Abstract

The cult of the Five Lords Buddha-kings introduced by migrants from South China to Southern Vietnam in the early nineteenth century, exerted a profound influence on several contemporary historical figures such as Tô Quang Xuân, Hà Minh Nhựt, Đoàn Minh Huyên, Ngô Lợi, Tà Ponl, and Nguyễn Phước Thứ. This belief system contributed to the emergence of indigenous religious movements in the southwestern region of Vietnam, including Bửu Sơn Kỳ Hương, Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa and Hòa Hảo Buddhism. Ngô Lợi, the founder of the Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa religion, assimilated the key elements of this cult. The influence is evident not only in the canon, which shares close textual relationships with the Sutra of the Five Lords of China, but also in various initiation rituals, worship practices, and daily religious observances. Furthermore, the cult of the Five Lords Buddha-kings became an important source of spiritual support for followers of Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa in their resistance movements against French colonial rule in the late nineteenth century. This study draws upon previous scholarly works, examines Cino-Nôm scriptures of the Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa tradition, and employs qualitative research methods, including field surveys at places of worship and in-depth interviews with senior adherents. The findings elucidate the close interrelationship between the Vietnamese Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa religion and the Chinese cult of the Five Lords Buddha-kings.