The College delegation’s trip to Vietnam At the invitation of the Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, meeting with László Kövér, Speaker of the National Assembly.
Gábor Karsai, rector of the College, and Botond Szathmári, professor at the College, visited Vietnam on the occasion of a conference organized in memory of Sándor Kőrösi by the Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, vice-rector of the Vietnamese Buddhist University, in Ho Chi Minh City. Instead of the conference, which was ultimately not authorized by the Vietnamese authorities, a small meeting was held on October 19 among the speakers invited to the opening of the event, which was attended by László Kövér, Speaker of the National Assembly and guest of honor at the planned conference. The Speaker of the House greeted the attendees, followed by a speech by Tibor Baloghdi, Hungary’s ambassador to Vietnam. On behalf of the Vietnamese organizers, Venerable Thich Giac Toan, Vice President of the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha, Rector of the Vietnam Institute of Buddhist Studies, and Venerable Thich Nhat Tu praised the significance of Sándor Kőrösi Csoma’s work. After sharing the story of the renovation of the Kőrösi stupa found in Vung Tau two years ago, Gábor Karsai, rector of the college, gave a speech on the role of the college in Hungarian and European Buddhism, and, in connection with this, the significance of the Hungarian people and the figure of Kőrösi Csoma, as well as the importance of interfaith dialogue. Éva Ferencz, president of the Körösi Csoma Sándor Cultural Association and Folk High School in Kovászna, gave a detailed account of Kőrösi Csoma’s personality and work and reported on the activities of the Association. Professor Le Manh That, vice-rector of the Vietnamese Buddhist University, reported on the impact of Kőrösi Csoma’s work in Vietnam.
On October 19, on the morning before the meeting with the Speaker of the House, Gábor Karsai visited the Giac Ngo (Enlightenment) Monastery in Ho Chi Minh City at the invitation of the Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, where the rector gave a detailed lecture to the practicing monks on the history of Buddhism in Hungary and the educational activities of the College (see photo). Monastery in Ho Chi Minh City, where he gave a detailed lecture to practicing believers on the history of Buddhism in Hungary and the educational activities of the College (see photos). The lecture itself can be viewed at this link. The rector’s visit was immediately reciprocated by Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, who visited the College on October 22 as vice-rector of the Vietnam Institute of Buddhist Studies. A formal memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the two institutions at the College for the joint organization of two BA programs, “Chinese Buddhist Studies” and “Applied Buddhist Studies.”
The meeting of the House Speaker was organized based on the Saigon photos (1909) of Dezső Bozóky, a ship’s doctor. exhibition at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum, which was also attended by the College delegation. Gábor Karsai and Botond Szathmári then made a pilgrimage to both Kőrösi stupas, accompanied by the Venerable Thich Duc Tuan, President of the American Vietnamese Buddhist Church: the “old” stupa erected in 1972 by Rudolph Petri (Venerable Anuruddha) in Vung Tau, and the “new” stupa consecrated on October 16, 2025, on the occasion of the Kőrösi Conference. on October 16, 2025, in the temple district of Giac Ngo 2 in Dat Do (Vietnamese-language report on the event).
On October 20, at the invitation of Venerable Thich Duc Tuan, President of the American Vietnamese Buddhist Church, the delegation visited Vinh Nghiem Monastery in Ho Chi Minh City (see photo). Subsequently, at the invitation of the Vietnamese-founded Truc Lam Buddhist Order, Rector Gábor Karsai visited one of the order’s centers in Phuoc Thai, the Thuong Chieu Zen Monastery founded by Venerable Thich Thanh Tu (see photos). The leaders of the order visited the College on May 13, and the rector of the College has now reciprocated the visit. Truc Lam Buddhism is a uniquely Vietnamese Zen Buddhist tradition founded by King Tran Nhan Toog at the end of the 13th century. After successfully repelling the Mongol invasions, he abdicated the throne, became a monk, and founded the Truc Lam Yen Tu school on Yen Tu Mountain. This tradition is a combination of Vietnamese national identity, Confucian morality, Taoist nature-centeredness, and Mahayana Zen Buddhism. It places particular emphasis on meditation, moral self-education, and the direct experience of enlightenment, and the practice of lay followers also plays an important role. The Truc Lam tradition was revived in the 20th century, particularly through the work of Master Thich Thanh Tu, who founded several monasteries and popularized the teachings of the tradition. Today, Truc Lam Buddhism is one of the most important Buddhist schools in Vietnam, with its main center at the Truc Lam Da Lat monastery.
Karsai Gábor és Most ven Thuch Nhat Tu a főiskolai Kőrösi-szobornál (video)
The College delegation’s trip to Vietnam At the invitation of the Venerable Thich Nhat Tu, meeting with László Kövér, Speaker of the National Assembly. Gábor
