CaodaismCaodaism (Vietnamese: Đạo Cao Đài, Chữ nôm: 道高臺 ) is a monotheisticsyncretic religion officially established in the city of Tây Ninh in southern Vietnamin 1926. The full name of the religion is Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ (The GreatFaith [for the] Third Universal Redemption).[1]

Cao Đài (Vietnamese: [kāːw ɗâːj] ( listen), literally the "Highest Lord" or "Highest

Power")[1] is the supreme deity, believed by Caodaists to have created theuniverse.[1][2] Caodaists often use the term Đức Cao Đài (Venerable High Lord) asthe abbreviated name, whose full title is "Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tát Ma Ha Tát"("The Highest Power [the] Ancient Immortal [and] Great Bodhisattva"). The symbolof the faith is the Left Eye of God, representing the yang (masculine, ordaining,positive and expansive) activity of the male creator, which is balanced by the yin(âm) activity of Mother Goddess, the Queen Mother of the West (Diêu Trì KimMẫu, Tây Vương Mẫu), the feminine, nurturing and restorative mother ofhumanity.[3]

Adherents engage in practices such as prayer, veneration of ancestors, nonviolence,and vegetarianism with the goal of union with God and freedom from saṃsāra.[4]

Estimates of the number of Caodaists in Vietnam vary; government figures estimate4.4 million Caodaists affiliated to the Tây Ninh church, with numbers rising up to 6million if other branches are added.[5][6][7][8][9] An additional number of adherentsin the tens of thousands, primarily ethnic Vietnamese, live in North America,Europe, and Australia. The design, shape and coloring of Caodaist temples is quitestandard around the world and includes the incorporation of sacred images, symbols,and colors.

History

Religious mission

Theology and TheosophyGodCosmologyThree-fold revelationTwelve-fold hierarchy

Fundamental rules and values

Worship rituals

SymbolsThe Divine EyeThe religious banner and emblem

Holy scripturesThe Canonical CodesThe Religious Constitution

Organisational structureThe Executive Body (Cửu Trùng Đài)

Cao Đài's left eye, similar to Eye ofProvidence.

The "Holy See" temple in Tây Ninh isthe centre of the main Caodaistchurch.

Caodaist temple in Dallas, Texas,serving a large local Vietnamesecommunity.

Contents

The Legislative Body (Hiệp Thiên Đài)

Community structure

The Holy See

Branches

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

External links

Ngô Văn Chiêu, a district head of the French administration in Cochinchina, was the first to worship and receive messages from CaoĐài in 1921.[10] He received a vision of the Divine Eye which is now the symbol for Cao Đài as well as the focus for worship on allCao Đài altars.

Adherents maintain that on Christmas Eve 1925, God identified Himself to the first group of Cao Đài mediums, which includedPhạm Công Tắc, Cao Quỳnh Cư, and Cao Hoài Sang. These three figures were to play an essential role in the growing religion asthe three founding spirit mediums of the Hiệp Thiên Đài or "Palace Uniting Heaven and Earth". Phạm Công Tắc was the head spiritmedium or Hộ Pháp ("Defender of the Dharma), while Cao Quỳnh Cư was the Thượng Phẩm (his Sacred Assistant) and Cao HoàiSang was the Thượng Sanh (his Secular Assistant). [11]

On 7 Oct 1926, Lê Văn Trung (a former elected official of the Colonial Council of Cochinchina and a member of the Conseil deGouvernement de l'Indochine), and a leading group of 27 Caodaists, the first disciples of Cao Đài, signed the "Declaration of theFounding of the Cao Đài Religion" and presented it to the French Governor of Cochinchina. The Cao Đài faith brought together anumber of once underground sects into a new national religion.

Officially called the "Great Way of the Third Time of Redemption" (Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ), it became popular in its first fewdecades, gathering over a million members and converting a fifth to a fourth of the population of Cochinchina by 1940.[8]

In the 1930s, the leader criticized the French colonial regime, though he also emphasized dialogue with the French. This stance wascontroversial, and contrasted with the liturgy of dozens of "dissident" branches of Caodaism that followed a more Taoist model.[8]

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 ĐìnhDiệm.[12][13]

Their critique of the communist forces until 1975 was a factor in their repression after the fall of Saigon in 1975, when the incomingcommunist government banned the practice of Caodaism.[14] In 1997, Caodaism was granted legal recognition and unrestrictedpractice once again.[12]

The official name of the Cao Đài religion (or Caodaism) is Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ. Translated directly it means: The Third GreatUniversal Religious Amnesty. (Đại Đạo – "Great Faith", Tam Kỳ – "Third Period", Phổ – "to announce" and Độ – "to save").

