CONFIDENTIAL - NOT FOR GENERAL CIRCULATION OR PUBLICATION
BUDDHISM IN SAIGON
A report by Kenneth Morgan, based on interviews with Buddhists in S
INTRODUCTION
Before visiting South Vietnam I wrote to Buddhist friends in other countries asking for their comments on the Vietnamese situation .. As an introduction, here are some of their comments:
A Burmese Buddhist Bhikkhu (monk): All shedding of blood, taking of life, as a part of religion, is the very antithesis of all that the Buddha's religion means. The Buddhist religion means looking on all beings, all living creatures of every kind, high or low, as sharers of the wondrous gift of life, with equal rights to live their lives to the full, uninterfered with by any other creature ... More than that, the Buddha adjures man to practice active loving kindness towards all beings, 11 11 including animals ... He had not a good word to say to fl conquerors , Conquest en- gendereth hatred, for he who is conquered is wretched,u He once said.
A Japanese Zen Priest: The Buddhists in Vietnam seem to be too much in volved in politics ... The Vietnamese should be made to realize that they are not, at the moment, capable of self-determination and independence ... In any event, human beings should never resort to arms for any solution. Everybody well knows it.
A Japanese Shin Professor: I am afraid th~t, until a sort of world federation is established and a common language is invented for all humankind, the problem will never be solved. This ideal state will be realized when people come to pro fess the ideal of selflessness as is advocated in Buddhism.
A Ceylonese Bhikkhu: Buddhists should strive for discussions between an tagonists; and should encourage reconciliation with Catholics; if possible, they should encourage discussions between leaders of opposing governments.
A Bhikkhu from India: Buddha has said, uit is better for me to die in bat tlefield than lead a defeated life. 11 The entire Buddhist literature breathes with the inspiration that unjust attack must be met with strength and fearless ness. This is what, I think, you may stress upon while speaking to the Buddhists in Vietnam.
Princess Poon, President of the World Federation of Buddhists: The Prin cess said that we must completely separate Buddhism and the State, as the Buddha did. We must not, as Buddhists, engage in politics. We do not want tre Bhikkus to take part in politics, for they are part of the triple gem (The Buddha, The Dhamma, and The Sangha, or order of monks) and we want them above us to be hon ored. To take life is forbidden to the Buddhist, even suicide. The pattern of actions is determined by karma, and our actions must build up a good karma to be worked out. At the same time, communists must be fought because they would destroy Buddhism, but not by Buddhists as Buddhists.
A Tibetan Buddhist.: a monk, who was in Lhasa before the Chinese came, and under~Chinese for a time, then imprisoned for two years, then conducted to Buddhism in Sa:Lgcm.i by Konnoth Morgan Pag 2
India boctrnso hu had a. ,S1.kkhimose-lnd1an pa:rnporL, uaid that Lhcy knc)W ·tho Chinese worn coming, but Lhcro was no action that. Buudhi:,t:J cou.ld tako Lo prevent it or Lo prl)parc fo:r tho eruol :Jupprecsion uf Buddhi.srn Hxco1>t Lo l ry Lo bncome be'l;tor Buddhis·ts. f:fo ~rn.y:, that lf thri Ghino:Jo comt:1, lL m1ghL be. best ju:Jl, to ki.ss your fricmds and hi"L Lhom on tho hl;iad. T'ho only hope t..o preserve Buddhism now in nucrot.l.y Ln tho fa.mi.ly. Ile :;aid LhaL ofLon a Chlnu:;,:i soldier-guard., if no other Chino:Jo woro p1·0:.wnt, would cunl'om, L:haL ho .L:., a Budcl.hisL but has rw choice .
It :U, alsu relevant l~o po'int, out thn ba.:.·.1 c pr.1.ncj plcs of Clmciuct for Budd h.i s ts, Lho ten procGpts, of wh:ich the f.1.rst fivEl are requL:red or Jaym~n a.swell an rnonl<::s: rwt to kill, not to stoa. I , no L to commit 1-my iiexual rni ::.;conduc L, not to J :Lu, noL Lu LD.lrn any lntoxicating llq_uo.r in· drug:;;; nul, Lu qi Tho Dl1a.mmaI?a.da, a summary of Lhe Buddha's ethical teachings, :-;;aye: Pa~sion wilJ. break through an unrufl~"lct.lng m.Lwl • •• Al I mon tromb.Ln at punishment, all men foa:r di:Jath; :r.omombor tha.t you are l.lko unto thorn, and do not kill, nor ca.uso c] aught.er . .. Lot a. man ove:r.como anger by lovo, Let him ovorcomc ovi.L by good; let hlm ov(;):rcorn(~ U-,e grncdy by )iborality, tho l.La.r by truLh ... A man lG nut just lf he (;arr.i.es a. mat tor by v:i oJ cnco .. . Hatred never coa:.H:)G by hat.rod, but by lovingkindness. Malinda. anlia: Cher:Loh compari"'ion oven Lo ,your unemy. Porvado overywhoro wHh 1.,hEJ rn n o.. bonovo.Lcncc ! 'T'his i:J tho t:.oaching oJ' th· Buddhas. Ono addj ti.onal minor point of ex.planaLiun. ThG Buddhism of Ceylon Burma, 'rhailand, Laoii, and Cambodia :Ls called 'J'horavada Buddhism. 1'horavad.Lns believe 'Lhal~ Lhay bavn prosorved the urig:i.nal t(;)achlngs of bhe Buddha in the Pall lan guage, und they have cloa:t'ly defined scriptures. 'rho Buddhlsm t)i' China.., Korea, 11nd J a.pan is called !!:_'.iliaiana, and is ba:sod on mati.y scrLp turtJC, mo::i t, of ~horn or:ig:Lna11y ln ~1anokrit, unua.lly Lrans.la.ted into Lhdr naL.Lve languagcn, with little .cugard for t,hu Pali canon, o.nci with great freudom Lo choose or reject among the :sacred writings. BUDDHD3M lN VIETNAM 'l'hc l:luddhiam of Vict,na.m i::; primarily Mahayana .reccLvod from China and mudii.'1od somewhat. by the Vietnanw:se. At Jc.a.rJt 80% o.r Lho people of Vietnam are I uddhists, ttncl o.C the Buddh:L::.rLG onJ y about LO% ar·e::J Theravada. 'l'heravada crone in fafrly rocEmt L:unes, chiol'.ly in tho .'Jou~h, from Ca.rnbodla. Thoravadjrw follow the Pali canon, look to Thai] and, Burma., and CiJylon, and rare] y know Chinese or 1J Ludy Mruuayana teachings. 1'he Ma.hayan.l.s ts uf'Lcn know Ch:i neso, and aro much more opon to working with tho Thora.va.din.::. '.l'he mass of the pooplo foJ low Amid.a Budd hism, a devotional form of Buddhism :relying pr.LmariJ.y on tho Saddharma Punda.:rika tJutra, which thoy honor buL rarely :road. 'l'hoy pn.rt:Lc:ipat11 ln t.ho tw.Lco-monthly ceremunies at thl:) tomplos, pray and chant a.L the Lomples, follow Buddhi ... t rites a.L funerals, and blend w:i.th their Buddh:Lsm p:rim.L'Live boUef' in n.9.turo spirits, and many Corifucla.n and some 'l'.!l.o.lst prac ticos. 