Caodaism[a] is aVietnamesemonotheisticsyncreticreligion that retains many elements fromVietnamese folk religion such asancestor worship,[citation needed] as well as "ethical precepts fromConfucianism, occult practices fromTaoism, theories ofkarma andrebirth fromBuddhism, and ahierarchical organization fromCatholicism".[1] It was officially established in the city ofTây Ninh inSouthern Vietnam in 1926.
The full name of the religion isĐại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ (chữ Hán:大道三期普度 'The Great Faith [for the] Third Universal Redemption').[2]
Adherents engage in practices such as prayer,veneration of ancestors, nonviolence, and vegetarianism with the goal of union with God and freedom fromsaṃsāra.[3] Estimates of the number of Caodaists in Vietnam vary; government figures estimate 4.4 million Caodaists affiliated to the Cao ĐàiTây Ninh Holy See, with numbers rising up to 6 million if other branches are added.[4][5][6][7][8]
The United Nations found about 2.5 million Caodaists in Vietnam as of January 2015.[9][10] An additional number of adherents in the tens of thousands, primarily ethnic Vietnamese, live in North America, Cambodia, Europe and Australia as part of theCao Dai diaspora.
Officially called the "Great Way of the Third Time of Redemption" (Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ), it became popular in the first few decades after its 1925 beginning, gathering over a million members and converting a fifth to a fourth of the population of Cochinchina by 1940.[7]Ngô Văn Chiêu, who had never intended Cao Đài to become a mass organization, left the movement and eventually established in 1932 an independent, esoteric branch known as Chiếu Minh, headquartered inVĩnh Long, which still exists and only admits a limited number of committed adepts.[11]
In the 1930s, its leader criticized yet maintained good ties with the French colonial regime. This stance was controversial, and contrasted with the liturgy of dozens of "dissident" branches of Caodaism that followed a moreTaoist model.[7]
During theFirst andSecond Indochina Wars, members of Cao Đài (along with several other Vietnamese sects, such asHòa Hảo) were active in political and military struggles against both French colonial forces and South Vietnamese Prime MinisterNgô Đình Diệm, who later became president.[12][13]
Their criticism of thecommunist forces until 1975 was a factor in their repression after thefall of Saigon in April 1975, when the incomingcommunist government banned the practice of Caodaism.[14] In 1997, Caodaism was granted legal recognition and unrestricted practice once again.[12]
"Cao Đài" refers to God the Father (also known as the Supreme Being, Creator, and "Ultimate Reality of the Universe," as well as theNgọc Hoàng).Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tát Ma Ha Tát, as God's full title, indicates a combination of three religions—namely,Confucianism,Taoism, andMahayana Buddhism—that significantly influenced Caodaist theology.[15]
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.[16][need quotation to verify]
According to Caodaism, God permeates all things in the Universe, both living and inanimate, reminiscent ofPanentheism. It is believed that part of God's spirit is within all people and creatures.[17]
God has many different names depending on each person'sworldview.
Caodaism posits that all religions are derived from the same source; it is apluralist theology. The unique name for the Caodaist deity is intended to capture the development of God's revelation throughout evolutionary history:Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tá Ma Ha Tát,Chaos,Taoism,Ông Trời,Thượng Đế,Đấng Sáng Tạo,Allah,Tathāgata,Atenism,Brahma,Yahweh,Great Spirit,Waheguru, etc.
Caodaists adopt the traditional Chinese idea ofâm (yin) anddương (yang) duality constituting the harmonious balance of the universe. Before the creation of the universe there was the "Đạo", the infinite, nameless, formless, unchanging, eternal source. The negative and positive principles of the universe are the components of the eternal nature.[18]
There are two main Gods, theCao Đài ("Highest Lord") and theDiêu Trì Kim Mẫu orĐức Phật Mẫu ("Holy Buddha Mother"). They represent respectively the yang and yin forces.Cao Đài is viewed as the heart of the universe, the common Father of all beings. He imparts part of him into each living being, including even rocks, in the form of consciousness.Đức Phật Mẫu is venerated as the Mother of the Universe, responsible for giving visible forms, consciousness and emotions to all life.[18] Ultimately, she has to follow the orders ofĐức 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 their Father and Mother. Any being who falls out against them is considered devils in nature. These devils are led by the most powerful being, named Kim Quang Sứ (Satan).[citation needed]
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. theRealm of Saints, theRealm of the Holy Mother, theRealm of the Perfect Beings, theDivine Court Realm, theParadise of Extreme Joy, etc. Meanwhile, hell has ten key realms to carry out punishments in accordance with sins of souls.
