Anybody know what Chua Dieu Quang is?

[DaftChris]

I pass a building almost everyday with a sign that reads "Chua Dieu Quang". It is about the size of a small house, has multi-colored flags and there is another building in construction next to it.

I think it's the new Buddhist temple in my town, but I'm not too sure. I did some research, but the only thing I found out was that there is another temple of the same name out in California.

Does anyone know exactly what Chua Dieu Quang is? What tradition it follows? It's practices?

Also, I tried to do some research of my own, but the only thing I found was the temple in California and a lot of websites in Vietnamese. I would contact the place, but there is no website or phone number.

[Kim O'Hara]

Hi, DaftChris,
I think you're on the right track ... definitely Vietnamese and probably connected to the other two - Sacramento and Santa Ana: http://chuadieuquang.org/
Maybe contact one of them (details on website)?

My idle curiosity grew from my visit to Hanoi last year. What I found there was mostly Confucian temples and the pics on the website suggest that's what you've got here.


Kim

[Finnjames]

Not sure I agree with the previous poster. It looks like a Buddhist temple to me, and the few words of Vietnamese I know suggest that too.

Still, this might clear up something that has long been a mystery to me: the shopkeeper of my local Vietnamese market has both Confucius and Buddha on her shop altar.

And BTW, if you visit the website listed in the previous post, be sure to click through all the pages and listen to the wonderful music!

[PorkChop]

Hi, DaftChris,
I think you're on the right track ... definitely Vietnamese and probably connected to the other two - Sacramento and Santa Ana: http://chuadieuquang.org/
Maybe contact one of them (details on website)?

My idle curiosity grew from my visit to Hanoi last year. What I found there was mostly Confucian temples and the pics on the website suggest that's what you've got here.


Kim

The pic on the left is Siddhartha Gautama cutting off his hair.
We have a very similar statue at Chua Phuoc Hue
I think Chua means "pagoda" or "hall", not sure about the rest.

[remm]

Hi, DaftChris,
I think you're on the right track ... definitely Vietnamese and probably connected to the other two - Sacramento and Santa Ana: http://chuadieuquang.org/
Maybe contact one of them (details on website)?

My idle curiosity grew from my visit to Hanoi last year. What I found there was mostly Confucian temples and the pics on the website suggest that's what you've got here.


Kim

The pic on the left is Siddhartha Gautama cutting off his hair.
We have a very similar statue at Chua Phuoc Hue
I think Chua means "pagoda" or "hall", not sure about the rest.

Wonderful Light Monastery.

[Kim O'Hara]

Not sure I agree with the previous poster. It looks like a Buddhist temple to me, and the few words of Vietnamese I know suggest that too.

Still, this might clear up something that has long been a mystery to me: the shopkeeper of my local Vietnamese market has both Confucius and Buddha on her shop altar.

And BTW, if you visit the website listed in the previous post, be sure to click through all the pages and listen to the wonderful music!

There's a lot of syncretism in Vietnamese religion, as there is in Chinese religion. Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Vietnam, for instance, puts it like this:

Buddhist practice in Vietnam differs from that of other Asian countries, and does not contain the same institutional structures, hierarchy, or sanghas that exist in other traditional Buddhist settings. It has instead grown from a symbiotic relationship with Taoism, Chinese spirituality, and the indigenous Vietnamese religion, with the majority of Buddhist practitioners focusing on devotional rituals rather than meditation.

Kim

[PorkChop]

There's a lot of syncretism in Vietnamese religion, as there is in Chinese religion. Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Vietnam, for instance, puts it like this:

Buddhist practice in Vietnam differs from that of other Asian countries, and does not contain the same institutional structures, hierarchy, or sanghas that exist in other traditional Buddhist settings. It has instead grown from a symbiotic relationship with Taoism, Chinese spirituality, and the indigenous Vietnamese religion, with the majority of Buddhist practitioners focusing on devotional rituals rather than meditation.

Chua Phuoc Hue where I go is strictly Mahayana: TianTai, Thien/Chan/Zen, and Pure Land are the only practices taught.
Aside from Shakyamuni Buddha and Amitabha Buddha, the Bodhisattvas recognized are pretty standard for East Asian Mahayana: Kwan Yin form of Avalokiteshvara, Ksitigarbha, Samantabhadra, Manjushri, and Budai as Maitreya.
The only holidays I can think of off hand that are observed are Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year), Ulabana (filial piety day), and Vesak (the holiday celebrating the Buddha's birth & enlightenment) - I know I'm missing some.
There is a heavy emphasis on getting involved in service projects, as in the vein of Engaged Buddhism.
The only things from the wiki that may be specific to Vietnamese Buddhism that apply are emphasis on aid to the poor and the 4 gratitudes, but I'm not sure that they are inconsistant with Buddhism or would be considered "foreign practices".

I can't speak for Chua Dieu Quang; but I can say from experience that the above does not pertain to all Vietnamese temples.

