to attain enlightenment. To make his idea clear, he gives
this example: Sunlight is necessary for day; and similarly, moonlight for
night.
2. TRẦN THÁI TÔNG (reigned 1226-1258)
King Trần Thái Tông, whose
real name was Trần Cảnh, was a native of Tức Mặc village, Thiên Trường
prefecture (i.e., modern Mỹ Lộc district, Nam
In his
Preface to Thiền Tông Chỉ Nam (A Guide
to Zen Buddhism), the King implied
that there was no difference between Buddhist and Confucian responsibilities
for helping the secular world. He writes: “The
Sixth Patriarch said that great sages of old did not differ from great monks.
It is thus obvious that Buddha’s teachings should be relied on Confucian sages
to be handed down to later ages.” [7]
In his Phổ Khuyến Phát Bồ Đề Tâm (General
Exhortation on Devoting the Mind to Bodhi), the King writes:
In men’s ignorance the Three Teachings
are of different kinds.
When the origin is known,
In his Tọa Thiền Luận (Essay on Zen Meditation), the King pointed out the
similarity of the Three-Teaching self-cultivation methods as follows: “Śākyamuni [Buddha] entered the Himalayas and sat in Zen
meditation for six years. Magpies built a nest on his head and grasses grew
between his thighs, but his body and mind was still calm and indifferent. When
Ziqi [Daoist] sat leaning against a
chair, his body resembled a dead tree and his mind resembled dead ashes. When
Yanhui [Confucianist] sat and forgot
everything, his connection with the body and its parts was dissolved; his
perception were discarded. Detaching himself from both stupidity and wisdom, he
became one with the Great Way
In his Giới Sát Sinh Văn (Essay on Commandment against Killing), the King
pointed out the similarities of the Three Teachings on doing good deeds: “Confucian texts instruct us to perform
benevolence and make virtues. Daoist canons exhort us to love people and animals.
Buddhist sūtras advocate the commandment against killing.” [10]
3. HƯƠNG HẢI (1631-1718)
Zen Master
Hương Hải (1631-1718), whose real name was Tổ Cầu, was a native of Áng Độ
village, Chân Phúc district (i.e., today Nghi Lộc district, Nghệ An province).
He used to be Prefect of Triệu Phong prefecture (i.e., today Quảng Trị
province) under the Hậu Lê dynasty, then became a monk, styled Huyền Cơ Thiện
Giác, also known by dharma name of Minh Châu Hương Hải, on the islet of Chàm in
Quảng Nam province. He was a prolific author.[11]
In a poem,
he wrote that originally the Three Teachings were of the same noumenon. (原來三教同一体.) [12] Thus,
in his opinion the Three Teachings have the common origin.
Comparing
Confucianism with Buddhism, in another poem he concluded:
Traced back further,
Confucian source is more spacious.
Penetrated deeper into,
In a poem titled Lý Sự Dung Thông (Principle-phenomena
interpenetration), Zen Master Hương Hải used the images of vehicles and boats
to compare with the Three Teachings’ means and functions in life. In his
conclusion, the Three Teachings are like three vehicles reaching the same
destination. Comparing the pairs of Confucian categories (Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues), with Daoist ones (Three Origins and Five Vital Forces),
and with those of Buddhism (Threefold
Refuge and Five Precepts), he wrote the following beautiful poem:
Renown doctrines and religions are of three:
Confucianism aims at helping nations,
ruling people, rectifying families.
Daoism focuses on nurturing vital force
and spirit serenity,
On medicine to heal evil diseases,
and hard practice of alchemy.[14]
Buddhism liberates sentient beings
from three-path suffering,[15]
So their ancestors can attain deliverance too.
Confucianism uses Three Bonds
and Five Constant Virtues.
Daoism preserves Five Vital Forces
and Three Origins.
Buddhism teaches Threefold Refuge
and Five Precepts.