According to Cao Đài's dogma, this Third Period will be of intense religious activity which will unite God and humanity in ways notyet imagined. Cao Đài also states that the Third Amnesty will establish a new great faith for the salvation of living beings before theuniversal destruction. The primary objective of the Third Amnesty is the unity of all religions, which will bring mankind together in auniversal family for universal peace.[15]

History

Religious mission

Caodaism teaches that, throughout human history, God the Father hasrevealed his truth many times through the mouths of many prophets,but these messages were always either ignored or forgotten due tohumanity’s susceptibility to secular desires. Adherents believe thatthe age has now come when God speaks to humanity directly.

In the nineteenth century, Spiritism became established in Europe.The likes of Madam Blavatsky, Allan Kardec and Victor Hugochampioned new religious possibilities. In Vietnam, the age-oldtraditions of Asian divination and mediumship began to mix with thenew traditions of European Spiritism.

To highlight this objective of unity, there is a representation of theDivine Covenant of The Third Amnesty (The Third Alliance) insideevery Cao Đài Temple. This Covenant between Heaven and Earth iswritten and presented to humanity by the Venerable Saints – Victor Hugo, Sun YatSen and Trạng Trình Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm. Their mission is said to guide humanityinto the way of the Third Amnesty. The Covenant is written in French: "Dieu etHumanité Amour et Justice; and in Chinese: 天上天下 博愛公平. This translatesinto English as: "God and Humanity [for] Love and Justice."[15]

"Cao Đài" refers to God the Father (the Supreme Being, the Creator, the UltimateReality of the Universe). Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tát Ma Ha Tát, as God's fulltitle, indicates a combination of the three main religions – Confucianism, Taoism,and Chinese Buddhism.

Cao Đài literally means "High Tower/Palace", that is, the place whereGod reigns over the universe. These words represent Confucianism.

Tiên Ông is the largest rank in Taoism.

Đại Bồ Tát Ma Ha Tát literally means Great Bodhisattva the Great Being(Mahasattva) in Buddhism.

Together, they represent not only the unification of the three main religions but alsothe humility of God who presents himself as the lowest rank of Divinity.[16]

Caodaists adopt the traditional Chinese idea of âm (yin) and dương (yang) dualityconstituting the harmonious balance of the universe. Before the creation of theuniverse there was the "dao", the infinite, nameless, formless, unchanging, eternalsource. The negative and positive principles of the universe are the components ofthe eternal nature.[17]

There are two main Gods, the Cao Đài ("Highest Lord") and the Diêu Trì Kim Mẫuor Đức Phật Mẫu ("Holy Mother"). They represent respectively the yang and yin forces. Cao Đài is viewed as the heart of theuniverse, the common Father of all beings. He imparts part of Him into each living being, including even rocks, in the form of

Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are One, apainting in the litang style portraying three menlaughing by a river stream. 12th century, SongDynasty

Three Saints and the DivineCovenant

Theology and Theosophy

God

The Eight Trigrams (Bagua, 八卦) inCaodaism, borrowed from Taoism

Cosmology

conscience. Đức Phật Mẫu is venerated as the Mother of the universe, responsiblefor giving visible forms, consciousness and emotions to all life.[17] Ultimately, Shehas to follow the orders of "Đức Cao Đài", who is revered as the Supreme Being ofboth Heaven and Earth.

All other Divine Beings are to obey the orders of these two Creators during thecourse of evolution of the universe. Each of them carries a specific role asdesignated by their Father and Mother. Any being who falls out against them isconsidered devils in nature. These devils are led by the most powerful being, namedKim Quang Sứ (Satan).

In terms of the cosmos, faithful Caodaists believe there are heaven and hell, whichare the main destinations for souls after death. Heaven consists of thirty six planesand many heavenly realms upon each of them, e.g. the Realm of Saints, the Realmof the Holy Mother, the Realm of the Perfect Beings, the Divine Court Realm, TheParadise of Extreme Joy, Nirvana, etc. Meanwhile, hell has ten key realms to carryout punishments in accordance with sins of souls.

