Hòa Hảo Buddhism: A Combination of Thiền and Pure Land Buddhism?

Hòa Hảo Buddhism is a New Religious Movement that emerged in Vietnam in the first half of the 20th century. Despite its understudied status, the tradition has played an important role in Vietnamese history, as evidenced by its dynamic socio-political activities and its role in the preservation of Vietnamese religious culture during the colonial period. This paper will explore the syncretic nature of Hoà Hảo, a tradition that blends Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism into its doctrine. The present study places particular emphasis on Buddhist elements, thereby underscoring an understanding, from an emic perspective, of the self-identification of its adherents as Buddhists, notwithstanding the presence of several non-Buddhist elements. The objective of this study is to elucidate the integration of the orientation of other-help in Pure Land Buddhism and self-help in Thiền Buddhism within Hòa Hảo teachings. This is a subject that has not been previously examined.