'l'ho monks know how to Lead the dt:ivo- 'L icn1a..L. c0remon.ies but a.re usually trained in discipllneu which Lhoy call 'L'hion, or Zon, and consider to bo very close to Ch'an in China .!ind Zan Ln Japan. 1'he 1nedi ta.tiun tnchn·i ques of 7.cm aro considered nocossa.ry for t.h0 Lralning of monks . Thoy uxplai.n tba t poople :t'ollow the path that suL ts thoi:r naturo; the simple people .L'ollow the way of devotion ln Amida Buddhism and tho inLolloctua.ls and monks pre- fer Zun disclplines . 1 L .i :.1 not. a hard and fas L Uno. r found vary 1Htlo em- Buddhism in Saigon, by Kenneth Morgan Page 3 phasis among the monks on study of Buddhist sacred writings, otherthan as guides for meditation. Meditation begins with instruction in proper breathing exer cises to calm the body and the mind. One must practice sincerity, a desire to be good, and a balance of mind and body. Sincerity is gained by retrospection and introspection: one thinks over all the actions and thoughts of the previous day. That brings about shame, and a desire to be good, which is man's natural state but must be uncovered; the desire to be good is also aided by comparing oneself to a better person. The practice of breathing properly, and sitting quietly2 together with a proper diet, quiets the mind and body and promotes self-control. This discipline is a necessary prelude to any actions in society. Although I pressed on several occasions on this point, I did not find more than one or possibly t wo monks who had thougltthrough the implications of their Zen Buddhism for social action. There is a strong feeling that Buddhism must be involved in society, but no clear thinking about how their Buddhism is to be expressed. Vietnam is unusual in the Buddhist world because of the conscious efforts on the part of the Mahayanists to work closely with the Theravadins. They have in cluded'Jheravadins in their organizations, even in quite responsible positions, and do all they can to get Theravadins to participate in their educational acti vities. They assure me t hatthsre is no conflict between Mahayana and Theravada in Vietnam, and the two groups are drawing closer together, but some of the Theravadins with whom I talked do not express the same openness; they are satis fied with their position, not antagonistic toward Mahayana, but just want to be left~one to read their Pali scriptures and build their pagodas. The Theravadins are in touch with Buddhists in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma, and Ceylon, and welcome opportunities to visit those Theravada countries and to participate in consultations with them. They want to maintain their ortho doxy. The Mahayanists, even though they have roots in China, have nothing to do with China even as Buddhists, do not have close relations with Chinese Buddhists in Vietnam; some of them have studied in Japan, but most of them know very little about Japanese Buddhism. They have had almost no contact with Buddhists in Hong Kong and Taiwan. They know little about the Tibetams. The Buddhists of Vietnam still hope to be hosts for the World Conference of Buddhist Youth in Saigon in 1966. I rather doubt that it will be possible. But their strong desire for that conference is a sincere expression of their desire to work with Buddhists from other countries. Buddhism in Vietnam began to show signs of stirring in 1930 when the first modern Buddhist organizations were started. Various organizations grew up, but were severely limited by the French. In 1952 the groups from the North, Central, and Southern divisions of the country met at Hanoi and that rather loose organiza tion continued until 1963 when they strengthened the organization in opposition to Diem; at the end of 1963 the present organization was created. Vien Tang Thong. At the top of the Buddhist organization is the Vien Tang Thong, sometimes called the Sangha, and in the press mis-translated as the Buddhist Church. It is made up of the senior spiritual leaders of Buddhism in Vietnam, with Hoa-Thuong Tinh Khiet as head. (Hoa-Thuong is an honorary title given after 40 years as a distinguished monk). Khiet, a very old man, is Maha yana, lives in Hue, but the offices will be moved to Saigon. His deputy is Hoa-Thuong Toi Thang, also old, a Theravada Bhikkhu, who l ives at Chua Tu Quang in Go Vap, a suburb of Saigon. He is happy to cooperate with the Buddhist organization designed to represent all Vietnamese Buddhists, even though he is lluddhii3m 1n ,'iaigun, by Kmmo Lh Mo re;an Page L+ a vnry orthodox Tl'lt,ravndin who lrnow:J very lll,t Ju .. ,boul, MaJ1c.1.;yana, 1;;1.r1.d f'ooJ:.1 no lack. It cloo s :3C!Om t,:; h.Lm tha.L Lho Vien 'J'anc:. Thong dou ::; nuL mcoL VCH'Y o.ften, t,ha:t whcm it d.oeis mE.:C L l t dual:~ wi l,b minor de taL l. ·1 , and Lhn L .1 Ln chlof Ju L.J os ::3oom to be ccremonLal, for Lht),Y' ropruw:mL Bucldhi:.m1 oJ'ficu.1.ll.Y at publ.ic oc~co.siorrn. 'rhe Gcm(;ral SocroLary of Lho Vluri 'T'a.ng Thur.1g L 'I'h 1.rnnc;-Toa Tri quanr:, (Ho is us,.w.lly cal) yJ ::s imply 1'hlch Tri Quang; Thuong-'l'otL rnoarv : hu ha:; bum1 a munk moro Lha.n twenty yoars . ) rru :lCJ Lh(·: monk who u:;;capod over Llw Amin ict.1.n 8mba·_;i~y wall fo:r refuge during 'l.htJ Diorn uprii,Lne. He; was uno.a:;:.v abuuL. :inc\ Lr1g rrH.' unLil nure that I would not rair-::0 politl.ca.J que:;;tions, and Lhcn rnu:;L cordial. I had Lv.ro long iu t,orviow::; at which nol, t:J. hinL of poJ i Lies was mcmLiunnd; lw ga.vti mu a. detailed oxpo,siL'lon of tho chs c.Lplino,i nocesirn.ry f'or 1.011 13uddbbm, and dumorn-rLra.Led in tho dL:Jcucsion Lhat. hn had noL rnu:rnly momo:ri:t.r1d a l,rarLiLlona.l J'ormula, but has an a.ct.Lvo, qutck mind optHl t.o tho glvo-anct-Lako oL' a prob.Lng .rnqu .iry. Ho ls charming, alcn't, :f'riondly. J.la Js also vory buL,y, vv :it.h many vi.:;i.Lor::, coming Lo ,itH, him in h.Ls l:iLLle :room a.t Chua An Quang (Chua mt:arn, Pagoda). Whun L Lnquired ubout him from other Buddh .i.::s t ::;ou rcc::'l which lLrus L, hn wa:, doucribud a:; Uit~ mo,;t polH1.cal of 11Ll thE:i monks, b:rilU ant., dr-wiou:1, ovnn cunning, ucquahiLod wj Lh but rejcc-ting communist idooJ ogy, and tho most poJ 'i tlcaJ l y-rnJ ncJnd pu ct;on among tho Buddh:i.n t,s, vory poworfuJ. I t:r:i od to p:re::Js hlrn £'or a di:3cu:Jr:::ion of Lhu :; oc.i al imp:Ucations o.t' 7,on 13uddhir.Jt cliscipJjnc:H3, but a.Hhough hCJ wou1d bC! uJnque~1L about ·tho disciJ:ilino'n and lns5ot that. Lhoy rnu r,t procodo all acL.ion:;, hu wou.ld go no r·urLhe;ir. 