The Political Spirituality of Buddhist Charity in Vietnam

In contemporary Vietnam, grassroots charity movements are rising to address humanitarian needs. Rapid development compounds these needs, as social services become privatized and urban migration strains city infrastructure. Volunteer groups respond by fundraising to subsidize medical treatments, distribute food, and construct bridges for their local communities. Many charities attract volunteers and promote their projects by appealing to Vietnam's most common religion, Buddhism, often incorporating Buddhist rituals into charity events. However, the styles of Buddhism invoked by these movements are not monolithic. Volunteers join charities for distinct and contradictory reasons. While some charities advocate for Buddhist volunteerism as fulfilling duties of socialist citizenship, other charities promote Buddhist volunteerism as a solution to the state's failed political promises of abundance and equality for all citizens. I analyze these two disparate political stances as converging to create a wave of ritualized "political spirituality" (Foucault 1978) that drives social change at a grassroots level.