Query on a Buddhist who became communist -- perhaps the monk Thiện Chiếu?

From: Vsg <vsg-bounces@mailman11.u.washington.edu> On Behalf Of Shawn McHale

Sent: Monday, February 25, 2019 10:31 PM

To: pascal bourdeaux <pascalbourdeaux@yahoo.fr>

Cc: Vietnam Studies Group <vsg@u.washington.edu>

Subject: Re: [Vsg] Query on a Buddhist who became communist -- perhaps the monk Thiện Chiếu?

Thank you, everyone, for all your help! And thanks flor the reference to Doàn Trung Còn, whose dictionary I have owned for many years, and which is an invaluable resource.

I am still, however, perplexed: who can this person be, "whom everyone knows"? Either the authorof the article mixed up biographies, or there was someone, out there, who had a life trajectory like Thiện Chiếu. One reason I ask is that I believe the birth of the ethnic Vietnamese interest in the Theravada branch is quite complicated and goes back into the 19th century, and I am trying to understand this "pre-history" of the formal establishment of Vietnamese Theravada branch.

Thanks again! The VSG list is very helpful.

Shawn McHale

On Tue, Feb 26, 2019 at 12:07 PM pascal bourdeaux <pascalbourdeaux@yahoo.fr> wrote:

Dear Shawn,

There are any mention of travels in Cambodia or other countries by Thiện Chiếu in Nguyễn Q. Thắng's book, Thiên Chiếu, nhà cải cách Phật Giáo (Nxb văn học, 2009).

Pascal

Pascal BOURDEAUX

École Pratique des Hautes Études

Maître de conférences

Religions de l’Asie du Sud-Est

EPHE-GSRL-PSL

Le dimanche 24 février 2019 à 10:54:14 UTC+1, Shawn McHale <mchale@gwu.edu> a écrit :

Dear list.

I have come across an intriguing article that gives the biography of a man who, the author states, "few individuals don't know about" --- but the author scrupulously avoids naming the person.

This enigmatic person, a Vietnamese, previously had studied Sanskrit and Pali at the Theravada Vat Langka ("chùa Langkar") in Phnom Penh. He travelled to Laos, Thailand, and Burma. He then returned to the Mekong delta -- "vùng Hậu Giang" -- around 1926. He was involved in the Buddhist Revival (chấn hưng Phật giáo). He became interested in Marx, using Marxist dialectics to explore Buddhism. He joined the revolution. He ended up on Côn Đảo, but he escaped, apparently with Japanese help, in 1942. By 1950, it was unclear, to the author, where he had ended up.

The article I have on him is: Khai Sơn, "Trai thời loạn," Cải tạo (Hanoi), 8 March 1952.

I'm guessing this is Thiện Chiếu. but don't have libraries here in Phnom Penh to know if I am right. The online sources on him don't mention any stay in Phnom Penh.

Any help appreciated.

Shawn McHale

Associate Professor of History

George Washington University

Washington, DC 20052 USA

On sabbatical, 2018-2019

ACLS/ Robert Ho Fellow in Buddhist Studies, 2019

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Shawn McHale

Associate Professor of History

George Washington University

Washington, DC 20052 USA

On sabbatical, 2018-2019

ACLS/ Robert Ho Fellow in Buddhist Studies, 2019

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