Caodaism (Vietnamese: Đạo Cao Đài, Chữ nôm: 道高臺) is a monotheistic religion officially established in the city of Tây Ninh in southern Vietnam in 1926.[1] The full name of the religion is Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ ("The Great Faith [for the] Third Universal Redemption").[1]
Cao Đài (Vietnamese: [kāːw ɗâːj,kaʊ daɪ] (
), literally the "Highest Lord" or "Highest Power")[1] is the utmost deity, originating the universe, worshipped by the Caodaists.[1][2] Caodaists often use the term Đức Cao Đài (Venerable High Lord) as the abbreviated name for the creator of the universe, whose full title is "Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tát Ma Ha Tát" ("The Highest Power [the] Ancient Immortal [and] Great Bodhisattva"). The symbol of the faith is the Left Eye of God, representing the yang (masculine, ordaining, positive and expansive) activity of the Lord.[3]
), literally the "Highest Lord" or "Highest Power")[1] is the utmost deity, originating the universe, worshipped by the Caodaists.[1][2] Caodaists often use the term Đức Cao Đài (Venerable High Lord) as the abbreviated name for the creator of the universe, whose full title is "Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tát Ma Ha Tát" ("The Highest Power [the] Ancient Immortal [and] Great Bodhisattva"). The symbol of the faith is the Left Eye of God, representing the yang (masculine, ordaining, positive and expansive) activity of the Lord.[3]
Adherents engage in ethical practices such as prayer, veneration of ancestors, nonviolence, and vegetarianism with the goal of union with God and freedom from saṃsāra[citation needed]. Estimates of the number of Caodaists in Vietnam vary; current government figures give 3.2 million for Caodaists affiliated to the Tây Ninh church, with numbers rising up to 4 to 6 million if other branches are added.[4][5] An additional number of adherents in the tens of thousands, primarily ethnic Vietnamese, live in the United States, Europe, and Australia. The design of Caodaist temples, shape and coloring, is quite standard around the world and includes the incorporation of sacred images, symbols, and colors.[6]
Contents
[hide]History[edit]
From 1921, Ngô Văn Chiêu, a district head of the French administration in Cochinchina, was the first disciple to worship and receive messages from Cao Đài. He received a vision of the Divine Eye which is now the symbol for Cao Đài as well as the focus for worship on all Cao Đài altars.
On Christmas Eve 1925 God identified Himself to the first group of Cao Đài mediums, which included Phạm Công Tắc, Cao Quỳnh Cư, and Cao Hoài Sang. These great souls were to play an essential role in the growing religion as the Hộ Pháp, Thượng Phẩm and Thượng Sanh respectively.
On 7 Oct 1926, Lê Văn Trung (a former elected official of the Colonial Council of Cochinchina and a member of the Conseil de Gouvernement de l'Indochine), and a leading group of 27 Caodaists, the first disciples of Cao Đài, signed the "Declaration of the Founding of the Cao Đài Religion” and presented it to the French Governor of Cochinchina.
The Cao Đài faith emerged as a public, mass movement that brought together a number of once underground sects into a new and vigorous national religion.[7] It was at the same time filled with nationalist spirit and oriented towards universal salvation.[7] Officially called the "Great Way of the Third Time of Redemption" (Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ), it became enormously popular in its first few decades, gathering over a million members and converting a fifth to a fourth of the population of Cochinchina by 1940.[7]
In the 1930s the leader voiced an articulated critique of the hypocrisy of the French colonial regime, though emphasizing dialogue with the French.[7] This stance was controversial, and contrasted with the liturgy of dozens of "dissident" branches of Caodaism that followed a more Taoist model.[7]
During the First and Second Indochina Wars, members of Cao Đài (along with several other Vietnamese sects, such as Hòa Hảo) were active in political and military struggles against both French colonial forces and South Vietnamese Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm.[8][9]
Their critique of the communist forces until 1975 was a factor in their repression after the fall of Saigon in 1975, when the incoming communist government proscribed the practice of Caodaism.[10] In 1997, Caodaism was granted legal recognition and free practice once again.[8]
Religious mission[edit]
Throughout human history, God the Father has revealed His Truth many times. His Divine Messages have been translated through the mouths of many great prophets, but always these messages were either ignored or forgotten due to human’s susceptibility to secular desires. The Age has now come where He speaks to humanity directly.
