Customer Reviews

Master Tang Hoi: First Zen Teacher in Vietnam and China

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I've read a lot of Thich Nhat Hanh's books and this is one of his weaker ones. It is of some historical interest, because it talks about the introduction of Buddhism to Vietnam. As a practitioner in TNH's tradition, I felt like it would be good to know some of this history. Based on the life of Master Tang Hoi, TNH argues that Buddhism was not introduced to China from India and then China to Vietnam, as is generally supposed. Rather, Buddhism was introduced to Vietnam from India and then from Vietnam to China--though at the time, Vietnam was a province in the Chinese Empire. Master Tang Hoi was a pivotal figure in this transmission, though he is now largely forgotten.

This book tries to be two things at once--a history of the introduction of Buddhism to Vietnam and China; and a lesson in the dharma, specifically meditation practice. It doesn't really succeed as either. TNH tells us what is known of Master Tang Hoi's biography, provides us with some of Master Tang Hoi's writings on meditation, and then his own commentary on Master Tang Hoi's writings. This history is too brief to be really satisfying and doesn't tie the development of Buddhism into the larger social and historical context around it; and most of what TNH says about meditation practice he has said more clearly elsewhere. I'd say TNH feels a strong affinity with Master Tang Hoi, since Tang Hoi was an early Mahayana teacher, but one who also emphasized the importance of the sutras on meditation practice from the Pali canon--just as TNH blends the traditions of Mahayana (specifically Zen) and Theravada (which is based on the Pali canon).

In the end, this book is mainly interest to those who want to learn a little more about the history of Buddhism in Vietnam--and it left me feeling like I hadn't learned as much as I might like.