'I'hu Vjun Tarig 'Plwrig, Lhu ;,;p .L.r.LLua.l hoall uf' al I Buddhi .crn1 io VJ.oLnwn, i::; du sc:rlbod au concurnud wi Lh Lho oxpos:i Uon uJ' Dudd.lU r: t. law and Lhn :rnpervlsion o:£' Lhu monlrn and nutw. Lt, ha.:3 tho power t,o diunu.:J ;3 a rnunk u r r1ur1 Crom tho Order, or :,angha.. l:t performs occac,.Lonal ce:remun:i.a..L r·uncLiorw, but rarcd.y meoi,i;. lbf; actions a.ro takon usuaJly by '.T'hjch Tri Quang :ln L.OntmlLat.l.on wiLh Thlch 'I' :inh I ViEin lloa. Dao. Under Lho Vieri 1'ang 'l 'l1one; b thn ma.Jor l3uddhisL organizabion, Lhc V.ien J-!ua Dau, Lram;JaLo At the national level the Vien Hoa Dao has six sections: Monks and Nuns; Execution of the Dharma; Regulations and Rules; Finances and Buildings; Laymen; Youth. The country is divided into seven districts, and the seven districts are divided into provinces with local sub-offices. Each province has an organization along the lines of the six sections in the central office. The section on Monks and Nuns is under Thich Tri Tinh. No Theravada and Mahayana monks live together in the same pagoda, and they have spearate training, but all are under Thich Tri Tinh and his office has an official register of all monks and nuns and issues to them their identification cards. Training is largely in the hands of local pagodas, but some get training at the new Buddhist University, Van Hanh, anQ there are some Theravadins who learn a bit about Mahayana there. He seeks scholarships for study at Van Hanh, or abroad, and they have sent monks to Japan, India, Burma, Thailand, and U.S. for study; not to Taiwan or Hong Kong be cause no scholarships were offered. There are 23,000 monks and 4,000 nuns, and the number is increasing; there is no organized effort to recruit monks and nuns, but local pagodas encourage young people to join the order. Although his office is theoretically in charge of training monks and nuns, it improves the training only by persuasion and the general level of education is low. The section on the Execution of the Dharma is concerned with translations, the press, the spreading of Buddhist teachings, and the supervision of materials about Buddhism to make sure that the doctrine is correctly expounded. It is under Thich Tri Thu. The section on Regulations and Rules was originally under Thich Quang Lien, but he issued the famous Peace Proposal which the government condemned and is now in exile in Bangkok. This section heads social services activities under Thich Nhat Thien, a kindly, able, Theravada monk who is the key person concerned with relief activities, clinics, orphanages, and the like. It also supervises educa tional activities at the college and school level, and is responsible for art and ceremonies. Thich Quang Lien's successor has not been named. The section on Finances and Buildings was described above. The section on Laymen is criticized as not being very active, and that is considered to be a weakness of their program. It is under Thich Huyen Quang. The section on Youth is getting under way with Thich Thien Minh at its head, but the most interesting programs for young Buddhists are through the Voluntary Youth Program and the IVS program for summer service projects, which Vien Hoa Dao approves but does not control. Most, but not all, Buddhist organizations are under the Vien Hoa Dao. I Buddhism in Saigun, by Kunno1:,h Morgan Pa.ge 6 found one Buddhist organiza.ticm wh:Lch Lhiulrn Lhnru iu Loo groat a danger of ostablishing a Buddhis L church hoira.rchy, u.wJ. LhaL la;ymon aro no L glv0n a suffi ciently rospomiiblu roJ o in mak:lng poJ icy, but, H is larg13ly inacLivo .Ln 01·der tiot to seem tc, be :ln oppoujt:Lon. One gr0'L.lp of Ch.inc:Jo Du.d.dhi:1Lu participates, ospccially ln cc~romon.it s, but there i.13 noL much J o:i nL ac Liv j L,y wiLh Chinese Budd hists. New Vit,a.lit~. Thuro is an imprecnjvrJ nLa.li:Ly .In Lhr) Buddhit;m of V:Letna.m, in many ways moro evid(mL t.ban ln tho o Lhor Buddl1l:; L couuL1·ios of r;outhoast Asia. When I a"kod t.ho cau:;;;o of tbic viLali.ty l:J:wy pointed ouL Lha L lhoy ar'e free i'or the first time, :,dnce Lh! French e1.rc1 now gomi. A1thcme)1 Lhuy had bucm :iLirring since 1930, Lhoy wer-o covtn•nJy ro::;Lrktod undor Lho 11'ronch, and Lho ru~;Lri.c.tlorn.i wero ma:ititainod and lncrt)a:..;od undor DJom. 'f'h(iy aro aJ:.Jo uw1trc or· whEtL ba:; happened to f3uddhism ir1 Ch:Lmt., T:Lbt::it, and No1:·th Vio tnam unde:r cornmunlsm and noo Lhu danger of th0 same tM.ng::i ho:ro. At first, tho :lrrLd 1uc Lual:J who wnrc Lral nod abiroad wo:rc:1 no·t intere::ited in Buddhicm but as they wnro disappo:Lr1tod in Lho F:rt)nch they turned to .Buddhism -- somc:Jt .imos through wosLe:rn r;tudic.s of 1:!udd.MBm that, thuy dlscovor(:id abroad. 13uddhi:Jts a.ro con:..;tant.1.y rom:Lntluc.l that 1 n Vfo Leong a:ro::w monJ<:;3 aro re- garded as enomie:3. Ar, evidence of the Lr now freedom Lhoy polnl. Lo the activltle.~ of Vien Hoa Dao, thn-Lr new magazines and nnwpapors publ"Lshod ovon under the lim:Ltod .f:r.ecdom of wa.r'timo, thoir now Van Hanh Un:Lvorsit.y, and Lhoir :Cruodom to start eoconda:ry rwhools. T t is also obvious that Lheir organj zod oppocl tlon to Diam ' n regime wa:3 an ex.pn"l:-rnion of the now v:LLalHy. Ln ·thL, connocL.Lon, u worc.l ml.ghL be~ said about th(:1 1 ~uicidos' whose ofi'ocl wa.r:i to mobi1izo tho 13uddhi:rt communHy. 