[Kim O'Hara]

Chua Phuoc Hue where I go is strictly Mahayana: TianTai, Thien/Chan/Zen, and Pure Land are the only practices taught.
Aside from Shakyamuni Buddha and Amitabha Buddha, the Bodhisattvas recognized are pretty standard for East Asian Mahayana: Kwan Yin form of Avalokiteshvara, Ksitigarbha, Samantabhadra, Manjushri, and Budai as Maitreya.
The only holidays I can think of off hand that are observed are Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year), Ulabana (filial piety day), and Vesak (the holiday celebrating the Buddha's birth & enlightenment) - I know I'm missing some.
There is a heavy emphasis on getting involved in service projects, as in the vein of Engaged Buddhism.

That all sounds great!

The only things from the wiki that may be specific to Vietnamese Buddhism that apply are emphasis on aid to the poor and the 4 gratitudes, but I'm not sure that they are inconsistant with Buddhism or would be considered "foreign practices".

Certainly not inconsistent with, nor foreign to, Buddhism as I understand it.


Kim

[LastLegend]

It's a Vietnamese Temple.

I am Vietnamese.

Buddhist practice in Vietnam differs from that of other Asian countries, and does not contain the same institutional structures, hierarchy, or sanghas that exist in other traditional Buddhist settings. It has instead grown from a symbiotic relationship with Taoism, Chinese spirituality, and the indigenous Vietnamese religion, with the majority of Buddhist practitioners focusing on devotional rituals rather than meditation.

This is simply not true.

[remm]

It's a Vietnamese Temple.

I am Vietnamese.

Buddhist practice in Vietnam differs from that of other Asian countries, and does not contain the same institutional structures, hierarchy, or sanghas that exist in other traditional Buddhist settings. It has instead grown from a symbiotic relationship with Taoism, Chinese spirituality, and the indigenous Vietnamese religion, with the majority of Buddhist practitioners focusing on devotional rituals rather than meditation.

This is simply not true.

I have to agree, that's a load of rubbish. You could say the same thing about Chinese Monasteries if you're going to generalize.
It really depends on which monastery you go to, too. There are some monasteries that follow strict asceticism and really focus on Pure Land or Ch`an, you just have to be a bit insightful and know where to go.

[JKhedrup]

There is great scholarship in Viet Namese Buddhism

The reason this is not appreciated is because little of it has been translated and unfortunately most Viet Namese monastics are not so fluent in English. I pray this will change in the coming years.

I'd love to learn Viet Namese but maybe I am not intelligent enough.

[Kim O'Hara]

It's a Vietnamese Temple.

I am Vietnamese.

Buddhist practice in Vietnam differs from that of other Asian countries, and does not contain the same institutional structures, hierarchy, or sanghas that exist in other traditional Buddhist settings. It has instead grown from a symbiotic relationship with Taoism, Chinese spirituality, and the indigenous Vietnamese religion, with the majority of Buddhist practitioners focusing on devotional rituals rather than meditation.

This is simply not true.

I have to agree, that's a load of rubbish. You could say the same thing about Chinese Monasteries if you're going to generalize.
It really depends on which monastery you go to, too. There are some monasteries that follow strict asceticism and really focus on Pure Land or Ch`an, you just have to be a bit insightful and know where to go.

I apologise if I have offended anyone here.
As I said in my first post in this thread, my knowledge of Buddhism in Vietnam is slight. On the other hand, what I quoted from wikipedia, which is what you are both disagreeing with, matches fairly well with what I saw in Hanoi and what I have read elsewhere - including one or two comments in this thread.
Can I also say that what a religion looks like from the inside can be very different from how it appears to outsiders. Like many people here, I grew up in a religion which practised symbolic ritual cannibalism. Needless to say, that's now how we thought about it.

It would be great if someone can find out what Chua Dieu Quang actually teaches, which tradition it belongs to. I'm not going to do it - wrong country, wrong language and not enough interest - but I would like to know the answer.
It might be good, too, if you (remm or LastLegend) or a friend could correct the wikipedia entry.


Kim

[hng1964]

The temple is a Vietnamese Buddhist temple. I go there regularly and help out with different tasks usually during weekends. They practice Pure land Buddhism. They just added an extension to the existing building and there have been some discussions on having classes, meetings there in the future (probably distant future). Vietnamese is spoken there most, if not all of the time therefore it would be difficult for someone to go there and learn more about Buddhism and their paractices. The temple are open to everyone. There are a few American friends that are there from time to time. Please feel free to ask me any questions about it.

[Kim O'Hara]

Thanks for dropping by to solve the mystery.


Kim

[Simon E.]

Thanks for dropping by to solve the mystery.


Kim

Well it wasn't a "mystery " until your unfounded speculations about Confucionism etc ..was it ?

[Kim O'Hara]

Thanks for dropping by to solve the mystery.


Kim

Well it wasn't a "mystery " until your unfounded speculations about Confucionism etc ..was it ?

Umm, yes it was:

I think it's the new Buddhist temple in my town, but I'm not too sure. I did some research, but the only thing I found out was that there is another temple of the same name out in California.
Does anyone know exactly what Chua Dieu Quang is? What tradition it follows? It's practices?

Kim