4. LÊ QUÝ ĐÔN (1726-1784)
He was styled Doãn Hậu with
his literary name of Quế Đường, a native of Diên Hà village, Duyên Hà district,
Tiên Hưng prefecture, Sơn Nam (now in Thái Bình province). He held many
important official posts under the Later Lê dynasty. He was a prolific author,
whose works on Confucianism include: Quần
Thư Khảo Biện (Investigating and Discussing Classics), Thánh Mô Hiền Phạm Lục (Recorded Sayings of Sages and Worthies), Âm Chất Văn Chú (The Silence Way of
Recompense with Annotation), Vân Đài Loại
Ngữ (A Collection of Sorted Sayings), Xuân
Thu Lược Luận (A Brief Essay on the Spring-Autumn Period), Dịch Kinh Phu Thuyết (Superficial
Explanation of the Book of Changes), Thư
Kinh Diễn Nghĩa (The Book of Documents Expounded), etc.
In Kiến Văn Tiểu Lục (Miscellaneous Records of Things Heard and Seen),
vol. IX: Thiền Dật (Leisure in Zen),
Lê Quý Đôn expressed his respect to the equality of the Three Teachings and
advised some narrow-minded Confucian scholars as follows:
“Buddhist and Daoist teachings are of clarity, stillness and
emptiness, ultimate and tranquil extinction, without entanglement in outside
world. They are also the teachings wise people use for self-cultivation. With respect to Buddhist and
Daoist profound presentations on ethics as well as body and spirit, none of
them lacks miraculous meaning. Due to prejudice, we Confucian scholars often criticize them. Should we do so?” [17]
5. NGÔ THÌ SĨ (1726-1780)
Ngô Thì Sĩ, styled Thế Lộc
with literary name of Ngọ Phong Tiên Sinh, and Daoist name of Nhị Thanh Cư Sĩ
(A Retired Scholar in Cavern of Nhị Thanh), was Ngô Thì Nhậm’s father and Phan
Huy Ích’s father-in-law. He held official posts under the Hậu Lê dynasty and
was a prolific author with such works as Ngọ
Phong Văn Tập (Ngọ Phong’s Collected Writings), Bảo Chướng Hoành Mô (Protected Obstacles and Improved Plots), Anh Ngôn Thi Tập (Collected Poems on
Parrot’s Words), Việt Sử Tiêu Án (Vietnamese
History with Comments), Quan Lan Thập Vịnh
(Ten Poems Created When Viewing Waves), Nhị
Thanh Động Tập (Collected Works on Cavern of Nhị Thanh), etc. Together with his children, he formed
Ngô Gia Văn Phái (the Literary
School
When Tam Giáo (Three
Teachings) Pagoda in Kim Bảng village was restored in 1760, Ngô Thì Sĩ composed
a stele-inscribed text conveying his opinion on the Three Teachings as follows:
“Buddhist advice on Pure Land, Daoist view of immortal
realm, and Confucian theory of moral retribution are completely correct.
Buddhism advocates compassion and mercy, Daoism maintains serenity,
Confucianism uses the theory of benevolence, righteousness, faithfulness, and
uprightness to open Heaven’s Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues to set up an
order for human beings. It is essential to fuse myriads of beings of the
visible world with metaphysical realm, and interfuse myriads of differences
into One. Being engaged in worldly activities and quitting them have different
functions but are of one essence. I think all teachings are one. We should be
free and wise, and should avoid religious discrimination. Enlightenment needs
only Nature, whose maintenance requires only Mind. Śākyamuni’s extinction of
distress, Laozi’s emptiness, and Confucius’s non-speech basically refer to Mind
rectification.” [19]
Ngô Thì Sĩ’s
tendency to uphold the theory of the common origin of the Three Teachings is
shown not only in the above stele-inscribed text but also in such texts as Ký Động Nhị Thanh (Record at Nhị Thanh
Cavern), Sớ Hợp Tam Giáo (Remarks on
the Combination of the Three Teachings), etc.[20]
6. NGÔ THÌ NHẬM (1746-1803)
As a son of Ngô Thì Sĩ
(1726-1780), Ngô Thì Nhậm, styled Hi Doãn with his literary name of Đạt Hiên