1 quote f:rom a race.mt a.rt:Lcl0 by 'J'hich Nhc;1.t Hs.nh, in a letter :ln DJ.alo~ue, addresroed to Martin Luthor King : The se}f-burn:Lng of Victna.most) J3uddhlcit monki:l .Ln 1963 is somehow dif ficuJ t for t:.ho Western Christian consclcmco to undornt1:1.nd. Tho Press upoke them of suicldo, but ln tho e::::eonce, LL ls not. It J.s not oven a p:r.oLnat. What tho monks :::aid J.n tho lotL.or~, Lhcy left boJ'ore burn'!" lng thom:Jo 1ves aimed only a·L a.larming, at mov:Lng thu hcu:rk, of the opp!'E):Jt30!':J and 1::1.t ca.111.ng tho r.1.LLonL1cm of Lhc 1 wor.ld Lo LhtJ suffer ing endured lhcm by Llie Vi.etnarnoso . ·ro b1l'rn cm1::1~;:el f b,y tire i:J to provo that wbal:, ono is saying b 01' Lho utmost lmporLancu. Th.ere ls nothing moro paJni'ul than burnLng onot:oJ.r. '!10 cJa.,y uomoLhing while oxperfonc:Lng th.Ls kind of pa.Ln :i ,; t,o Day i L w.L lh uLmo:.; L oJ' courage., .t'ra.nknos:J, d(;1tormlnaLion and :;lncor1Ly. During Lhc• cururnon,y or ordimi.tion, ,1s practiced in thn Mahuyuns. tr::i.diLlon, Lhu monk-candi da'te l:a ruquired to bu:rn one, or moro, :mal.l :1pot:, on bit; body in tak· :Lng th,3 vow to observe tho 250 rul r; of a bj k:;hu, to live the lii'C!l of a monk, to attain onJightonmont. and to dovoLe t1l.:i ]lfo to Lhe :rnlvation of all boings. Ono can, or cour:;o, say Lho:.;o l,hlngs while sitting :i.n .a comf0rta.ble armchair; but, wh.t:m th0 worcJ::1 a:ro utLel"ed while knouUng boforf;'J the communt.t.,y· of :::;angha and oxpu:rioncJ ng this kind of pain, Lhey witl ox:pre:J:J al.J tlw se:r·iousnr:is:, ol' otw's heart llttd mind, and carry much grea.tor we:tght. 'l'he Vietnamese monk, by burnLng .him::.c:lf, ::;t:J..Y::J with al L hi:.; strength a.nd determination LhaL ho can unduro tho grea.LoGt of sufforinge:; to protect hls people.. Bu·L why doos hu hav0 1,0 burn hlm:iol r to death'i' The dii'fu:ronce betwoem burning onosolf and bul'ning onotiolf t;o c.feith :L:3 only a ,HJ.'i'orencu in dogreo, not in naturo. A man w11o burn:::1 hirn :acili' Loo much mu::;t dfo. 'l'ht:. impor t.anco .L:3 no L, to lako c.mo is life, but to burn. What, rw really aJrrw aL ls tho 0.xpr'e:.;;:.:dQn vf ht:;; will Buddhism in Saigon, by Kenneth Morgan Page 7 and determination, not death. In the Buddhist belief, life is not confined to a period of/)()or 80 or 100 years: life is eternal. Life is not confined to this body: life is universal. To express will by burning oneself, therefore, is not to commit an act of destruction but to perform an act of construction, i.e., to suffer and to die for the sake of one's people. This is not suicide. Suicide is an act of self-destruction, having as causes th:3 following: 1. lack of courage to live and to cope with difficulties; 2. de feat by life and loss of all hope; 3, desire for non-existence. This self-destruction is considered by Buddhism as one ct: the most serious crimes . The monk who burns himself has lost neither cour age nor hope; nore does he desire non-existence. On the contrary, he is very courageous and hopeful and aspires for something good in the future. He does not think that he is destroying himself; he believes in the good fruition of his act of self-sacrifice for the sake of others ... Everywhere,one sees photographs and paintings of the monk burning to death on the street of Saigon. Again and again Buddhists told me that because of his sacrifice they must make a greater effort to be better Buddhists and to under stand the ways they can express their Buddhism. Catholics and Buddhists. Under the French, only the Catholics were recog nized as a church; Buddhists had to register as an association and were restricted. Educational and political and military advantages went to the Catholics. In the center of Saigon, the most prominent building is the cathedral -- one has to hunt in this Buddhist city to find a temple o~ pagoda. The few Catholics I talked to -- I did not pursue the enquiry -- spoke bitterly against the Buddhists. Whenever possible, I raised with Buddhists the question of their relations with the Catho lics and never did they express antagonism. They would say that under the French the Catholics had many special privileges, quite out of proportion to their 10% of the population; they would point out that Catholics hold positions of advan tage at Saigon University and often bitterly oppose Buddhist teachers; they say that Catholics, who are 10% of the population, control 30% of the businesses; but they always said that they hold no grudge against the Catholics so long as there are no further attempts at suppression of Buddhists. They use Catholic professors for lectures at Van Hanh University, and welcome Catholic students. They point out that some of their recent governments seem, to go too far in trying to placate Catholics accustomed to French protection. They say that in the villages the Catholics and Buddhists have been happy together without asking one's religion. They admit that Buddhist families do not welcome intermarriage with a Catholic, but smile and sa:y you cannot overcome an irresistable force. I found general agreement that Buddhists must now make overtures of friendliness to the Catholics. The present government has been holding quiet joint talks with Catholic and Budd hist leaders and has exacted a promise that they will come to the government if friction develops. On this subject, I found the Buddhists much more open than the Catholics. Chinese in Vietnam. I interviewed one Chinese monk who hc:1.s been here for nine years, has built a large temple in the Chinese section of town and is highly respected, and he cannot speak any Vietnamese. He typifies the Chinese exclusive ness. On the other hand, several times Vietnamese expressed suspicion of the Chinese as communists, and would characterize 'all' Chinese as rich, or untrust worthy. Without going into history, or discussing the problems of the overseas Chinese, it seems to me thc:1.t efforts should be made at once by the Vietnamese Buddhism :Ln Saigon, by Kc:mneth Morgan Page 8 Buddhtsts Lo draw tho Ch:Lnese Buddh1wts LnLo Lholr Cc)rrununHy. lntelloc tuals. 'Thit; is an ambiguous word, but :;moms l,o bo uiscxl hare t,o .Lncluds thor-10 \J .Lotnan1e:H~O who havo boon oduca. Led abroad or havo had cond.do:rablo wo~1 ·Lcrn educal,ion hor(:J. Quit<'J a .fow peoplo bavo lamcntud Lhat ·Lhn intollectua.l::.i a:rc no L adequately uuod lrielthc:r Lho Buddhls L cumrnunity or tho govornrne.rnt. Sov0ral urged that s Leps bo taken to bring together a few of Urn most promising intcllecLual:o, if po:.,sible wi'Lh intol.loctuals from abroad, for a soriou:;; consid eration ol' Lho noxL utop:.; which tihould bo La.kun by BucldhL.-i Lo and by tho gov·ern men t.. It would have somo perils in ·the p!'otJenL political c.:1 Lrna.Lo a::; far as the govo:rnmcnL policies arc: conce:rnod, but, they do seam to bu pointing out a ri;al nood. As :i.n ::;imiJ a.r situationo in other count,rics, Lho irrLelJ octu!:llr.i have lost LhG1.r roo·Ls in the Jr own cultur0, and have not found tholr p.Laco. Eggheads of Lho worLd., unite? Poli tics. 