In order to get 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 (Earth being 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 ultimately rejoin God the Father in Heaven.
The father of the universe, Cao Đài, is believed to have communed with men since the beginning of times, revealing his will. According to Cao Đài doctrine, history is divided into three times (tam kỳ) of revelation. In the first two periods, there were teachings ofDipankara Buddha, sages,Phục Hy / Fu Xi,Gautama Buddha,Laozi,Confucius andJesus, who received the will of the Highest Power, and founded their respective religions to serve and / or educate humanity. However, due to the frailty of the messengers and the common men, the will of the Highest Power was misled into corrupted 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.[19]
Caodaists believe that there are various ranks of divine spirits:Thần ("Holy Spirits"),Thánh ("saints"),Tiên ("Immortals"), andPhật ("Buddhas"). Each of these ranks can be further divided in the three grades ofThiên (Heavenly),Nhân (Human) andĐịa (Earthly), forming a twelve-fold hierarchy that reflects the twelve-fold earthly hierarchy of the Caodaist church. Below those ranks are the spirits of matters, plants, animals and humans. All spirits may evolve to attain higher rank based on present deeds. Disembodied spirits fulfill a number of roles: they are benefactors of mankind, messengers and instructors of the truth.[20]Quan Âm is regarded as the exemplary goddess of the Buddhas,Lý Bạch (Li Bai) of the Immortals, andQuan Vũ (Guan Yu) of the Saints.
The Cao Đài pantheon counts three main prophets, as illustrated on a plaque at the entrance of the Tay Ninh Temple: Victor Hugo (to please the French), since he gave many teachings and also the text of a number of important prayers. He himself practiced spiritism on the island of Jersey from 1852 to 1855, and predicted that he would become the prophet of a new religion to merge European and Asian mysticism.[21] Sun Yat-sen (for the Chinese) and Trạng Trình, the Vietnamese Nostradamus (for the Vietnamese).
Thedoctrines 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". Cao Đài has been described from five different points of view:[citation needed]
Monthly rituals take place at midnight on the 1st and 15th days of the lunar month. There is also a special anniversary ceremony once a year for God the Father, the Holy Mother, the five founders of the world's major religions, and the founders of the Cao Dai religion.[22]The rituals differ between places, depending on who they pray to.
There are also differences between monthly rituals, and anniversary ones.
The Caodaism Holy See, Caodaism Temples, and religious buildings host a rich array of symbols, all of which are instructed by either God the Father or Divine Beings. No symbol is redundant, and none is meaningless. They each tell a different story that reveals the beliefs, values, cosmic secrets, prophecies, etc. When combined, they lay out the journey of the Tao throughout the history of mankind and the universe, as well as its way forward.
In spirit and in pictorial representation, the Eye serves to remind Cao Đài believers that theGod 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 to various spiritual aspects. The One on the globe shows the Supreme Being above theNorth Star in theUrsa Minor constellation. The One on the façade of the Holy See has 35 rays of light which represent the three major religions and five main religious doctrines of the world. At the local Cao Đài Temples, the Divine Eye has 16 rays of light emanating from it. Nine radiate upward representing the nine levels of heaven, and seven radiating downward representing the seven emotions, which believers must control.[23]
In accordance with the religious mission, the three colors of Cao Đài banner represent the three main non-Hinduistic Asian religions of the world; yellow stands forBuddhism, blue forTaoism, and red forConfucianism. Under the Divine Eye is the religious emblem which also represents the essence of the three religions; the bowl of charity for Buddhist compassion and asceticism, the feather duster for Taoist purification; theSpring and Autumn Annals for Confucianist virtue and love.[22]
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"),[24][need quotation to verify]Pháp Chánh Truyền ("the Religious Constitution of Cao Đài Religion"),[25]Tân Luật ("The Canonical Codes"),[26] andCon Đường Thiêng Liêng Hằng Sống ("Divine Path to Eternal Life").[27] Other sects have additional scriptures.[citation needed]
This scripture sets out the rules and boundaries for different aspects of the religion, from a believer to the Pope, from education to marriage, etc. There are ten sections in the scripture with the following content:
ThePháp Chánh Truyền (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 organization, stipulating the authority, responsibility, limits, as well as religious vestment for each rank in the religion.
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The organization of the Caodaist church has similarities with that of a state. There are similarities between the hierarchy of the Caodaist clergy and that of theCatholic Church. Besides thePope, the Caodaist hierarchy has Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, and further ranks.
