Buddhism and Beer

Our host again prepared us a varied and filling breakfast this morning.

After yoghurt with puffed rice, we tucked into what appeared to be spaghetti bolognese. Again, an unusual but not unwelcome choice of breakfast food and certainly a tasty one. Afterwards, there was sliced water apple (mận), which looks like a red bell pepper when whole and tastes like an apple crossed with a watermelon, and small squares of a springy 'cake' tasting of coconut. I'm not sure of the name of these (possibly bánh da lợn), but they were chewy and sweet. Thus, we were set up for the day.

Today was a day of visiting some of the nearby temples and pagodas in order to get a better idea of the Vietnamese belief and practice of Mahayana Buddhism.

Incense burning at Xá Lợi Pagoda

Our first stop was Xá Lợi Pagoda, which is famous largely as a site of self-immolating monks in protest against the American war. The government under Catholic Ngo Dinh Diem persecuted the Buddhists and, in 1963, raided this pagoda and arrested 400 monks and nuns. Such atrocities could not now be discerned from the calm and peaceful atmosphere in the sanctuary, over which presided an enormous statue of Buddha.

On either side of the main steps, the pagoda is flanked by the most unusual trees.

Cannonball tree at Xá Lợi Pagoda

A quick search on Google revealed these to be 'cannonball trees', so called because of the large spherical fruit they bear. The tree fruits and flowers directly from the trunk of the tree and not from the canopy above. This is apparently known as cauliflory, a term that also applies to the jackfruit tree we saw earlier this week. The sight of these abnormal trees is highly arresting.The monks have had the good foresight to cradle the hard and heavy fruit in net bags, so that they don't fall from the tree and injure passers-by.

Lotus flowers at Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda

Next on our self-guided tour was Vĩnh Nghiêm Pagoda. We initially mistook an ornate complex on the opposite side of the road for the pagoda and spent a short while wandering around what I presume are the monks' quarters. Arriving at the real pagoda's gates, we were greeted by two eager women bearing incense sticks and lotus flowers.

While useful as impromptu guides to the vast pagoda, these women followed us unbidden and threatened to disrupt what would otherwise be a peaceful visit to a beautifully architected set of buildings, built in collaboration with the Japanese. Thrusting incense sticks and flowers into our hands, they seemed to know only two words of English: "photo" and "money". This was a truly disappointing experience but one which did not marr the majesty of the pagoda.

Many pagodas and temples close for a period around lunchtime, which can range from 11:00 until 14:30 in the extreme. We found the Tran Hung Dao temple in such a state of recess when we visited it. This temple is dedicated to the eponymous repeller of Mongolian invasion forces and, as such, is part of Vietnamese reverence of celebrated individuals, which sits alongside more spiritual worship.

Hot and sweaty from the walk in the heat of the day, we made the decision to stop and refresh ourselves.

We happened on a place that specialised in blended ice drinks. The menu was extensive and tempting. After much deliberation, I opted for "Sakura's Love" - a blend of cherry, yoghurt and vanilla with green tea whipped cream. It was delicious. K selected "Cheezcat", which was a slice of cheesecake loosened with just enough milk to allow it to be blended into a drinkable consistency. This confection tasted of every single calorie it contained.

Suitably refreshed, we ventured onwards to the Jade Emperor Pagoda that we visited all too briefly on a xe ôm tour last week.

With no time pressure, we made to investigate this pagoda containing statues from both Buddhism and Taoism. A ceremony was taking place in the main sanctuary. A monk in orange robes presided over the proceedings, while a small group of worshippers chanted from scripts, kept in time by the metronomic striking of a small wooden dome.

We entered via the side chambers and toured the various rooms containing representations of the Jade Emperor himself, the God of Happiness, the Chief of Hell, among others, and their many guardians. In the Hall of the Ten Hells, wood panels depict the torturing of evil-doers commensurate with their acts, which are read from a great scroll by one of the Judges. Beyond this hall lies a room in which figures of women portray human characteristics. Both good and bad traits are supposed to be evident, but only the woman swigging from a flagon demonstrated an immediately discernible characteristic (bibulosity, we presumed).

Certainly, with these frightening depictions and reminders of human weaknesses, the pagoda is a less serene place than purely Buddhist temples with their beatific statues of Buddha and lotus flowers. Indeed, the mix of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucian elements to the Vietnamese belief system (not to mention influences from folk religions) makes it difficult to pick apart exactly what the majority of Saigon's city dwellers believe.

Certain ritualistic practices are apparent. Many people have small shrines in their homes or workplaces, to which they make offerings of food and drink. Some make regular visits to a pagoda to light incense and pray for happiness, children and good fortune - often seeking out specific icons. However, we wanted to grasp the theological (as understood by the lay-person) as separate from the ceremonial practice.

Asking people outright has revealed a malleable set of principles and strictures - a flexibility of faith that is common to all religions, as personal interpretation is inevitable. How do people receive the teachings? Is there a text that they study? Are there services that they can attend to hear a sermon? Many of the pagodas we visited were too small to fit a sizeable congregation. We were frustrated and longed to sit down with a monk to discover more. The last time we had tried to do this, at a 'meet a monk' session in Thailand, the monk was unfortunately too young to be conversant in either the theology or English to answer our questions.

With no monk forthcoming, we repaired to the Lion Bar (not the Nestlé-owned chocolate bar) for a completely inauthentic Vietnamese experience.

The Lion Bar is modelled on a German beer hall and in this respect is an authentic approximation. The enormous hall is lined with long tables and dressed with the blue and white flag of Bavaria. The (Vietnamese) waitresses wear dirndls and the beer comes in half-litre handled glasses bearing the name of the brewery.

The menu has a small selection of imported German and Belgian beers, but it is the local brew we were interested in. The brewery only produces two styles: a light (Pilsener) and a dark (Dunkel). We tried the dark on draft, which is brewed on the premises - the copper tanks dominate the bar. It is a perfectly serviceable Dunkel and gave a good hit of malt and licorice after the bland Saigon lagers. To be honest, I would expect nothing less from a beer brewed using imported German ingredients and equipment by a master brewer who cut his teeth at Paulaner.

Back at home, we threw together some ingredients into a vaguely unsatisfying meal. Again following the 'three small dishes plus rice" template, we prepared a soup of mushroom, pak choi and bamboo shoots using a stock cube I found in the cupboard, which turned everything pink. I also attempted an aubergine and tofu 'salad', which was made tasty with a zingy lime and fish sauce dressing, plus some fried matchstick potatoes in garlic and red chilli, which I ate once in a Chinese restaurant.