In order to go to heaven, souls are required to cultivate their virtues and/or devotethemselves to spiritual causes. Without merit from the latter, they cannot escape thecycle of birth and death, but can improve their virtues and merit gradually to reachbetter places in the universe, including the 72 planets (ours is the 68th), the 3,000worlds, the four great cosmic regions, and the thirty six heavenly planes. Trueliberation can only be attained when souls reach Nirvana, i.e. the realm of DivineBeings with the most virtues, merits, and wisdom.

The father of the universe, Cao Đài, is believed to have communed with men sincethe beginning of times, revealing his will. According to Cao Đài doctrine, history isdivided into three times (tam kỳ) of revelation. In the first two periods, there wereteachings of Dipankara Buddha, sages, Phục Hy, Gautama Buddha, Laozi,Confucius and Jesus, who received the will of the Highest Power, and founded theirrespective religions to serve and/ or educate humanity. But due to the frailty of themessengers and the common men, the will of the Highest Power was misled intocorrupted forms. Caodaists also believe that former revelations were culture-bound,being applicable only for certain ethnicities, and primarily intended for specific ages.The third and final form of revelation is disclosed through the teachings of the Cao Đài faith.[18]

Caodaists believe that there are various ranks of divine spirits: Thần ("angels"), Thánh ("saints"), Tiên ("Immortals"), and Phật("Buddhas"). 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. Below those ranks are thespirits of matters, plants, animals and humans. All spirits may evolve to attain higher rank based on present deeds. Disembodiedspirits fulfill a number of roles: they are benefactors of mankind, messengers and instructors of the truth.[19] Quan Âm is regarded asthe 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 is seen as having guided the Faith at itsinception and promoted full equality for women (via séances).[20][21] The Cao Đài pantheon also has many other well-known figures,including Muhammad, Moses, Louis Pasteur, Shakespeare, and Lenin.[22] Victor Hugo is probably the most important European

Pronunciation of "Cao Đài" inVietnamese

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Pronunciation of 'Tiên Ông' inVietnamese

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Pronunciation of the third phrase inVietnamese

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A sphere inside the Tây Ninh HolySee, representing the Left Eye ofGod.

Three-fold revelation

Twelve-fold hierarchy

figure to play a role in the Caodai pantheon, since he gave many teachings and also the text of a number of important prayers. Hehimself practiced spiritism on the island of Jersey from 1852 to 1855, and predicted that he would become the prophet of a newreligion to merge European and Asian mysticism.[23] Reports that Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin were also "saints" arebased on an inaccurate 1956 Time magazine article, since both of them were still alive at the time.[24]

The doctrines of the Cao Đài faith tends not only to reconcile all religious views, but also to adapt itself to all degrees of spiritualevolution. A basic principle of Caodaism is "All Religions are One". Cao Đài has been described from five different points of view:

1. From a moral point of view, Cao Đài Religion reminds people of their duties towards themselves, their family, theirsociety (a broader family), then toward humanity (the universal family).

2. From a philosophical point of view, Cao Đài Religion preaches renunciation of honors, riches and luxury, in otherwords, deliverance from servitude to materialism in the attainment of full spiritual quietude of soul.

3. From the point of view of worship, Cao Đài Religion prescribes the adoration of God, the veneration of Divine Beingsand the worship of ancestors.

4. From a spiritual point of view, Cao Đài Religion confirms, in harmony with other religions, the existence of the spiritsand the soul, their survival beyond the physical body, and their evolution by successive reincarnations, according tothe Karmic Law.

5. From the initiates' point of view, Cao Đài Religion communicates to worthy adherents and reveals teachings thatenable them, by a process of spiritual evolution, to reach the ecstasies of happiness.

Believers worship God the Father, Holy Mother and the Divine Beings with all their heart. They also venerate the Great ReligiousProphets of history and honour the ancestors.

There are four daily ceremonies, that is, at 06:00, Midday, 18:00 and midnight, either at the temple or in front of the home altar.Monthly rituals take place on midnight of the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month. There is also a special anniversary ceremony oncea year for God the Father, the Holy Mother, the five founders of the world’s major religions, and the founders of the Cao Daireligion.[15] The rituals differ between places, depending on who they pray to.

At the Holy See: Prayers include incense offering, ceremony opening, prayer to the Jade Emperor (God the Father),prayer to Dipankara Buddha (Buddhism), prayer to Thái Thượng Lão Quân or Taishang Laojun (Taoism), prayer toConfucius (Confucianism), one of the three jewel offering prayers (flower, wine, and tea), and the five pledges.At the Holy Mother temple: Prayers include incense offering, ceremony opening, prayer describing the role of theHoly Mother, prayer to express gratitude to the Holy Mother, one the three jewel offering prayers (flower, wine, andtea), and the five pledges.

