Venerated Enlightened True Master Ngô Lợi (Đức Bổn Sư Ngô Lợi) (vegetarian): Founder of Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa Buddhism, Part 1 of 2

Venerated Enlightened Master Ngô Lợi (vegetarian), also known as Ngô Tự Lợi and Ông Năm Thiếp, was a revered spiritual Master in 19th-century southern Âu Lạc (Vietnam). Venerated by His followers as Đức Bổn Sư (The Great Master), Master Ngô Lợi emerged during a period of social upheaval and moral uncertainty under the late Nguyễn Dynasty. His teachings drew upon Buddhism, Confucian ethics, Taoist thought, and Aulacese (Vietnamese) folk spirituality, emphasizing moral self-cultivation, compassion, simplicity, and inner transformation over ritual authority. Though He did not found a mass movement, Master Ngô Lợi holds an important place in the spiritual genealogy of southern Aulacese (Vietnamese) syncretic religions, and His legacy endures through oral and devotional tradition.

On April 29, 1851, at the age of 20, Master Ngô Lợi is said to have composed His first sutra, titled “Bà La Ni Kinh,” a text of 223 Chinese characters. The scripture praises Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, the Worshipped Quan Yin Bodhisattva (vegan), and urges people to cultivate spiritual practice through mindful recitation, guiding them in ethical conduct and meditation. From that time until 1866, records note that He was teaching and delivering sermons annually. “Bà La Ni Kinh” later became an important scripture of the Hiếu Nghĩa tradition.

The Great Master Ngô Lợi often entered a state of deep trance. On May 5, 1867, at the age of 37, He suddenly fell into a “death-like” trance (đi thiếp) that lasted seven days and nights. While His family feared He had passed away, He eventually awoke, completely transformed. His behavior and actions became extraordinary, as if He had purified all worldly attachments, attained enlightenment, and embraced a clear spiritual mission.

In the beginning, Master Ngô Lợi’s teachings did not have a formal name; the movement was simply a group of devotees following the Master. When asked about the nature of their practice, Master Ngô Lợi explained that it was a faith centered on honoring ancestors and fulfilling the Four Debts of Gratitude, emphasizing filial piety, devotion to one’s country, respect for the Three Jewels, and compassion toward all fellow beings. By around 1870, followers came to refer to their path as Đạo Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa (“Way of the Four Debts of Gratitude and Filial Piety”). Later, in 2020, during the 3rd Representative Congress of followers, the organization formally changed its name from Đạo Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa to Phật Giáo Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa (“Tứ Ân Hiếu Nghĩa Buddhism”).