TL;DR: The Vietnamese Buddhist revival movement arose in the 1920s, when quốc ngữ (Romanized Vietnamese script) intellectuals together with monks sought to renew Buddhism in education and organization and to eliminate superstitions. Since a single association for all three regions could not yet be founded, each region in turn had its own: the Hội Nam Kỳ nghiên cứu Phật học (Association for Buddhist Studies of Cochinchina, 1931), the Hội An Nam Phật học (Association for Buddhist Studies of Annam, 1932) and the Hội Phật giáo Bắc Kỳ (Buddhist Association of Tonkin, 1934). The books of Phạm Quỳnh, Trần Trọng Kim and Phan Văn Hùm are representative quốc ngữ texts presenting Buddhism to general readers.
What Was the Buddhist Revival Movement of the Early 20th Century?
The Buddhist revival movement of the early 20th century was a wave of Buddhist reform initiated by quốc ngữ intellectuals and monks, aimed at lifting Buddhism out of its decline in education, organization, and social standing. In Vietnam, the movement took shape from the late 1920s, with associations founded from the early 1930s[4]. Its goals comprised three parallel tasks: raising the level of Buddhist learning, establishing associations to organize monks, nuns, and lay followers, and eliminating customs considered superstitious that damaged the reputation of Buddhism.
This movement must be distinguished from the reorganizations after 1945 or after 1975. This was a period under colonial rule, when the quốc ngữ press, the romanized script, and a Western-educated intellectual class had just taken shape, creating conditions for Buddhism to be presented anew in a modern language for a mass readership.
How Did the Three Regional Buddhist Associations Come into Being?
According to Nguyễn Lang, the monks Khánh Hòa and Huệ Quang saw that a Buddhist association for all three regions could not yet be formed and decided to found one in Nam Kỳ first[4]. The three regions then each founded their own associations in turn: the Hội Nam Kỳ nghiên cứu Phật học in 1931, the Hội An Nam Phật học in Central Vietnam in 1932, and the Hội Phật giáo Bắc Kỳ in 1934[4].
| Association name | Year founded | Region of operation | Journal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hội Nam Kỳ nghiên cứu Phật học | 1931 | Nam Kỳ | Từ Bi Âm (first issue early 1932) |
| Hội An Nam Phật học | 1932 | Central Vietnam | Viên Âm (first issue 1 Dec 1933) |
| Hội Phật giáo Bắc Kỳ | 1934 | Bắc Kỳ | Đuốc Tuệ (1935) |
Although founded later than those in Nam Kỳ and Central Vietnam, the Hội Phật giáo Bắc Kỳ developed very rapidly in many respects, as Nguyễn Lang observed in Việt Nam Phật giáo sử luận[5].
How Did Phạm Quỳnh Present Buddhism to General Readers?
The lecture Phật giáo đại quan, printed as a book in 1924, was delivered by Phạm Quỳnh at the invitation of the Hanoi Trí Tri Society and has two parts: the life of the Buddha and the meaning of the Buddhist teaching[1]. He translated and cited the passage of scripture about the two extremes a practitioner must avoid: one is indulging in sensual pleasures, the other is imposing austerities; the Tathagata found the middle path, which brings calm, clarity, and insight to the spirit, leading to Nirvana[1].
According to Phạm Quỳnh, Buddhism is not at all passive withdrawal but is in fact active self-strengthening. He explained: self-strengthening means rousing one's energy so a person becomes bold and courageous; and activity means using that strength to build a career useful to life[1]. In Phạm Quỳnh's reading, Buddha is enlightenment, is clarity, and Buddhism is first of all a model for the educated elite: first make oneself clear-sighted, then make others clear-sighted[1].
This is an interpretation marked by its era: Buddhism read through the lens of reform, engagement, and the social responsibility of intellectuals. It should be noted clearly that this is Phạm Quỳnh's understanding in the context of his lecture, not the standard definition of Buddhism in general.
What Did Trần Trọng Kim and Phan Văn Hùm Contribute to the Quốc Ngữ Book Line?
In 1940, in Hanoi, Trần Trọng Kim published Phật lục. This publication is a popular book written in quốc ngữ, presenting the life of the Buddha, basic doctrine, the worship and arrangement of statues in pagodas, and several pagodas of Bắc Kỳ[2].
In 1942, Phan Văn Hùm released Phật giáo triết học, a quốc ngữ essay on Buddhist history and philosophy, covering the life of the Buddha, the Four Noble Truths, the twelve links of dependent origination, and the Theravada and Mahayana schools[3]. The book's content mainly discusses Indian Buddhism and the schools, not limited to Vietnamese Buddhism[3].
It should be noted: both Phật lục and Phật giáo triết học are original texts of the 1940s, not modern critical scholarship. They demonstrate how early 20th century Vietnamese presented Buddhism, not that what they say about Buddhist history is correct by today's academic standards.
Was This Movement Only in Vietnam?
In Phật giáo đại quan, Phạm Quỳnh observed that in Ceylon, Siam, Cambodia, and Burma, although Buddhism still had many followers, only the forms were valued, few knew the spirit of the teachings, and even among the monastic community few studied Buddhist doctrine. He also noted that recently in Ceylon the Southern tradition and in Japan the Northern tradition had produced several great monks with lofty aspirations wanting to revive Buddhism in their countries, though in his judgement these efforts had as yet had no influence and no great results in learning or religion[1].
What Did the Associations Do Specifically?
Each association was tied to a journal: Từ Bi Âm of the Hội Nam Kỳ nghiên cứu Phật học (first issue early 1932), Viên Âm of the Hội An Nam Phật học (first issue 1 December 1933) and Đuốc Tuệ of the Hội Phật giáo Bắc Kỳ (1935)[4]. This was the characteristic model of activity of this period: form an association, publish a newspaper, open Buddhist schools, translate and publish scriptures in quốc ngữ.
Using quốc ngữ instead of Hán and Nôm characters in disseminating doctrine was an important turning point. It broadened the readership and at the same time raised new questions about translation standards and interpretation of doctrine, questions that authors such as Phạm Quỳnh, Trần Trọng Kim, and Phan Văn Hùm all had to face.
What Are the Limits and Points Still Debated About the Movement?
Some assessments of the movement's actual effectiveness have not yet been fully quantified. Evaluating the degree of influence of the associations on village pagoda life and lay followers requires more quantitative research and local surveys, not just reliance on contemporary propaganda texts.
Moreover, a distinction must be made between the popular quốc ngữ book line of intellectuals and the organizational activity line of monks. These two lines intersect but are not identical: one presents doctrine to new readers, the other builds associations, schools, and physical facilities. Modern research usually separates these two dimensions when analyzing.
How Should the Revival Texts Be Read?
Gợi ý của Nhật Nguyệt: when reading the revival texts of the 1920s-1940s, one should separate three layers: the doctrine cited, the reformist argument of the contemporary author, and the colonial social context. The second layer is where each author's own viewpoint is most clearly expressed, and also where it is most easily confused with the original doctrine.
Conclusion
The Buddhist revival movement of the early 20th century in Vietnam was a multi-layered process: organizing associations in three regions, reforming education and disseminating quốc ngữ, eliminating superstitious practices, and engaging in dialogue with the reformist spirit of the time. The works of Phạm Quỳnh, Trần Trọng Kim, and Phan Văn Hùm are not only materials about Buddhism but also materials about how early 20th century Vietnamese intellectuals reread their tradition in the face of new challenges.