There are also differences between monthly rituals, and anniversary ones.

Ceremonial prescriptions such as actions, dress and music were organized in detail by God the Father. These include ceremonies forinitiations, marriages and funerals. Particular attention is paid to death, and it has been revealed to the religion how the soul journeystowards heaven and how, on earth, co-religionists can pray for souls to help them on their way.[15]

Cao Đài temples and religious buildings host a rich array of symbols, all of which are instructed by either God the Father or DivineBeings. No symbol is redundant, and none is meaningless. They each tell a different story that reveals the beliefs, values, cosmicsecrets, prophecies, etc. When combined, they lay out the journey of the Tao throughout the history of mankind and the universe, aswell as its way forward.

Fundamental rules and values

Worship rituals

Symbols

The Divine Eye

In spirit and in pictorial representation, the Eye serves to remind Cao Đài believers that the God witnesses everything, everywhere,constantly. At the Holy See, there are in total 50 Divine Eyes of five different shapes; each carrying a different meaning related tovarious spiritual aspects. The One on the globe shows the Supreme Being above the North Star in the Ursa Minor constellation. TheOne on the façade of the Holy See has 35 rays of light which represent the three major religions and five main religious doctrines ofthe world. At the local Cao Đài Temples, the Divine Eye has 16 rays of light emanating from it. Nine radiate upward representing thenine levels of heaven, and seven radiating downward representing the seven emotions, which believers must control.[25]

In accordance with the religious mission, the three colors of Cao Đài banner represent the three main religions of the world; yellowstands for Buddhism, blue for Taoism, and red for Confucianism. Under the Divine Eye is the religious emblem which also representsthe essence of the three religions; the bowl of charity for Buddhist compassion and asceticism, the feather duster for Taoistpurification; the Spring and Autumn Annals for Confucianist virtue and love.[15]

There are various Caodaist scriptures. Some of those belonging to the Holy See of Tây Ninh are: Kinh Thiên Đạo Và Thế Đạo("Prayers of the Heavenly and the Earthly Way"),[26] Pháp Chánh Truyền ("the Religious Constitution of Cao Đài Religion"),[27]

Tân Luật ("The Canonical Codes"), [28] and Con Đường Thiêng Liêng Hằng Sống ("Divine Path to Eternal Life").[29] Other sectshave additional scriptures.

This scripture sets out the rules and boundaries for different aspects of the religion, from a believer to the Pope, from education tomarriage, etc. There are ten sections in the scripture with the following content:

1. Hierarchy of religious dignitaries2. Initiation and ranks of believers3. Establishment of a parish4. The five interdictions5. The four commandments6. Education7. Sanctions8. Promulgation of laws and regulations9. Secular rules

10. The house of meditation

The Phap-Chanh-Truyen (The Religious Constitution of Caodaism) was delivered to the religion as a series of divine messages.These are the guiding texts of the religion's organisation, stipulating the authority, responsibility, limits, as well as religious vestmentfor each rank in the religion.

The organisational structure of the Caodaist church has similarities with that of a state. There are similarities between the hierarchy ofthe Caodaist clergy and that of the Catholic Church. Besides the Pope, the Caodaist hierarchy has Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, andfurther ranks.

Caodaism stresses equality among men and women in society. However, in the spiritual domain, ordained women may not attain thetwo highest positions: the Legislative Cardinal and the Pope. The church claims this is ordered by the Highest Lord, who declaredthat because Dương (Yang) represents male and Âm (Yin) corresponds to female, Yin cannot dominate Yang spiritually or else chaos

The religious banner and emblem

Holy scriptures

The Canonical Codes

The Religious Constitution

Organisational structure

ensues.

The Religion is governed by two powers, the spiritual and earthly ones.

The spiritual power (Bát Quái Đài): This is the heavenly council, that is, the Spiritand Soul of the New Religion. The council directs all activities of the universe. Thecouncil is the invisible part, made up of the Divine Beings, and directed by Duc CaoDai (God the Father). The Divine Beings represent different religions of the world,including:

Founders of five religions: Shakyamuni (Buddhism), Lao Tze (Taoism),Confucius (Confucianism), Jesus Christ (Christianity), Jiang Ziya(Geniism).Founders and teachers of Caodaism, who represent the doctrines ofBuddhism, Taoism and Confucianism: Guanyin (Buddhism), Li Bai(Taoism), Guan Yu (Confucianism).

