TRAN THAI TONG, 1218-1277 Born of a fishermen family from Tuc Mac (Nam Ha, Vietnam) Tran Thai Tong is the first king of the Tran dynasty. He mounted the throne at eight, with as tutor Tran Thu Do.

This article is a comment and not a critique of the "Vietnam Buddhism" website. It will point out some inaccurate information in the context in hope to share with the authors some accurate facts to clarify the ill-information related to the history of Buddhism in Vietnam that contained in that web.

When Buddhism spreads to Vietnam, the Dharma, adapting to the times and the capacities of the people, consists of two traditions, the Northern and the Southern. The Southern tradition (Theravada) emphasizes everyday practical realities and swift self-emancipation, leading to the fruits of the Arahats or Pratyeka Buddhas. The Northern tradition (Mahayana, or Great Vehicle) teaches all-encompassing truths and stresses the goal of liberating all sentient beings, leading to the complete Enlightenment of the Tathagatas. With both traditions now existing in Vietnam, we can explain how Buddhism came to Vietnam.

Vietnam has a population of about 25 million inhabitants, a fifth of which is imposed of mountain tribes. It is believed that of the rest at least three fourths, that is to say 15 million are "cool or warm Buddhists," according to a very accurate term of a French author - the reason is that the "Light of Asia" spread over the country in the very early days, from the beginning of the second century of the Christian era

Evolution of architecture - A pagoda (from tamioul, pagoda, and from Sanskrit, bhagavat) is a building consecrated to the cult of Buddha, also an abode for monks. It comes from the Indian stupa. According to Thuy Kinh Chu, Indian King Asoka made people build at Luy Lau (in ancient Bac Ninh province) a stupa, which was considered the most ancient religious building on Vietnamese soil (3rd B.C.).

Buddhism is a predominant religion in Vietnam. While in this country Buddhism is no longer a state religion, ninety per cent of Vietnamese remain Buddhists. Pagodas abound here from the Gate of Nam Quan to the Cape of Ca Mau.

Is there a literary current of Buddhist inspiration specifically Vietnamese? What are the criteria to differentiate them from the other currents? There has not been unanimity of views on this question among Vietnamese researchers although they agreed that a section of Vietnamese literature, particularly under the Ly and Tran (Xth - XIVth century), has a distinctly Buddhist imprint.

Buddhist egology concurs with the Husserlian claim that the empirical ego is 'constituted'. The Buddhist 'deconstruction' of the ego will not, however, pace Husserl, permit the pronoun 'I' to refer to a purported extra-linguistic entity. The insights here distilled from the unique mode of self-reference functional within the Vietnamese language secure for us an unmistakable confirmation of the Buddhist thesis and have profound consequences for the philosophical problems surrounding the existence and nature of the self and the existence of other minds.