One of the early messages received from Him went as follows, “Formerly people of the world lacked means of transportation; therefore they did not know each other… Nowadays, all parts of the world are explored: humanity, knowing itself better aspires to real peace. But because of the very multiplicity of religions, humanity does not always live in harmony. That is why I decided to unite all these religions into One to bring them back to the primordial unity.” [12][not in citation given]
In the nineteenth century Spiritism re-awoke the religious life of Europe. Great souls such as Madam Blavatsky, Allan Kardec and Victor Hugo opened new vistas of religious possibility. In Vietnam, the age-old traditions of Asian divination and Taoist mediumship began to mix with the new traditions of European Spiritism. This meeting of Eastern and Western traditions created an evolutionary leap in humanity's spiritual quest. Thus, a strong communication link was established between Heaven and Earth. It was through this special link that God granted His Third Amnesty directly. Though it was announced to the humble and grateful nation of Vietnam, The Third Amnesty is a gift to all.
To highlight this objective of unity, there is a representation of the Divine Covenant of The Third Amnesty (The Third Alliance) inside every Cao Đài Temple. This Covenant between Heaven and Earth is written and presented to humanity by the Venerable Saints - Victor Hugo, Sun Yat Sen and Trạng Trình Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm. Their mission is to guide humanity into the way of the Third Amnesty. The Covenant is written in French: Dieu et Humanité Amour et Justice; and in Chinese: Tian Shang Tian Xia Bo Ai Gong Ping. This translates into English as: "God and Humanity [for] Love and Justice."[11]
As mentioned in the Bible, Maitreya Bodhisattva will be enthroned the next Pope of Cao Đài, after He reaches enlightenment to become a Buddha[citation needed]. The Maitreya Buddha together with His newly select congregation will fulfill the mission of uniting the world religions. Then, they will hold the Dragon Flower Festival where faithful souls are evaluated for the ranks of Angels, Saints, Immortals an Buddhas based on their virtues and merits.
Theology and Theosophy[edit]
God[edit]
According to God’s Divine message, there was nothing before the creation of the material universe but one principle, or monad. This monad is Tao or God. God has no form, no color, no beginning, and no end. He is invariable, unfathomably powerful, and everlasting. After creating the universe, He divided His spirit and with it made all matters and creatures.
"Cao Đài" refers to God the Father (The Supreme Being, the Creator, the Ultimate Reality of the Universe). “Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tát Ma Ha Tát”, as God’s full title, indicates a combination of the three main religions - Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
- ‘‘Cao Đài’’ ( literally means ‘‘High Tower/Palace’, that is, the place where God reigns over the universe. These words represent Confucianism.
- ‘‘Tiên Ông’’ is the lowest rank in Taoism.
- ‘‘Đại Bồ Tát Ma Ha Tát’’ is the lowest rank in Buddhism, namely Bodhisattva.
Together, they represent not only the unification of the three main religions but also the humility of God who presents Himself as the lowest rank of Divinity.[14]
Cosmology[edit]
Caodaists accept the idea of âm (yin) and dương (yang) duality constituting the harmonious balance of the universe.[15] Before the creation of the universe there was the "dao", the infinite, nameless, formless, unchanging, eternal source.[15] The negative and positive principles of the universe are the components of the eternal nature.[15]
There are two main Gods, the Cao Đài ("Highest Lord") and the Diêu Trì Kim Mẫu or Đức Phật Mẫu ("Holy Mother").[15] They represent respectively the yang and yin forces.[15] Cao Đài is viewed as the heart of the universe, the common Father of all beings.[15] He imparts part of Him into each living being, including even rocks, in the form of conscience. Đức Phật Mẫu is venerated as the Mother of the universe, responsible for giving visible forms, consciousness and emotions to all life.[15] Ultimately, She has to follow the orders of "Đức Cao Đài", who is revered as the Supreme Being of both Heaven and Earth.