The earthly power: To avoid dictatorship, God divided the earthly power into twobodies – an Executive Body (Cửu Trùng Đài) headed by the Pope, and a LegislativeBody (Hiệp Thiên Đài) headed by the Hộ Pháp (Protector of Laws and Justice). Theformer takes charge of the administration of the Religion and its missionaryactivities, while the latter oversees legislation, jurisdiction and communication withGod or Divine Beings. There is also the Charitable Body placed under thesupervision of the Legislative Body, and a Lay Committee of selected professionalspecialists among worthy followers.[30]

The Cửu Trùng Ðài is the Executive Body of Caodaism which takes charge of theadministration of the Religion and missionary activities. Head of Cửu Trùng Ðài isGiáo-Tông (Pope).

The Giáo-Tông (Pope) represents God to watch over the preservationof His Religion in this world. Whatever his age, he is eldest brotherand acts as a guide for the children of God. The Spiritual Power hasdecided that this is so. The Giáo-Tông (Pope) has the same powersas God to teach Virtue to all His Disciples. He is concerned witheach one of them, he guides each one and takes care to ensure thateach one does not transgress the Divine Laws (Thiên Điều). Heobliges all disciples of God to conform strictly to the prescriptions ofthe New Codes (Tân Luật)... Since the Giáo-Tông (Pope) has fullpowers to replace God he must try to transform the life of sufferinginto an existence marked by happiness. This is the Exalted Task ofthe Giáo-Tông (Pope).[27]

There are nine ranks in its hierarchy:

One PopeThree Censor CardinalsThree CardinalsThirty six ArchbishopsSeventy two BishopsThree thousand Priests

Inner hall the Tây Ninh Holy Seetemple.

Caodaists worshipping in a temple.Priests are dressed in red, blue andyellow, followers in white.

The Executive Body (Cửu Trùng Đài)

Student Priest (no limit)Subdignitaries (no limit)Followers (no limit)

For male dignitaries of the Executive Body, from the rank of Censor Cardinal to that of Student Priest, each echelon is subdividedinto three branches corresponding to the three principal religions:

Buddhist Branch: These dignitaries are dressed in yellow.Taoist Branch: These dignitaries are dressed in azure.Confucianist Branch: These dignitaties are dressed in red.

Dignitaries of the same echelon, either Confucianist, Taoist or Buddhist, have the same attributes.

At the Holy See, there are three governing councils:

The Popular Council: composed of Student Priests, Sub-dignitaries and representatives of adherents in the ratio ofone delegate per 500 members. The Popular Council makes plans for the future.The Sacerdotal Council: composed of Priests, Bishops, Archbishops and Principal Archbishops. The SacerdotalCouncil examines the plans made by the Popular Council.The High Council: composed of Cardinals, Legislative Body Cardinals and the Pope.

All plans made by the Popular Council and favoured by the Sacerdotal Council are submitted to High Council for approval.

In addition, there is also a Central Administration body chaired by three Cardinals. Each of them is assisted by three PrincipalArchbishops to oversee three religious ministries:

The Principal Archbishops of the Buddhist branch take care of finances, supply, and public works.The Principal Archbishops of the Taoist branch take care of education, health, and agriculture.The Principal Archbishops of the Confucianist branch take care of interior, rites, and justice.

The administrative network which functions throughout Vietnam consists of:

The Religious Region (Trấn Đạo) comprising several provinces, headed by a Bishop who is called the RegionalReligious Chief/ Khâm Trấn Đạo.The Religious Province (Châu Đạo) comprising several districts/delegations, headed by a Priest who is calledProvincial Religious Chief/ Khâm Châu Đạo.The Religious District (Họ Đạo) comprising several villages, headed by a Student Priest who is called the ReligiousChief of Delegation (Đầu Tộc Đạo/ Đầu Họ Đạo/ Đầu Phận Đạo).The Religious Village (Hương Đạo) headed by a Sub-dignitary who is called Village Religious Chief (Đầu HươngĐạo). He is assisted by one (or more) Phó Trị Sự (Deputy Chief for Administration of a religious village) representingthe Executive Body and one (or more) Thông Sự representing the Legislative Body. The Religious Village is made upof Religious Hamlets (Ấp Đạo).[30]

This Body has the duty of communicating with Divine Beings, to preserve the religious laws and listen to the complaints of theunhappy. It is headed by the Hộ Pháp (protector of laws and justice), and assisted by the Thượng Phẩm (Director of religious affairs)and Thượng Sanh (Director of secular affairs).