'l'ho teachings of tho Buddha wore c:J oa:r.Ly aga inG t pa:rt.icipatlon :Ln polH:i.ca.L acti.v.L"Lios, a:3 found fo tho 'l'ho:ravada script,u:rcH; and most, but not ia:U, of Lhe :recoguJ.zod Mahayana wrltings. Slnco the activibiu;;; in Vietnam against ~he Dfom regime, and soma of the late:r. rogimeA, the issue of 13uddhism in politics has boon w.Ldely discussed i.n the press. 1 find the Buddhists J. ta.Lked with quitt'.l cJoa:r on tho subject: they do uot want to be involVt)d .Ln politics; they bGcamo involved because they though:. that Liuddh:Lsm wa• th:reatonod, and they did evGrything Lhoy· could to sa.vo it,. 'l'hoy arG vory unwilling to die cuss poliLical quEi::rt:Lon:,;;, ov(m when we ha.vo a high dagroo of confidonce in 0ach othor and t.,alk quite frankly on otho:r topics. '.I'hey ,wo1.d tictiviti JS wh1ch might bu cone trued ao poli tica.1. Un July 20th, a general holiday known as "'J.'he Day of ,'.;lhamo", rnarl<'ing th0 signing of ·the Geneva Convention in 1951-1, when thcn·0 would bo crowds on tho r;tr·0ets, Vian I!oa Dao closed its grounds lost a big crowd as:;emblc thcrt.i and. someone make :l t an occu.::.ion for a polHical spe!dch . Whcrn .r suggested t,ho pos:dbility of' a folJ.ow- 8hip al>road for Lhrec ct:Lfferont Buddhbt .Loado:rs, in each caso covora pooplo askod mo not to 'La.ko Lhem away bocauso thoy .are men who can restrain monks with a ten dc.mcy to become involvod in politlc:.i. Th~y are clear Lh11L Lhnir' Buddhlut faith musL bo moro acLlv0, and expressed ln :JociotyJ but Lhoy want :LL to be in tho :rnc:Lal ::1e:rv:i.ces noeded, and th.at Lhrough pr-ivato ,rnurccJD, and Dimply do not want to b8 involved in poJ Hies. I i' ound tl:'Jc Buddhls ts ..m:rprisingly cl .ar in tho:lr opposil.ion ·to communism, chiefly on the basi:, of what has happcnl3d in China, Tj be L, and No:rLh Vietnam. Ono prominent monk who fa politically incl.Lnod waw du ti cril>ud t,o mt~ by a. ro::iponsiblu J ayrna.n as having had comrnuni.s t training in hi,1 youth, buL havJ.ng also roalized that dialoc U.ca.l materla.lism is contrary to Buddhism; bu'L ovon so, being attracted by some of t,he soci.al ac t.l.ons favored by the com.munfo ts. O thm."wbo, l could find no ovidoncc of monks who wore indoc Lrlrvtod in communb L .LdGology. 'l'he de:siro not to be involved in govo:r.nmcm L ac Li vH i eo makes tho Buddhiut..; try to carry on their progrwn wlLhout hGJp from 'Lhe Vioi:,11.:arnesu government, and a1so makes thorn ext1romo1y wary uf being ldonL:ified with thu U.S. governmont or i.t:, agoncio::i. Thuy would wolcomo private a.ssi:., Lance .Lf i.L ls on a couperativo basis~ but are terribly afraid of being identlf l0d o.o instrunwnL:J of U.G. policies, lost they bo alienated from the people. I found little ovidonco of serious thought or di~cuuolon conc~rning the ideal J:·ola'Lion botwoon Buddhism and Lho Stato, nor abou L Lhe ro :Jpondbi.L l'Lie;:J of the Budd hiot layn1an Lo his govonunent. 'rhoy ,ju:01L do not want tr) bG lnvo1ved with the govc;1:mmr.:m·t as monks, and havo not givon gu.Ld anco to Lho I 1;1.yman. Porhaps 'Lhoy wcro Buddhism in Saigon, by Kenneth Morgan Page 9 unusually reticent at this time because only this spring Thich Quang Lien, one of the leaders in the Vien Hoa Dao, published a peace proposal calling for an end to the war, and as a result he was banished from the country, one signer was dismissed from his professorship at Saigon University, and other signers were subjected to various restrictions. Since that time it has been declared a penal offense to discuss peace proposals. Thus, there was little opportunity to talk with monks about pacifism. Only one monk expressed even a hint of criticism of U.S. military policy. No monk cited Buddhist writings against war and violence, although sev eral implied that as monks they could not participate in violence. Telling them that I am a pacifist did not lead to discussions of peace and nonviolence. EDUCATION Monks and Nuns. In general, the monks are poorly educated, having been taught the basic disciplines and ceremonies and having memorized some passages of sacred writings. Mahayana monks showed less knowledge of sacred writings than did the Theravada monks. Except for those monks who received some education before joining the order, only a few have had the opportunity to go on for higher educa tion. Consequently, few can qualify for university studies, and there is little serious research being done on Buddhism. There is now a strong realization of the need for more advanced training for the monks. Only a few nuns have had higher education, most of those ~arne into the order late; the rest are little more than servants. Schools. In Saigon I found only one Buddhist school for students above the elementary level, a privately financed school for 1,300 students from the age of elev~n up to twenty. They hope to grow to 5,000 students, with a maxim~~ of 20% going on to college. The school is only two years old. Teachers are lay and monks and nuns, and they offer mostly humanities and social subjects, with little technical. All students study Buddhism one hour a week. They lack textbooks, reference books, and need help in curriculum planning. The school was created by an enterprising nun, Miss Thich nu Tinh Anb, who would like to study school admin istration and curriculum planning in the U.S. University of Saigon. A traditional university on the French pattern, with examinations at the end of the year, many students who show up rarely; smugly self-satisfied. The school of pedagogy teaches only theoretical methods, memor ized by students. The Buddhists consider it to be reactionary, foreign, and Catholic dominated. They believe that French plantation owners have an arrange ment to pay their funds to the University and collect similar amounts in France from the French government, thus helping France to keep its influence alive in education in Vietnam. There is an unpleasant undercurrent of faculty dissension. Van Hanh University. The most interesting and promising educational venture in Vietnam today is the two-year-old Van Hanh University, founded by Buddhists