There is little to be said about the history of Buddhism in Annam, but native tradition places its introduction as late as the tenth century.[906] Buddhist temples usually contain a statue of Phat To[907] who is reported to have been the first adherent of the faith and to have built the first pagoda.  He was the tutor of the Emperor Li-Thai-To who came to the throne in 1009.  Phat-To may therefore have been active in the middle of the tenth century and this agrees with the statement that the Emperor Dinh Tien-Hoang De (968-979) was a fervent Buddhist who built temples and did his best to make converts.[908] One Emperor, Li Hue-Ton, abdicated and retired to a monastery.

The Annals of Annam[909] record a discussion which took place before the Emperor Thai-Ton (1433-1442) between a Buddhist and a sorcerer.  Both held singularly mixed beliefs but recognized the Buddha as a deity.  The king said that he could not decide between the two sects, but gave precedence to the Buddhists.

FOOTNOTES: 

[Footnote 900:  The dates given are 111 B.C.-939 A.D.]

[Footnote 901:  French scholars use a great number of accents and even new forms of letters to transcribe Annamite, but since this language has nothing to do with the history of Buddhism or Hinduism and the accurate orthography is very difficult to read, I have contented myself with a rough transcription.]

[Footnote 902:  This is the common orthography, but Chiao Chih would be the spelling according to the system of transliterating Chinese adopted in this book.]

[Footnote 903:  It is said that the story of the Ramayana is found in Annamite legends (B.E.F.E.O. 1905, p. 77), and in one or two places the Annamites reverence statues of Indian deities.]

[Footnote 904:  The most trustworthy account of Annamite religion is perhaps Dumoutier, Les Cultes Annamites, Hanoi, 1907.  It was published after the author’s death and consists of a series of notes rather than a general description.  See also Diguet, Les Annamites, 1906, especially chap.  VI.]

[Footnote 905:  Maitreya is called Ri-lac = Chinese Mi-le.  The equivalence of the syllables ri and mi seems strange, but certain.  Cf.  A-ri-da = Amida or O-mi-to.]

[Footnote 906:  Pelliot (Meou-Tseu, traduit et annote, in T’oung Pao, vol.  XIX. p. 1920) gives reasons for thinking that Buddhism was prevalent in Tonkin in the early centuries of our era, but, if so, it appears to have decayed and been reintroduced.  Also at this time Chiao-Chih may have meant Kuang-tung.]

[Footnote 907:  Diguet, Les Annamites, p. 303.]

[Footnote 908:  Maybon et Russier, L’Histoire d’Annam, p. 45.]

[Footnote 909:  Dumoutier, Les Cultes Annamites, p. 58.]

CHAPTER XLIX

TIBET