Hộ-Pháp (護法) (The head of Legislative Body Affairs), is the one who unveils the Mystery of the Invisible and is theMaintainer of the Rules and Laws of the New Religion. He is the one who pronounces judgments on the dignitariesand adepts, elevates the dignity of the fervent through their merit and brings sanctions against those who havecommitted faults. The Hộ-Pháp holds control over the Legislative Body Power both exoterically and esoterically. Hewatches over the positive progress of the disciples in the Way of God, and guides all evolved souls to Bát-Quái-Đàifor the union with Angels, Saints, Immortals and Buddhas.Thượng-Phẩm (上品) (The head of Religious Affairs), is the Representative of the Ho-Phap in the formation ofvirtuous souls of the Sacerdotal Council. He depends on the Hộ-Pháp in all his missions. In a word, the Thượng-Phẩm helps the Cửu Trùng Đài to live in an atmosphere of happiness; he reveals the Heavenly Voice to virtuoussouls, and guides them to the Divine Phase of the Great Spirits, while closing behind them the door of regression.He considers the priestly laws to take up the defence of all office-bearers and adepts; he prevents all perversion ofthe Divine Rules, and helps all initiates to attain their aim. He is simultaneously the President of the Hall of Defenceand protector of all disciples. The Thượng-Phẩm is "Leader of the Spiritual Power".

The Legislative Body (Hiệp Thiên Đài)

Thượng–Sanh (上生) (The head of Secular Affairs), has control of all the laws and rules which relate to the worldlylife of all adepts to guide them out of the sea of sufferings. He may present a formal complaint before the religiousTribunal against all those who impede the faithful as they move along the Way of God. He is the President of the Hallof Accusation.

Four "zodiacal dignitaries" under each of these branches carry the four key responsibilities of conservation, renovation, reformation,and legislation. They are further assisted by twelve technical academicians, including Bảo Huyền Linh Quân (Theosophy), Bảo TinhQuân (Astronomy), Bảo Cô Quân (Orphanage), Bảo Văn pháp quân (Culture), Bảo Học Quân (Education), Bảo Y Quân (Health),Bảo Vật Quân (Science and Industry, Bảo Sĩ Quân (Literature), Bảo Sanh Quân (Social work), Bảo Nông Quân (Agriculture), BảoCông Quân (Public Works), Bảo Thương Quân (Economics).[30]

Any local area having more than 500 believers is authorized to establish a Parish (Họ Đạo/ Tộc Đạo) with a Thánh-Thất (Temple,Church, Holy House) which is led by the authority of a dignitary. Parish/Parishes can be established only with the permission andauthority of the Giao-Tong/ Pope.

Twice a month, the first and the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, the believers must meet at the Thánh-Thất (Temple, Holy House)of the local area to attend the ceremony and listen to the teachings. Exception can be made for those with reasonable excuses[28]

Ninety kilometres north-west of Saigon in Tây-Ninh Province is the Caodaist Holy See. At the centre of this city stands the GreatDivine Temple. This temple, like the religion, is a fusion of world influences. As well as being a major centre of pilgrimage, theCaodaist Holy See is also one of Vietnam's major tourist attractions.[16]

In total, there are six different officially recognized branches of the Caodaist religion in southern Vietnam, as well as several othersthat remain unrecognized. These sects generally divide along geographic lines. The largest is based in Tây Ninh Province, where thereligion was founded in 1926 and where the seat of the Caodaist authority is located.

The Caodaist Executive Council of Tây Ninh Province received official government recognition in 1997. Independent Caodaistgroups allege that government interference has undermined the independence of the Tây Ninh group, and it no longer faithfullyupholds Cao Đài's principles and traditions. Religious training takes place at individual temples rather than at centralized seminaries.Some Caodaist sects that have broken away from the Tây Ninh Holy See are Chiếu Minh, Bến Tre, and Đà Nẵng. Ngô Văn Chiêufounded Chiếu Minh when he left the original church structure, refusing his appointment as Caodaism's first pope.