All other Divine Beings are to obey the orders of these two Creators during the course of evolution of the universe. Each of them carries a specific role as designated by the their Father and Mother. Any being who fall out against them is considered devils in nature. These devils are led by the most powerful being, named Kim Quang Sứ (Satan).
In terms of the cosmos, faithful Caodaists believe there are heaven and hell, which are the main destinations for souls after death. Heaven consists of thirty six planes and many heavenly realms upon each of them, e.g. the Realm of Saints, the Realm of the Holy Mother, the Realm of the Perfect Beings, the Divine Court Realm, The Paradise of Extreme Joy, Nirvana, etc. Meanwhile, hell has ten key realms to carry out punishments in accordance with sins of souls.
In order to go to heaven, souls are required to cultivate their virtues and/ or devote themselves to spiritual causes. Without merit from the latter, they cannot escape the cycle of birth and death, but can improve their virtues and merit gradually to reach better places in the universe, including the 72 planets (ours is the 68th), the 3.000 worlds, the four great cosmic regions, and the thirty six heavenly planes. True liberation can only be attained when souls reach Nirvana, i.e. the realm of Divine Beings with the most virtues, merits, and wisdom.
Three-fold revelation[edit]
The father of the universe, Cao Đài, is believed to have communed with men since the beginning of times, revealing his will.[16] According to Cao Đài doctrine, history is divided into three times (tam kỳ) of revelation.[16] In the first two periods, there were teachings of Dipankara Buddha, sages, Phục Hy, Gautama Buddha, Laozi, Confuciusand Jesus, who received the will of the Highest Power, and founded their respective religions to serve and/ or educate humanity.[16] But due to the frailty of the messengers and the common men, the will of the Highest Power was misled into corrupted forms.[16] Caodaists also believe that former revelations were culture-bound, being applicable only for certain ethnicities, and primarily intended for specific ages.[16] The third and final form of revelation is disclosed through the teachings of the Cao Đài faith.[16]
Twelve-fold hierarchy[edit]
Caodaists believe that there are various ranks of Divine spirits: Thần ("Angels"), Thánh ("Saints"), Tiên ("Immortals"), and Phật ("Buddhas").[17] Each of these ranks can be further divided in the three grades of Thiên (Heavenly), Nhân (Human) and Địa (Earthly), forming a twelve-fold hierarchy that reflects the twelve-fold earthly hierarchy of the Caodaist church.[17] Below those ranks are the spirits of matters, plants, animals and humans.[17] All spirits may evolve to attain higher rank based on present deeds.[17] Disembodied spirits fulfill a number of roles: they are benefactors of mankind, messengers and instructors of the truth.[17] Quan Âm is regarded as the exemplary Goddess of the Buddhas, Lý Bạch of the Immortals, and Quan Vũ of the Saints.
Unknown to most outsiders, Joan of Arc is worshipped in the Cao Đài pantheon. She guided the Faith at its inception and promoted full equality for women (via séances).[18] In addition, the Cao Đài pantheon also has many other well-known figures, including Muhammad, Moses, Louis Pasteur, Shakespeare, Lenin, etc.
Fundamental rules and values[edit]
The doctrines of the Cao Đài faith tends not only to reconcile all religious views, but also to adapt itself to all degrees of spiritual evolution. A basic principle of Caodaism is "All Religions are One".
- From a moral point of view, Cao Đài Religion reminds people of their duties towards themselves, their family, their society (a broader family), then toward humanity (the universal family).
- From a philosophical point of view, Cao Đài Religion preaches renunciation of honors, riches and luxury, in other words, deliverance from servitude to materialism in the attainment of full spiritual quietude of soul.
- From the point of view of worship, Cao Đài Religion prescribes the adoration of God, the veneration of Divine Beings and the worship of ancestors.
- From a spiritual point of view, Cao Đài Religion confirms, in harmony with other religions, the existence of the spirits and the soul, their survival beyond the physical body, and their evolution by successive reincarnations, according to the Karmic Law.
- From the initiates' point of view, Cao Đài Religion communicates to worthy adherents and reveals teachings that enable them, by a process of spiritual evolution, to reach the ecstasies of happiness.[19]