International Research Journal of Education and Technology

This article reviews the process of introduction and the complete development of Mahāyāna Buddhism in Vietnam, with a special emphasis on the impact of Chinese Buddhism. The historical background of Mahāyāna Buddhism’s introduction to Vietnam in the early centuries CE up through the medieval period is defined through the examination of archaeological findings, historical documents, and religious literature in this paper. Thus, the aim of the research is to consider the interactions between indigenous religion and culture and received ideas and practices of Buddhism from India and Chinese Vietnamese religious syncretism, distilling the profile of Vietnamese Mahāyāna Buddhism. This work advances the knowledge of the spread of Buddhism in Southeast Asia and the influence of the cross-cultural contacts on religion.

Keywords: Mahāyāna Buddhism, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Cross-cultural contacts, Historical development, Historical documents, Religious literature, Culture, Received ideas