Vietnamese Buddhism actively evolved for a thousand years, thriving during the Li and Tran dynasties. Buddhism at this time, on the one hand, selectively retained traditional principles but, on the other hand, became localized, which enabled its popularization. Several features of Buddhism during this time period can be observed, including social fitness, daily connections, and a tremendous impact on people's mindset, promoting the concepts of forgiveness and kindness. The great essence of Buddhism during this time period was Zen. The core belief of Zen is "to accomplish awakening by realizing the original nature and directly pointing out people's minds." In addition to such core belief, Zen of this time was rooted in daily life and reinforced the idea of serving the nation. Those concepts were applied in everyday life and became simplified. The main body and also the ultimate goal of literature is the human being. The "non-space true man" in Zen poetry is not only the main body but also the target in saving the world. Zen poetry is a combination of Zen philosophy and aesthetics. Mahayana Buddhism, Zen included, holds to the concept of the "shared body," which states that the main body of all living things is the same as that of the world. Becoming a "non-space true man" (a "real Buddhist") is the ultimate and lifelong goal for Zen poets. This consistency exists in not only Zen philosophy but explicitly in the Zen poetry of the Li and Tran dynasties. The structure of this study is as follows: First, in the introduction, the author describes the background of the Zen poetry of the Li and Tran dynasties. Next, general Buddhism, one of the concepts in the Zen poetry of the Li and Tran dynasties, is discussed. Third, the Zen life in Zen poetry is focused on. Fourth, the author stresses the Buddhist philosophy in Zen poetry. Fifth, the author relates the realization of life in Zen poetry. Lastly, the author summarizes all the arguments and viewpoints.