and dharma name of Hải Lượng Thiền Sư (Zen Master Hải Lượng), was a native of
Thanh Oai village, Thanh Trì district, Hà Đông province. He held many important
official posts under the Later Lê and the Tây Sơn dynasties. Also advocating
the theory of the common origin of the Three Teachings, he expressed his
opinions in Thiên Quân Thái Nhiên, and
Ký Đình Thủy Nhất (Records at Thủy Nhất
Pavilion),etc.[21]
7. PHAN HUY ÍCH (1750-1822)
Phan Huy Ích was Ngô Thì Sĩ’s
son-in-law and Ngô Thì Nhậm’s younger brother-in-law. He was styled Chi Hòa
with literary names of Dụ Am and Đức Hiên. He held some official posts such as Hàn Lâm Thừa Chỉ (Academician Recipient
of Edicts) and Đốc Đồng (Supervisor)
of Thanh Hóa province, etc. Under the Tây Sơn dynasty, he was Hộ Bộ Tả Thị Lang (Left Attendant Gentleman
of the Finance Ministry) with title Thụy
Nham Hầu (Auspicious Cliff Marquis). After being an envoy to China Preserving Trueness
Temple
Phan Huy Ích also upheld the
theory of the common origin of the Three Teachings. In 1796, in the preface to Ngô Thì Nhậm’s works titled Trúc Lâm Đại Chân Viên Giác Thanh
(Complete Enlightenment Voice of Great Trueness in Bamboo Grove), he expressed
his viewpoint on the Three Teachings as follows:
“Although Śākyamuni Buddha’s doctrine aims at immateriality
(śūnyatā), its chief purpose is to get rid of all hindrances in order to attain
true suchness (bhūtatathatā). It is said that to enlighten mind and behold the
Buddha-nature is the most important thing. If compared with Confucian doctrine
of sincere thoughts and perfect knowledge, there is no contradiction indeed.”
Sharing Ngô Thì Nhậm’s
viewpoint, in the above-mentioned Preface Phan Huy Ích exalted Ngô Thì Nhậm as
follows:
“Getting into the essence of the Heaven Nature, understanding
clearly the Principle, and inserting Buddhism into Confucianism, he (i.e., Ngô Thì Nhậm)
let Buddhist sūtras not transgress the boundaries of the Throneless King (i.e.,
Confucius).” [22]
8. TRỊNH TUỆ (in the 18th century)
Having passed Trạng Nguyên (the First Degree of the
Three-Degree Exam), Trịnh Tuệ became Tể
Tướng (Grand Councillor) during the period of Lê kings and Trịnh lords. He
called himself Trúc Lâm Cư Sĩ (Lay
Buddhist in Bamboo Grove). In his essay titled Tam Giáo Nhất Nguyên Thuyết (The Theory of the Common Origin of the
Three Teachings), he writes:
“Confucianism has the theory of Tam Tài (the Three Powers), Buddhism
that of Tam Thế (the Three Worlds), and
Daoism that of Tam Thanh (the Three Purities). Like the sun, the moon, and stars in the sky, or the three legs of a
cauldron, the Three Teachings are inseparable.
To make the point clear, it is obvious that Confucian rites,
music, punishment, and politics are designed to restrain human desires and
cause people to trend towards the good, forbid the bad, keep away from the
evil, and improve the beautiful.
Buddhism teaches serenity, compassion and mercy, extermination of
karma, salvation of living beings, as well as attainment of enlightenment. That
is profound mystery over profound mystery.
Confucianism advocates rectifying morality and maintaining
edification so that people can transform their manners from ungratefulness into
gratitude, give up brutality, and diligently perform benevolence. Those matters
are straightforward.
Daoism maintains cleansing worldly entanglement, getting rid of
desires, transgressing secular world and entering holy one, enjoying absolute
happiness. That is marvel over marvel.
The Great Learning [a Confucian book] says about ‘Illustrating illustrious virtue, renovating the people,
and resting in the highest excellence’. Buddhist sūtras mention
‘prajñā-pāramitā’, ‘bodhisattva’, and
‘Mahāsattva’. In terms of meaning, both the Great Learning and Buddhist sūtras
are not contradictory...
