Sorry, we have moved to the new address which is

http://www hoahao-aus.org

This is the HomePage of the Victorian Hoa Hao Buddhist Congregation in Australia which aims to develop and maintain links with the rest of the Hoa Hao Buddhist network around the world while introducing members of the general public about Hoa Hao Buddhism.  We welcome any contribution from our fellow believers so that we can turn the Page into one of our most effective media in the twentieth first century.

Overview of Hoa Hao Buddhism

Hoa Hao Buddhism was established in 1939 by Lord So Phu Huynh in Hoa Hao Village, Tan Chau District, Chau Doc Province, that is the reason the name of this religion is called 'Hoa Hao', meaning 'Harmony'.   As it is Buddhist by nature, the faith is an effort to restore the three Vietnamese grand philosophies, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, together, which Lord Huynh, or Duc Thay as his disciples prefer to call in daily life, said used to be the backbone of Vietnamese culture.  In His Preface to the teaching      The Lord said that he carried the message of the Buddha to the world that they must quickly repent and follow the right way, otherwise they would face severe punishment from Heaven, anticipating that the world was going to suffer a lot from all sorts of disasters, human and natural.   The Lord spent 8 years from 1939 to 1947 traveling around the south Vietnam, under strict surveillance by the French colonial power, and delivering his messages.  People who lived in the Mekong Delta tended to benefit most from his activities, among whom there were a few intellectuals.     The number of people who converted to Hoa Hao Buddhism amounted to 2 millions when the Lord dissappeared in a controversial assassination attempted by the communist-led Vietnamese Alliance for National Liberation in 1947.

The Lord's teachings evolved around the main principles of original Buddhism and Confucianism which He said were lost to superstitions, ritualism, and complexities in teaching languages used by the contempory moral and religious practitionners.  His basic literature consists of five volumes called 'Oracles', each about 600 to 900 verses, and a volume in prose, which encourage people to return to a genuine Buddhism and ethical values which Vietnam had successfully relied on for nation building and development over millions of years.    The writings were easily read and remembered by ordinary people who he said must think of working hard to pay off their four Great Debts of Gratitude, rather than just contemplating Buddhism sutras only.    His teachings and deeds were very comprehensive as He was involved in politics of regaining independence for Vietnam alongside with His contemporary fellow patriots.    He argued for peacful solutions to all kinds of conflict, and national reconciliation between nationalist movements for the common cause of national liberation.   However His influence on the people whose majority were living in the country was too great for the communist-lead Vietnamese Alliance to put up with given their more extreme solution to national and social problems.    That would be the reason the Lord decided to leave and most of his followers believe that He would come back to complete the Mission which He had launced.  But how this Will Happen, no one can ever tell.

During the last 60 years Hoa Hao Buddhism has gone through many fluctuations which would most came from a constant conflict of interest between the State and the Church.   This conflict culminates in the communist-dominated Vietnam when it has been seen by the latter as a threat to its power base.   Unlike the other religions, Cao Dai, the United Buddhist Church, the Catholic Church, the Hoa Hao Buddhist organisational structure is more informal and mainly based on its local network and commitment.     This would be one of the reasons why the Communists came to officially recognise its existence in front of he international community later than its counterparts, not without a years-long struggle between the leaders of the religion and the state.  Since 30 April 1975, various repressive measures were imposed by the state around the country against the opponents of the regime for their different ideas, and all of the latter suffer the same.  A few of them successfully fled the country and continue their struggle for freedom and other human rights from overseas.    A few of the Hoa Hoa Buddhists gathered together and formed Hoa Hao Buddhist organisations around the world to carry on the mission.    Their goal is mainly to maintain and foster Hoa Hao Buddhist principles among themselves, and those who support the legacy by Lord Huynh.

In Australia, every state has one Hoa Hao Buddhist congregation called Ban Tri Su, the Management Committee, and Victoria is one of the major groups which now has a formal meeting place where about 20 to 30 members see each other for the religious activities on every weekend.
We welcome any contribution to be made by our fellow believers around the world and hopefully are able to work with you sooner rather than later to restore the moral tradition of the country which we left behind while making the best out of the values which our host country is offering.