under the leadership cfThich Minh Chau, who studied in India and Ceylon; Thich Nhat Hanh, who studied at Princeton and Columbia; and Thich Thien An, who studied at Waseda University in Japan. I did not meJt Thich Minh Chau since he was in the U.S., but everyone here speaks very highly of him as an educational leader, a scholar, and an administrator who will be strong enough to lead the university and keep it free from political involvement. He is universally respected. Thich Nhat Hanh is the ablest monk I have met in Vietnam, sensitive, perceptive, broad minded, devoted to Buddhist education for the modern age, and with an unusual amount of initiative. Thich Thien An is an able and hard-working aide to the other two. 13uddh :l.im l.n :.1a.Lgm 1, by Kenneth Morgan Fl'hu;y havo a Fuc:ulty 01' L1:rt,tors with 1.iOO ctudc.mtu; r:1 FacuHy of Buddhiut ,'J tudi.us wl th )~00 :~tudonts of whom a.bc; ut 25% e.:re monks ; and tbi:,i ::::urn.m or t hey ran a spec:i.aJ program on m0thods o.f study and resoar ch, Lo heJp th,ir s,tudnnt :;;; do bettor work. They wilJ op13n .9, sch. ooJ of J.anguagu ::; t h iu fa1J, fo.r· l,hoy fool sL:.rongLy tho nued Lo provide lnst:ruc'Liou in J'r:nglluh, Ti'rcind1, Chinosu, Pa l i, :;ansk:.ril, and 'l' lboLan. On AugucL i''.Lrst thny will open a n NJ .Schoo1 of You th for ::locl.aJ :Jorvicn, undo:r Th1ch Nhat Hanh. Tho Un:Lvot·:.li. l,y uperaLo:.J pr actically wH h out funds. Tu·U, Lon i13 very low, Lhny do nnt pay :..;al aries to t he:Lr t oachors , a.nd ovcm tho a.drninis Lrator::; work w-iLbouL .anything moro Lha.n :.J uppor ·L in ow3 o l' t,h l~ r.iagodau. F' or ca l :;sl'oom:;, Ll:wy u:.1u .tooms i n vurlou pagodan; LhcJy du not providc':1 hou:;;ing i·'oJ.' ,;Ludcnl,::. 'l'h u lac:k 1J!' a Libr:1r,y and. rwccssary uqu.LpmonL for imrtruclLot1 .i:.; 1<(3 •ml;y l'uJ L. Tho;y bavo bcrnn c;l ven n. mnaU ptece o J' .l:n d arid a:re pl arm1.ng Lo build l;l.H uoon at~ Lhey c:a.n i'ind Lr1tJ funds. '['htH'(: .is •3omo po1,,cslbl1Hy tha l a ne w bulldtng ,j uni., givun to Viun Ifo a Dao by t ho sovornment may bo made a.vaiJ a.b l c t o Lhnm whon J L j :: comp l e: Lud . T'hOY ruied $SOO,OUO for bulldingn as soon ao posslblA. Thulr cin~t'iculurn is noi.ther on t hA French nor the Am rrr·i c1,m p l an . AL '.i,a .L gon IJ nJvr,rsH.v stuc1onts must pass f'o ur cc,:rti.f'.i.ca1:,es, but at, Van H,9.t1J1 mu::d, pans eleVEi n -- iiach onu b,9Bod on a six h our courso th x ough t he yc,iar, U1ciy havo oxam:Lna. U om; and papnr·:1 throughout Lhc:i yoa:r; i'o r Lwolve hours wo.rk Lhoy havo f'our exatni nat.Lons , as 11g1:1.Lnst on,~ o.t :\~ligon lJ n.ivu:rsiLy . CJ ass a t,t ondr1t1co J.G :r·ccommundc,d but. 1 o t, r0quLr'<:H1, buL t.tvi utudenl:s discover t hat thoy mu::,t €lUr::1 nd jn ordc.r;r1:,o koop up with Lhn work . Arnor·i can:J ln t h o U .. S. l.S. say H it:'l t he mos L promL, ing p.lilCf) 1n Vi0 t. narn l'or educat:J.cmaL innov11tion ::: a.dap Led t o V:icd,namssc:J needs . Ln tho School of BudclhLs'l. St.udi.ns , only ~5% of' th e t,tudenLs are monh~ tio causo moro cannot qualif y fo r adm ission ; t h oy aro now t :rytng Lo l1elp monl{s ge L 0xL:ra. tra:Ln"irLg so Lhoy can qual ify. Tho:rs is l itU.o cross-rogi··,Lr•ation bEJt Wc~o n B1Jddh"\.st, :1tud.Lt,~ and Lettc1rs . 1lwy iJtudy Buddh i.::;m a:3 ph Llosoph,y , .h.U:Lory, and Litc,rn.luru, bul, noL as Lbuology or apoJ ogeti cs . Tho.Y h ,9.VCJ r:ii.x eood locturot·s and ot.hi:.Jrti, .inc.Luding Ca t.h0 Ll c1., , fi ll i n specia.J arc:ia.:,;_; t'ow rnonlrn aru abl e t.o Luach at thls l ovnl ..l ni;lrucl1on i.:~ i n Vlctnarno:':lo, 't'ho '.:iGl1oo l ui' Youth t'or Soc:ia.J. Servic e). 'l'h'l:J i s ow=, of Uw rn o:.,L .Lntetc,:::; t.:Lng ,9.nd pr orni~dng devo l oprn enLr. at Van Hanh. Thich Nha:L Ha.uh , wh o 'Ls r sponrd b.l o f'or thu :ichooJ , pubJJ:c,h <;Jd a book on Enra~r:Jd Buddhism which r,old ~;, uoo copies in lru '13o w0d,;.;J, phonorncnal in Vietnam. Wi:dm , t ou rri t o L~txiak on th,~ 11t;,ed fo r· Bndrl iJib l. :.;oc:ia l worl<, from h,000 to ~;,ooo porsons come to hoar hi m. 'l'hn :id1ool w:il I orion Au gu:1 L J'i r;~ t, L96S; thoy gave tm Lrcmcc cxamlnat:'wnr, Lo 500 :.,t uden l :, and wou1d h ave had Lbou:rn.nds o J' appl ica.nt:.i i 1· it l:'i ~.1d been posslb.Le Lo Lr.r1v0 J frc10:i l ,y Lh rough Ule coun t,r:y. Orin 1,ur1dred app. 1 i.canLr; ha.d pa.s:::;(:i d 1..,hE0 lr Bacca l uuroaLu oY. .'.;Jmlfla.Llons attd w,n·o .a:utom1aUcaUy ,9d.miL1.od; Lhe;y wi. 11 accopt., 1:50 mo t'o 1'rc::m1 U1(; 0U1ur hOO. 'l' hv 1:,tudenLs wL I I comb1n,~ pra.cLlcal ox prJrience wLL h clatwroom ~,Ludlo:::;, spmid- 1. ng r:omn t:Lmo ln the v ill agos arid snme :l.n Sa:tgon attcnd.l ng cl as::.H:1t.~. Tt10 cur:rJ cu- l urn wl LL bt' pointed toward rural work and will dea.J with I j VE.11ihood , heal t b, LLU tu racy , a:nd soc:La.L inct.rti.9.. Th o studcmt:1 must J.earn how 'Le, approach vUlae13rs , wLn thojr conf.l dm1co, and anaJ,YEH) t h olr p:robl om:s. 'f 1hl3;y rnu::,t titudy Lr1 0 rnl i..g.Lonr-i of V·te tnarn so Lhey wil 1 know how t o approach t.h c) peoplo , mus L ot.udy t.he dla.Jec Ls of Lh o country , publ :Le hcrnl t,h, economj,cs , commun Hy organiza.t.ion , and mus L devc:.L op sk:Uls in agr'l.cu1turo, carpentr y, tol'-1.c h i ng met,hodis, pa.intlng, mu:1lc, a nd rocr vJa tlon . 'l'h itJ .Ls moro than a. ochool, it is a movemon t, t.o holp t.hn pooplo Lo help th(,ffi~HJ I VC:it$ , Lo mak, Lhc~i:r 1.ivoo :Ln Uu:i villagus wor. th protiict.Lng. S Ludontl, wH 1 Buddhism in Saigon, by Kenneth Morgan Page 11 have two years of classroom and practical experience. The School needs dormitories for students, scholarship aid for students, a bus for transporting students, office equipment, teaching equipment, books, facil ities for duplicating teaching materials, translators to prepare teaching materials, funds for travel to and from the villages and for living expenses on the projects, funds for research, and funds to send young teachers to Taiwan and the Philippines for three or four months of observation of methods which could be adapted here. Since the villagers tend to distrust government workers, they do not want to accept funds from the government nor from the USOM or U.S. government. They seek support locally and hope the villagers will support the workers; the dormitories