Trúc Lâm Explained

Trúc Lâm Yên Tử (竹林安子), or simply Trúc Lâm ("Bamboo Grove"), is a Vietnamese Thiền (i.e. Zen) sect. The school was founded by Emperor Trần Nhân Tông (1258–1308) showing influence from Confucian and Taoist philosophy. Trúc Lâm's prestige later waned as Confucianism became dominant in the later imperial court.

A revival was attempted by later adherents including Ngô Thì Nhậm (1746–1803) during the Tây Sơn dynasty.^[1] Nhậm attempted to harmonize the "Three teachings" of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.^{[2] [3] [4]}

In modern times, Thiền sư Venerable Thích Thanh Từ has revived the Trúc Lâm Zen lineage by combining the teachings of the three early Patriarchs of the tradition: Trần Nhân Tông, Pháp Loa, and Huyền Quang. His efforts are brought forth from the principles of three Patriarchs whom he believes have minimal amounts of transition from traditional Chinese Buddhism. Thích Thanh Từ claims to be re-establishing the Trúc Lâm traditions but in his own way has modified it from its original ways.^[5]

According to Thích Thanh Từ's own writings, he drew on various meditation sources in developing the new Trúc Lâm meditation method, including Lục Diệu Pháp Môn (C. Liumiao famen 六妙法門, Six Dharma Gates to the Sublime) by Zhiyi (538–597), the classic Ngũ Đình Tâm Quán (The Five Methods of Calming Meditation) found in the Zuochan sanmei jing (坐禪三昧經) of Kumārajīva and the Tham Thiền Yếu Chỉ (Main Discourse on Meditation) of master Xuyun (1840–1959) which focuses on huatou (thoại đầu) practice.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Tài Thư Nguyẽ̂n The History of Buddhism in Vietnam Vol. III D.5 2008 Page 210 "Ngo Thi Nham thought that by following the Truc Lam Ch'an sect, he and his comrades would be able to put their ideas into practice and enhance their ... According to Ngô Thì Nhậm, both doctrines were equally vital for human spiritual life."
2. Serguei A. Blagov Caodaism: Vietnamese Traditionalism and Its Leap Into Modernity 2001 Page 2 "When Caodaist movement emerged, the concept of "Three teachings" - Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism - had ... Another prominent scholar Ngo Thi Nham also endeavored to harmonize Three teachings."
3. Minh Chi, Văn Tâń Hà, Tài Thu Nguyêñ Buddhism in Vietnam: from its origins to the 19th century 1993 Page 171
4. George Edson Dutton The Tây Sơn Uprising: Society and Rebellion in Eighteenth-century Vietnam 2006 Page 278
5. Book: Nguyen, Laura Thuy-Loan . Trúc Lâm Buddhism in Vietnam: Its History, Development, and Legacy . 2021 . Cambridge Scholars Publishing . 978-1-5275-6446-6 . en.
6. Philip Taylor, Modernity and Re-enchantment: Religion in Post-revolutionary Vietnam (Maryland, USA, 2008), p.363
7. Nguyen, T.T.D. (Re-)invented Chan Lineage, Unique Vietnamese Meditation School, or Both? Thích Thanh Từ’s “Revived” Trúc Lâm Tradition of Thiền Tông. Religions 2024, 15, 352. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15030352

   Thích Thanh Từ reputation eventually grew and he became the most widely respected Vietnamese master in contemporary Vietnamese Thiền Buddhism.^[6] Thích Thanh Từ's influence has also reached the West and some of his works have been translated.

   References