Hòa HảoSlave Ship, a science-fiction novel which involves Cao Đài and its pope.TaoismTrình Minh ThếXiantiandaoYiguandao

1. Hoskins (a) 2012, p. 3.

2. Oliver 1976, p. 7.

3. Hoskins (a) 2012, pp. 3–4.

Community structure

The Holy See

Branches

See also

References

Biederman, Patricia Ward (2006-01-07), Cao Dai Fuses Great Faiths of the World, Los Angeles Times, retrieved7 December 2014Eller, Jack David (2014), Introducing Anthropology of Religion: Culture to the Ultimate, Routledge,ISBN 9781317579144Hoskins (a), Janet Alison (2012), What Are Vietnam's Indigenous Religions? (PDF), Center for Southeast AsianStudies, Kyoto UniversityHoskins (b), Janet Alison (2012), "God's Chosen People": Race, Religion and Anti-Colonial Struggle in FrenchIndochina, Asia Research Institute of the National University of SingaporeHoskins, Janet Alison (2015), The Divine Eye and the Diaspora: Vietnamese Syncretism Becomes TranspacificCaodaism, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, ISBN 978-0-824-85140-8Hộ-Pháp Phạm Công Tắc, "Divine Path to Eternal Life", Sydney Centre for Studies in Caodaism, retrieved 18 July2015"Press Statement on the visit to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religionor belief", Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Hanoi, Viet Nam, 2014-07-31,retrieved 17 July 2015Oliver, Victor L. (1976), Caodai Spiritism: A Study of Religion in Vietnamese Society, BRILL, ISBN 9789004045477"Cao Dai Rituals", Sydney Centre for Studies in Caodaism (c), retrieved July 18, 2015"Caodaism in a nutshell", Sydney Centre for Studies in Caodaism (a), retrieved 17 July 2015

4. Hoskins 2015, pp. 1–28.

5. Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights & 2014-07-31.

6. Hoskins 2015, p. 4; 239.

7. Eller 2014, pp. 184–186; 188.

8. Hoskins (a) 2012, p. 4.

9. Hoskins (b) 2012.

10. "The Colors of Cao Dai" (http://www.angelstarchristy.com/2015/11/the-religious-colors-of-cao-dai.htm). AngelstanChristy. 12 November 2015.

11. "Caodaism – WRSP" (https://wrldrels.org/2017/08/10/caodaism/). wrldrels.org. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20180429155901/https://wrldrels.org/2017/08/10/caodaism/) from the original on 29 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April2018.

12. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor & 2014-07-31.

13. Vietnam Timeline 1955.

14. Cao Dai Overseas Missionary & 2008-01-07.

15. Sydney Centre for Studies in Caodaism (a).

16. Tam 2000.

17. Oliver 1976, p. 8.

18. Oliver 1976, p. 9.

19. Oliver 1976, p. 10.

20. Biederman & 2006-01-07.

21. Hoskins 2015, pp. 10; 16–17; 83–85; 135; 241.

22. Hoskins 2015, pp. 83–85.

23. Hoskins 2015, pp. 99–110.

24. Hoskins 2015, p. 249.

25. Sydney Centre for Studies in Caodaism (c).

26. Sydney Centre for Studies in Caodaism (d).

27. Tâm 1996.

28. Sydney Centre for Studies in Caodaism (e).

29. Hộ-Pháp Phạm Công Tắc.

30. Sydney Centre of Studies in Caodaism (f).

Sources

"KINH THIÊN-ĐẠO & THẾ-ĐẠO", Sydney Centre for Studies in Caodaism (d) (in Vietnamese), retrieved 18 July2015"Structure of CaoDai Religion", Sydney Centre for Studies in Caodaism, retrieved 18 Jul 2015"The New Canonical Codes", Sydney Centre for Studies in Caodaism, retrieved July 17, 2015"The outline of Caodaism", Sydney Centre for Studies in Caodaism (b), retrieved July 17, 2015Tâm, Đào Công (1996-11-08), "THE RELIGIOUS CONSTITUTION OF CAO ĐÀI RELIGION", Sydney Centre forStudies in Caodaism, University of Sydney, retrieved 18 July 2015Tam, Dao (2000), Understanding Caodaism in 10 minutes, University of Sydney, archived from the original on 2009-09-21Vietnam Timeline 1955, VietnamGear.com, retrieved 18 July 2015"Caodaism" Encyclopedia entry by Janet Alison Hoskins at World Religion and Spirituality websitehttps://wrldrels.org/2017/08/10/caodaism/ (accessed 10 August 2017)