Therefore, the Three Teachings are the same. These three currents
are of one principle. They do not contrast each other like water and fire,
black and white, sweetness and bitterness… So, it is known that Confucianism is
Buddhism and Buddhism is also Confucianism, Daoism is Confucianism and
Confucianism is also Daoism.” [23]
Finally, Trịnh Tuệ concludes:
He who thinks the Three Teachings are divergent,
Doesn’t know that Śākyamuni, Laozi,
and Confucius are of the same current.[24]
9. TOÀN NHẬT (1750? -1832?)
Zen Master Toàn Nhật lived
under the Tây Sơn dynasty. In his opinion, despite their different functions in
the world, the Three Teachings are of only one entity and can help each other
to cultivate, deliver, and pacify the people.
He regarded the Three
Teachings as three paths leading to the only ultimate point.
According to him, any of the
Three Teachings cannot be without one another. Otherwise, it will be very
dangerous.
Their inseparability is like
a caldron that must have three legs, and there must be the sun, the moon, and
stars in the sky (the Three Lights).
Similarly, the society must have the
Three Bonds (of ruler and subject, father and son, and husband and wife).
Writing a fiction in verse
titled Hứa Sử Truyện Vãn (The Story
of Monk Hứa Sử), Zen Master Toàn Nhật expresses his opinion towards the Three
Teachings in the Hell King’s words to monk Hứa Sử:
Ancient teachings were set up
and handed down to us.
The advent of Confucianism is to pacify the world.
That of Buddhism is to save the living
and deliver the dead.
That of Daoism is to destroy evil and kill demons.
In separation, Sages’ teachings are three.
In collation, the Three Teachings are
of one family.
They help each other to cultivate
and benefit all human beings in this world.
They are inseparable like three legs of a caldron,
like the Three Lights in the sky,
If lacking one, man will be in danger.
Undoubtedly, they take three directions
but lead to the same destination.[26]
Zen Master Toàn Nhật’s Tam Giáo Nguyên Lưu Ký (Records on the
Origin of the Three Teachings) reads:
Thus, the Sages of the Three Teachings
situationally have sermons and
body-transformations for man’s salvation.
Like the sky brightened by the Three Lights,
this world is enlightened by the Three Teachings.
A three-legged caldron will lose balance
and overturn if one leg is removed; likewise,
the Three Teachings must be inseparable.
Confucianism is as brilliant as a constellation.
Daoism is like a full moon shining everywhere.
Buddhism is compared to the sun
10. GIÁC LÂM (in the 19th century)
Bhikkhu Giác Lâm lived
at Hồng Phúc temple, in Hoài Đức prefecture, Hà Đông province, under the reign
of king Minh Mệnh (reigned 1820-1841). His Hồng
Mông Tạo Hóa Chư Lục Bản Hạnh (Records of Chaos Creator’s Own Deeds), or Hồng
Mông Hạnh (Chaos Creator’s Deeds)
for short, conveys his opinion on the
Three Teachings as follows:
The Three Teachings are like trees of the same
root with innumerable branches, and leaves.
Those who have superficial knowledge mistakenly
think that the Three Teachings are of
11. NGUYỄN ĐÌNH CHIỂU (1822-1888)
Nguyễn Đình Chiểu was styled
Mạnh Trạch with his literary names of Trọng Phủ and Hối Trai, a native of Tân
Khánh village, Bình Dương district, Gia Định province. Due to the loss of
sight, he taught at home, thus was also called Đồ Chiểu (Teacher Chiểu). Later
he moved to Ba Tri district of Bến Tre province to teach and prescribe herbal
medicines. His main works in verse comprise Lục
Vân Tiên, Dương Từ Hà Mậu, and Ngư Tiều
Vấn Đáp Y Thuật (Questions and Answers between a Woodcutter and a Fisherman
on Medical Skills), etc.
In his fiction in verse
titled Lục Vân Tiên, the main character named Lục Vân Tiên
is a Confucian scholar aged twenty-eight. After losing the sense of seeing, he
found shelter at a Buddhist temple and then his blindness was cured by a Daoist
immortal:
Now speaking about Vân Tiên,
who was living at a Buddhist temple.
At midnight he dreamt of an immortal
whose bowl of medicine cured his blindness.
(Lines 1665-1668)
Thus, though Nguyễn Đình Chiểu
did not explicitly express that the Three Teachings were of the same origin,
his fiction in verse revealed equalitarianism towards the Three Teachings.
