The Buddhist Youth/Family Association in Vietnam: Its History and Future Prospects

Elise A. DeVido

This paper is the first study in English of the Vietnam Buddhist Youth/Family Association, a nationwide lay Buddhist organization run by monastics and laity. With 68 years of history, the association is the oldest continuous lay Buddhist group in modern Vietnam. Founded in 1940 by the medical doctor and Buddhist reformist Le Dinh Tham (1897-1969) in Hue (central Vietnam) and known as the Thanh Nien Phat Hoa Pho, this group has continued, despite many ups and downs, through the French colonial era, wars with France and the United States, and Communist rule in Vietnam since 1975.

In the early 20th century, Buddhists in all regions of Vietnam sought to revive and modernize Buddhism. Many reformers at that time, including Dr. Le Dinh Tham, believed that young people were the key to the future of Buddhism in Vietnam and to Vietnam as a flourishing and strong nation. This paper traces the development of the Buddhist Youth Association from its beginnings in the 1940s, modeled after “patriotic” youth groups and Euro-American Boy/Girl Scouts clubs. In April 1951, the group was renamed the Buddhist Family Gia Dinh Phat Tu Association. Its purpose was to act as a bridge between lay and monastic life; to nurture people who live and act in accordance with the values of compassion, wisdom, and courage; to serve the Dharma; and build a happy society.

Based on Vietnamese documents and interviews with several generations of Buddhist Family leaders, this paper begins with an overall description of the Buddhist Family’s internal organization and its activities, including conferences, lectures, and camping trips. It intends to illuminate the many contributions of the Buddhist Family to culture, education, peacemaking, and leadership development from the 1950s to 1975. Next, it discusses the Buddhist Family Association’s complicated post-1975 relationship with the government of Vietnam, with the banned Unified Buddhist Church, and with Overseas Buddhist Family branches in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The paper concludes with the case study of one Buddhist Family Group in Ho Chi Minh City and probes the challenges its leaders face as young people focus more on their careers and consumerism in today’s Vietnam.