in Saigon will be selfhelp. They have only about $3,000 on hand, and open in a month. They estimate that they will need $55,000 .the first year. From outside sources, the best kind of help would be unrestricted funds. The program is designed not merely to train workers, and to discover effect ive ways of improving the life of the villagers, but to establish pilot projects which will inspire other villages to take the initiative in copying them. It is the beginning of a social revolution. CLINICS I had neither the time not the competence "i to investigate the need for neighborhood clinics in Saigon, but through the monks I was introduced to one clinic run by a nun, Miss Thich nu Tinh Nguyin. Before she finished her advanced univer sity studies, she cut her hair and joined the order of nuns. While continuing her studies in pedagogy at the University of Saigon, and taking courses at Van Hanh University, she started a dormitory for students in the school run by Bud dhists. She got the help of some Buddhist women, and borrowed the money to put up the dormitory building, paying it off by working as a teacher for two years, and she still owes $1,000, which will require two years more of teaching to pay it off. When she participated actively in the movement against Diem, the parents of her students became afraid and took their children out, so now she uses the building as a clinic. Vietnamese army doctors come as volunteers for two hours every day and they have trained girls, some of them nuns, as assistants. They have more patients than they can handle; eyes, nose, mouth, skin, respiratory diseases; T.B., and the like. They cannot provide the doctors the medicines they need and the poor people cannot afford to buy them. She knowsof only one other clinic run under Vien Hoa Dao (which cannot give them any financial support). There are also five clinics run by troups in the Chinese community. She would like to study abroad in social service and return to teach. WAYS OF HELPING In working with the Vietnamese it should always be remembered that they have just come through a long and bitter struggle to free themselves from colonial con trol. That makes them unusually sensitive about working with any western people, constantly on guard against condescension, impatience, or being ordered about. The Vietnamese are very sensitive about dependence on Americans, or being used by Americans for any purpose. Their society is also going through the terrific strain of rapid change and modernization as they are adapting to a borrowed technology -- an experience common to most of Asia. Work with the Vietnamese should be based on an understanding of their traditions: tre Confucian pattern / of conduct, especially in the family; the predominately rural population; the Buddhism in :Jaigon, by Konno ·Lh Mor gan Page .1 2 Buddh ist and Ca.tho J lc tradHions ; and tho ChinosEi <.!O rn.munit,y. AL Lhu momunl., Urn Buddhist::i arc mos L opon t o help i n education a nd social sorv j cc:n, , and iL wo ul d bo wise to find meam; of working wlth and through Lho1 t' organizatim1:;. Needs . Most ol' t,he needs ha.vo b0on montiorwd abovo . Tb,i rJ L;; a :. wnmar,y. Education !lcholarships arc neuded for education in ViwLnarn t.o rnal Eicholarships arc sought for ::; Ludy ab.r•oad -- but :ihould bu u~;od :.p:1.r i.ng l y and only t n ca.sos whero tho wor k cannot be p.rovidod in Vlotriam. Groat rn·est.Lgc i:J g:Lven to ·thoso who have s tud:llld abroad, :and j t. t:i i ntorc::.t..inc to no t. t:.hat most of tho monks who hav1J :,huwn i nilial..Lvo i n oducatic,n hav · had fciroign tr aining . Such schoJ a:ri:.blp:_; rniahL bo ,justii'iod l n wc hool 1admi n:Lstration, oociaJ ucrv:1 cu work wh,Jro Lh1; recipient.. wo u ld probably tea.ch i and posstbly ln mod LchlCl wbcru l L Weluld be usod for other than privat . p:racL ice . St,mo con:JlduraL l on ::hould bo givon t. u work tn arts and letto:rs, for t h :L::, ha.s boon u m~glec Lc·d J'.i.n l d undur t:.ho Frunch (who s t..ressod technology) wJLh Uw f' .iruL :,chno.L oJ' l o ~torf, a L Lho Un tvor::.; lty of :3a1.gon in 1900. Buar 1n mj nd t..ha L T run corruniUod 'Lo Llw value of libor al oduca.1..ion, unrl L :,uc• J iLLlo uv.ldcnco or :Lt ln Vietnam. Educ at tonal t;quipment ·i,;;, needed dospor atoJ y, CJCJU .i pmcmt. fr)r clas:iro<.:inw ;and J.aborator:los, ar1d evon office equipmen-L; t h ey ~,pec .i a.Lly nuod oquipmon L for dupJ.i.ca:ting ma:tc :rlals t o bn u::;ed in pJaco of' tex t.booku and rnl'orenc<"l book:s they do not have . 'rho School of ~)oclal S<:rvlcu desperately needs a bu s . Book:., aro nco1fod, even :Lf no t in Vicrtnamc,1.1c , l'o:r n major' effort. l:; boing rn .ri.de to master 8nghsh. 'l' r a nola:t ors mur.it be empl oyed to mako available buok:J , and uoc LLmw of' books , naeded for t eaching. It wo uld bo a l uxury , but ·thoy need i,o begtri doing resoai·ch -- probably mont of :i.t would be pract ic.::i..L rosoa:rch in wa.y:.1 ~o du :;ucjuL ~t·:rv.ic.:o , ways to :Lmprovc teaching, and t h ~:i like, but Lhoy ncnd to g:iin ccml'J. donce t hr ough t hoir own cliscove:d ,os t n social sci.c\ncu , I tJ LLen:, and h i:; tory . ::3oc.Lal Servlcos · 'T'ho 3chool. oi' Yo uth for Social Service noodu func.k: Lo f'.Lnanc,c: Lbo i r vill ago wor lc Orph anages a.:ro despora toly needed, accordJ.ng ·Lo Vion Hoa Dao; Lha only social s(;)rvl co proj oc t they arc a.c ·~u a.ll y r unnlng now is an orphati.a.go. 