Blagov, Sergei (2012). Caodaism: Vietnamese Traditionalism and Its Leap Into Modernity. Nova Science Publishers.ISBN 1590331508Goossaert, Vincent; Palmer, David A. (2011). The Religious Question in Modern China. University of Chicago Press.ISBN 022600533XJammes, Jeremy (2010). Divination and Politics in Southern Vietnam: Roots of Caodaism. Social Compass 57(3),357–371. DOI: 10.1177/0037768610375520Jammes, Jeremy (2014). Les Oracles du Cao Dai: Étude d'un mouvement religieux vietnamien et de ses réseaux.Paris: Les Indes Savantes. ISBN 978-2-84654-351-4Werner, Jayne (1981). Peasant Politics and Religious Sectarianism: Peasant and Priest in the Cao Dai in Vietnam.New Haven: Yale University Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 978-0-938692-07-2

Cao Dai Library in Sydney (Multilingual)Cao Dai Library in EnglishCao Dai Ebooks in PDF, Kindle, Nook formatsCaodaism main websiteCaodaist Overseas MissionaryHội Văn Hóa Cao Đài – Caodaist Cultural Association, AustraliaCaodaist French ResourcesSacerdotal Council of Caodaism

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Further reading

External links

Cao Đài

VietnameseEtymologyPronunciationProper noun

Derived terms

Sino-Vietnamese word from 高臺.

(Hà Nội) IPA(key): [kaːw˧ ʔɗaːj ](Huế) IPA(key): [kaːw˧ ʔɗaːj](Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [kaːw˧ ʔɗaːj ]

audio

Cao Đài

1. the supreme deity believed by Caodaists to have created the universe

(Derived terms):

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Đạo Cao Đài

Contents

Vietnamese

Etymology

Pronunciation

0:00

Proper noun

Derived terms

đạoSee also: đảo, đao, Đao, đào, Đào and Appendix:Variations of "dao"

VietnameseEtymologyPronunciationNoun

Derived terms

Verb

Sino-Vietnamese word from 道 (“road; way”).

(Hà Nội) IPA(key): [ʔɗaːwʔ](Huế) IPA(key): [ʔɗaːwʔ](Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [ʔɗaːw]

đạo

Contents

Vietnamese

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

1. (formal) a code of conduct

đạo làm con

how to behave as a child

đạo làm người

humanity

nhân đạo

humanitarian

phải đạo

righteous; morally acceptable

Công cha như núi Thái Sơn, Nghĩa mẹ như nước trong nguồn chảy ra. Một lòng thờ mẹ kính cha Cho tròn chữ hiếu mới là đạo con.

Fathers' deeds are as mountainous as Mount Tai, Mothers' love is as everlasting as streaming water. As a child, one is duty bound to worship their mother, to respect their father.

2. religion

đạo Thiên Chúa

Christianity

theo đạo

religious

3. province

Giang Nguyên Đạo

Gangwon province

đài quyền đạo (“taekwondo” )nhu đạo (“judo” )hiệp khí đạo (“aikido” )kiếm đạo (“kendo” )cung đạo (“kyudo” )đạo línhân đạođịa đạoâm đạo

đạo

Derived terms

Verb

1. (art) to rip off; to plagiarize

đạo nhạc

to rip off someone else's music

đạo văn

to rip off someone else's written piece or writing style

đạo tranh

to rip off someone else's painting

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[Expand]

high; tall

(measure

word);platform;

stage; terrace;stand;

support; desk;station;

broadcastingstation

trad. (⾼臺/⾼台) ⾼ 臺/台

simp. (⾼台) ⾼ 台

⾼臺

ChinesePronunciationNoun

Derived terms

Proper noun

Mandarin

(Pinyin): gāotái(Zhuyin): ㄍㄠ�ㄊㄞˊ

Hakka (Sixian, PFS): kô-thòi

⾼臺

1. tall platform; high building; towering building2. (literary, figuratively) parents (of a person)3. (literary, figuratively) capital of a country

⾼臺教／⾼台教 (Gāotáijiào)

Contents

Chinese

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

⾼臺

1. (〜神) Cao Đài, the supreme deity believed by Caodaists to have created the universe

2. (〜縣) Gaotai County (county in Gansu province, China)

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Proper noun