Caodaism stresses equality among men and women in society. However, in the spiritual domain, ordained women may not attain the two highest positions: the Legislative Cardinal and the Pope. The church claims this is ordered by the Highest Lord, who declared that becauseDương (Yang) represents male andÂm (Yin) corresponds to female, Yin cannot dominate Yang spiritually or else chaos 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 Spirit and Soul of the New Religion. The council directs all activities of the universe. The council is the invisible part, made up of the Divine Beings, and directed by Duc Cao Dai (God the Father). The Divine Beings represent different religions of the world, including:
The earthly power: To avoid dictatorship, God divided the earthly power into two bodies – an Executive Body (Cửu Trùng Đài) headed by the Pope, and a Legislative Body (Hiệp Thiên Đài) headed by the Hộ Pháp (Protector of Laws and Justice). The former takes charge of the administration of the Religion and its missionary activities, while the latter oversees legislation, jurisdiction and communication with God or Divine Beings. There is also the Charitable Body placed under the supervision of the Legislative Body, and a Lay Committee of selected professional specialists among worthy followers.[28]
TheCửu Trùng Ðài is the Executive Body of Caodaism which takes charge of the administration of the Religion and missionary activities. Head ofCửu Trùng Ðài is theGiáo-Tông (Pope). The first and only officially ordained Giáo Tông of the Tây Ninh Holy See wasLê Văn Trung (1876–1934). After his death, the position of Pope was left permanently vacant, a decision reportedly guided by spiritual communication from Cao Đài instructing that no successor be named.
The Giáo-Tông (Pope) represents God to watch over the preservation of His Religion in this world. Whatever his age, he is eldest brother and acts as a guide for the children of God. The Spiritual Power has decided that this is so. The Giáo-Tông (Pope) has the same powers as God to teach Virtue to all His Disciples. He is concerned with each one of them, he guides each one and takes care to ensure that each one does not transgress the Divine Laws (Thiên Điều). He obliges all disciples of God to conform strictly to the prescriptions of the New Codes (Tân Luật) ... Since the Giáo-Tông (Pope) has full powers to replace God he must try to transform the life of suffering into an existence marked by happiness. This is the Exalted Task of the Giáo-Tông (Pope).[25]
There are nine ranks in its hierarchy:
| Number | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pope |
| 3 | Censor Cardinals |
| 3 | Cardinals |
| 36 | Archbishops |
| 72 | Bishops |
| 3,000 | Priests |
| no limit | Student Priests |
| no limit | Subdignitaries |
| no limit | Followers |
For male dignitaries of the Executive Body, from the rank of Censor Cardinal to that of Student Priest, each echelon is subdivided into three branches corresponding to the three principal religions:
Dignitaries of the same echelon, either Confucianist, Taoist or Buddhist, have the same attributes.
At the Holy See, there are three governing councils:
All plans made by the Popular Council and favored 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 Principal Archbishops to oversee three religious ministries:
The administrative network which functions throughout Vietnam consists of:
This Body has the duty of communicating with Divine Beings, to preserve the religious laws and listen to the complaints of the unhappy. It is headed by theHộ Pháp (Defender of the Dharma,protector of laws and justice), and assisted by theThượng Phẩm (Director of religious affairs) andThượng Sanh (Director of secular affairs).
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 Tinh Quân (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), Bảo Công Quân (Public Works),Bảo Thương Quân (Economics).[28]
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.Parishes can be established only with the permission and authority 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 of the local area to attend the ceremony and listen to the teachings. Exception can be made for those with reasonable excuses.[26]
NearHo Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in Tây Ninh province stands the Caodaist Headquarters. At the heart of this city stands theGreat Divine Temple. As well as being a major heart of pilgrimage, the Caodaism headquarters is also one of Vietnam's major tourist attractions.[16]
"The period between 1934 and 1975 witnessed not only the robust development of the Cao Dai religion but also saw the separation of the Cao Dai religion into different independent sects, sometimes as many as 30". As of July 2014, "central and provincial authorities have granted legal recognition" to 11 Cao Dai sects.[29]
These sects generally divide along geographic lines. The largest is based in Tây Ninh Province, where the religion was founded in 1926 and where the seat of the Caodaist authority is located.
The Caodaist Executive Council ofTây Ninh Province received official government recognition in 1997. Independent Caodaist groups allege that government interference has undermined the independence of the Tây Ninh group, and it no longer faithfully upholdsCao 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 Cầu Kho, Bến Tre, Minh Chơn Lý, Minh Chơn Đạo, Tiên Thiên, and Hội Thánh Truyền Giáo Trung Việt.Ngô Văn Chiêu founded Chiếu Minh when he left the original church structure, refusing his appointment as Caodaism's first pope.
[B]y the early 1990s, Cao Dai was reported to have some two million adherents in Vietnam, Cambodia, France, and the United States.
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