'rho bombings increast"l tho neod. Clinics ucom to bo rnscossary, but t he fi1•1J t s L1:;p would be. for a. c:om pot0nt pore on to make a more detailed study, and Lhon Lo :Jr..ie h ow Uw need can bo mot with local r esources , with poss.Lbly uomo f :irrn.ndal a.Ld. Buddhism in Saigon, by Kenneth Morgan Page 13 Refugees are becoming an increasing problem, possibly as a strategy of the Vietcong. Others have studied the problem. It might be pos sible to use some of the students from the School of Youth for Social Service as workers in the refugee camps, though it is not directly in line with their concern for village reform. Re£ugees might be trained for return to their villages. Nuns ~here are 4,000 Buddhist nuns in Vietnam, rather neglected. It might be possible for a woman to become acquainted with them and to provide a significant service by helping them to get training and opportunities for service more useful than that they now perform. Buildings Every time I asked the monks what they need they suggest buildings: for the University, for the school, for orphanages, for a hospital, for pagodas, and for their new center for Vien Hoa Dao. I am inclined to think that they will eventually find the funds for their buildings. POLITICAL COMMENTS ON THE PRESENT SITUATION I am not a specialist on political affairs and did not press for political comments in my interviews with Buddhists. I record here some of the political comments I remember from a variety of sources. The Buddhists would like to free the Buddhists of North Vietnam from the opp~ession of communism and would welcome and support an effort to unify Vietnam, free from communism. It is my impression that most of them welcome U.S. military action. One layman pointed out that once more Vietnam is a puppet government, this time under the Americans; this makes it impossibla to negotiate as a government since the real spokesman must be the U.S. Thus Vietnam has lost the initiative to seek a solution to the present troubles with North Vietnam, and the solution sought will be in the interests of the U.S. Several Vietnamese pointed out that they do not think the local situation is part of the international struggle between the Soviet, China, and the U.S., but the Vietnamese are helpless pawns in that struggle. Others think that China is the cause of all the troubles and the U.S. must froce China to leave North Vietnam alone. Little hope is found for leadership from the older generation in Vietnam; Ky is praised because he is turning to younger leaders; the only hope is to use people under 35 years of age. An old friend of Ho Chi Minh describes him as a convinced communist with strong preference for the Soviet, but primarily an 9pportunist nationalist; he is now too old to be significant except as a figu~ehead, and the power in North Vietnam is in other hands, with considerable conflict between rival groups struggling for control. Several Vietnamese expressed the fear that a world war is starting, with Vietnam as the staging area. Buddh.lmn in :i11 Lgon, by Konnc Lh Morgau Pago 1L1 I don't think i L wa:.; ju1.:d, politeness that kept any Vio t,nami::)sc with whom I talked .L'room oxpro:.;~;ing a wish Lhat, tho Americans we:rG not. he:ro -- ,)ven Lhough lL rcrrtLndti Lhcm of col on Lal .Lim. 'J'hoy· 1..h:Lnk w0 will. be temp<.::mary. 'l'hm·o 1:., a :, Lr0ng S<.:mLl.m(mL for natlonal unity, 11 common fc..Har· of thn Chlno:;u, and .in Lhe ci Ly s. c:luar oppo:.sH.ion to cornmunism, but not of Lh.u J.'anaLlt.:al kind wo ha.VG j n Lhu u. ,'; ' [.;o i'ar, Lho imprc::;s Lon that Ky i~ beUo!' than thoy expected hlm Lo bo, buL U10y foa.r· Lha'L he nw.;y bo lmvot.uou:,. A rn1,mbur of Lhu Tn Lorn,lLional Control Commisoion who vini t.u Hanoi i'roquc..:nL.l,y :;;aid Lht:t.L ''No ono smiJc:1, :Lr1 Ilanol." Ho we.id thiD u.Ltua.L.Lon .i.~; grim. .A g.re.n.L many mon havo buon mobJ.J Jiod, cuL Ling down on agricultural and indu:Jtrla.1 produc Llon. rl'ho.ro :.:.oom:.; Lo bo a i'c:iu J.lng ho.re Lhat tho si tua Lion ha~: r1ow lmt,;omn :i Lric Uy mJJ Ha.ry and Lha.t the: roGu.i.b.LJ lty 0.t any lirunGdiato solution rnu:1t waiL .fo.r· Lhc nffocl,:; nf Lhu a11-ouL m.U Hary efforL. It i1; a crim:LnaJ ofJ'ens J Jn Vir,tnam Lo d.L:;;cuu:J 'nouLrnJiurn' or ar1y ::;olutlon o·thor than victory. ADDREi:iSE:3 OJi' f'EOPLE l NTEHV LEWED BY KENNT£'t'II MOHGAN, J~-28 M:r. Molvhl Lovino, TJ.Ei. l1:mbas8y. Cultural Officer M:r. !.".rank 1':. ]Jfrio:3 , J\.:.,La FoundaLion, 46 Doan 'l'b.:L Diem Mr. Leonard. Overton, .A:liu Ji'ounda.L.Lon, J..1,6 Dot,i,n 'I'M. Diorn Mlrrn 'I'ratt 'I'hl K.Lm:-.;a, 84 '!'ran Prinh Trung, Cholon, So.igon 'l'oachE1D Po] H i.cill Sciot1w0; widElly acquainted 'l'ran Quang 'rhua.n, L7tl Nguyun Tri Phuong, Cholon, Saigon Formerly a govorrnnont rn:Lnis Lor; not j_n present gove:rnrru::mt Thi.ch 1'hiou An, f3? 13a Huyori ·rhanh Quan Street Dean aL I/an Hanh Univcr:.d.Ly Du Ngr'lc Yon, StudonL P:l:'osldc:nt, Summer Youth Prog:r'Wl'I, 41 Phan Dinh Phung TM ch Due Nhuan, 9511 Gia Long Editor of now Buddh:LsL magaz"Lno, Van Hang Pru.fo:rnur Ho Ilun 'L'uorig, Chu.a. Xa 'LoJ, e9, Ba. Huyon 'l'hanh Quan Pro !'euuor taL \T.:.i.n Ilanh Un:l.vor:,l ty Thicb Nhat, Hanh, Van lfanh University, 702/10.$ Phan Thanh Gian Hoad c,J' new ::;choul of You ·th fo.t SocLul Sorvico 'T'hlch Pham Cong 'Thi.on, Chua Phap TJoi, 702/105 Phan Thanh Gian To ::iLudy aL Colmnbla un U.r.i.J.S. fellowship 'rhlch 'r ri Quangi Chua. An Quang, 2Li3 :3u Van Hanh ~hJ c t·o t ry of VLt it1 Tang 'Thong 'l'hich 'l'run Chau, Vl1,;n lloa Dao, 16 'l.'ra.n Quoc Toan IJoad of Vlon Hon Dau 'L'hich Pha.p Tri, V iun IToa Dao, 1.6 T:ran Quoc 'I'oan In charge oC fiw1ncori, Vion Hoa Dao Profa:.i:.;o r 1'bt:odoro Bri ~ton, J 8 Duy Tan Hore for lJ,:;, governmont Lu work wii.,h youth Miko ru1d lluLh MaJ 1,w, UPl corroupondcrrbs 'rhich Thi.on I!Qa, Chua An Quang, 243 Su Van Hanh Profost:ur of l1udclh:LsL psychoJogy_, Van Hanh University Buddhism in Saigon, by Kenneth Morgan Page 15 Miss Thich nu Tinh Nguyin, Phuoc Hai, 165/17 Tran Quoc Toan Nun who runs clinic Mai Tho Truyen, Xa Loi, 89 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan A leading Buddhist layman Professor Nguyen Dang Thuc, 4/2 Tu Due Phu Nhuan Professor who lost his position for signing peace petition Thich Sieu Tran, Long Hoa Tu, 360-A Ben Binh Dong, Cholon, Saigon Chinese monk Miss Le Thi Sanh, 279 Pham Ngu Lao Theravada girl, active with Narada of Ceylon Chinese hospital: Y-Vien Quang Dong, 493 Duong Nguyen Trai, Cholon, Saigon Takashi Oka, P.O. Box 1249. (39 Le Loi, Apt. 10) From Institute for Current World Affairs Thich Toi Thang, Chua Tu Quang, (Go Vap) Theravada monk on Vien Tang Thong Miss Thich nu Tinh Anh, Trung Hung Lac, 75 Tran Quoc Toan Founded school for Buddhist children Thich Tri Tinh, Chua An Quang, 243 Su Van Hanh Head of all monks and nuns, for Vien Hoa Dao Thich Nhat Thien, Vien Hoa Dao, 16 Tran Quoc Toan Head of social services for Vien Hoa Dao Professor . Tran Van Du, Minister of Foreign Affairs Professor Tran Ngoc Ninh, Minister of Education, 70 Le Thanh Ton Professor P.J. Honey, University of London July 28, 1965