*
Summing up, after nineteen
centuries, despite a great loss of books and historical records, the above
quotations from a number of typical authors indicate that the Vietnamese formed
early and have for long maintained some noble viewpoints towards the Three
Teachings as follows:
- Tam Giáo đồng nguyên (the Three Teachings are of the same origin),
- Tam Giáo nhất nguyên (the Three Teachings are of one origin),
- Tam Giáo đồng tông (the Three Teachings are of the same ancestor),
- Tam Giáo nhất gia (the Three Teachings are of the same home),
- Tam Giáo đồng quy (the Three Teachings return to their common
origin).
The above literary quotations
also show that since ancient times the Vietnamese has known how to compare the
Three Teachings to achieve the underlying unity.[29]
In other words, since ancient
times Vietnam Great Way
HUỆ KHẢI
[3] [Lê Mạnh Thát 1982: 133, 508].
[4] [Viện Văn Học 1977: 266].
[6] [Trần Văn Giáp 1990: 56, 57].
[9] [Viện Văn Học 1989: 86-88]. 釋迦文佛入于雪山, 端坐六年, 鵲巢于頂上, 草穿于髀, 身心自若. 子糸綦隱几而坐, 形如枯木, 心似死灰. 顏回坐忘, 隳肢体,
黜聰明, 離愚智,
同於大道. 此古者聖賢, 曾以坐定而成就者.
[11] [Lê Quý Đôn 1977: 402-403].
[12] [Lê Quý Đôn 1977: 409].
[14] Both chu
朱 and đan
(đơn) 丹 refer to scarlet; sa 砂 sand. A Daoist
sect called Thần Tiên Đan Đỉnh (the
sect of immortality, alchemy, and talismans) uses sa thạch 砂石 (literally, sand and stone, a substance which can be
squeezed into powder) for external alchemy. It is odorless, tasteless, scarlet,
thus is called chu sa 朱砂, thần sa 神砂, đan sa 丹砂 (cinnabaris). In Chinese medicine, cinnabaris has
many shades of red. The darker, the better. To test, we can squeeze it into
powder. If the hand is not smeary, it is the best cinnabaris. Cinnabaris is a
compound, 86,2% of which is hydragyum and 13% of which is sulfur. When cinnabaris
is boiled, the toxic SO2 emits; the remaining hydragyum is toxic
too. Thus, old medicinal books advise to use raw and unboiled cinnabaris being
ground with water. He who abuses cinnabaris can become insane. [Lê Anh Dũng
1995: 82-83].
[15] Three-path suffering 三途苦: Suffering of a soul entering three evil
paths of punishment as retribution for his/her sins, i.e., fire path火途 (suffering of
being burned), blood path 血途 (suffering of bleeding), and saber path 刀途 (suffering of being chopped or stabbed with
sabers or swords).
[16] [Nguyễn Đăng Thục 1971c: 26].
[17] [Lê Quý Đôn 1977: 363].
[18] [Trần Văn Giáp 1984: 324].
[19] 釋家淨土之勸, 道家仙都之談, 儒家積善餘康之說, 皆是也.釋慈悲,
道清淨, 儒定以仁義, 中正以開天常而立仁紀.要其合萬有于一虛, 會萬殊于一貫, 涇世出世,用異而体同. 余惟道一而已, 活潑潑惺惺, 無彼此也. 晤無非性, 默守無非心. 如來之寂滅, 老君之虛無, 夫子之欲無言也, 歸正其心耳矣. (BEFEO microfilm, A.364, No. 569, cited by Nguyễn Đăng Thục)
[20] [Ngô Thì Nhậm 1978: 31].
[21] [Ngô Thì Nhậm 1978: 32].
[22] [Ngô Thì Nhậm 1978: 47-50].
[23] The
quotation is paragraphed by Huệ Khải.
[24] [Ủy Ban Khoa Học Xã Hội Việt Nam
[25] The Three
Lights: the sun, the moon, and
stars; the Three Bonds of a man: a
person’s duties towards his country, parents and spouse.
[26] [Lê Mạnh Thát 1979a: 189-190].
[27] [Lê Mạnh Thát 1979b: 22].
[28] [Nguyễn Văn Thọ 1979].
[29] In Europe, the science of comparative religions
started at Oxford University ,
England
