cao Đài - wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

8/12/2019 Cao i - Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

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Cao i's left eye.

The "Holy See" temple in

Ty Ninh is the centre of

the main Caodaist

church.

The altar of ta Caodaist

temple in M Tho.

Caodaist temple in

Dallas, Texas, serving a

local large Vietnamese

community.

Cao iFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Cao Dai)

Caodaismor Caodaiism(Vietnamese:o Cao i, "Way of theHighest Power"; Chinese:; pinyin: Gotijio) is a monotheistic

religion, officially established in the city of Ty Ninh in southern Vietnam, in1926.[1]The full name of the religion isi o Tam K Ph ("The Great

Faith [for the] Third Universal Redemption").[1]

Cao i(Vietnamese: [kw j]( ), 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 termc Cao i(Venerable HighLord) as the abbreviated name for the creator of the universe, whose full title isCao i Tin ng i B Tt Ma Ha Tt("The Highest Power [the] AncientImmortal [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 the union with God andfreedom from sasra. Estimates of the number of Caodaists in Vietnam vary;current government figures give 3.2 million for Caodaists affiliated to the Ty

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 theworld and includes the incorporation of sacred images, symbols, and colors.[6]

Contents

1 History

2 Religious Mission

3 Beliefs and Teachings3.1 God

3.2 Cosmology

3.3 Three-fold revelation

3.4 Twelve-fold hierarchy

4 Fundamental Rules & Values

5 Worship Rituals

6 Symbols

6.1 The Divine Eye6.2 The religious banner

7 Holy scriptures

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7.1 The Canonical Codes

7.2 The Religious Constitution

8 Organisational structure

8.1 The Executive Body (Cu Trng i)

8.2 The Legislative Body (Hip Thin i)

9 Community Structure10 The Holy See

11 Branches

12 See also

13 References

14 Sources

15 External links

History

From 1921, His VenerablenessNg Vn Chiu, a district head of the French administration in Cochinchina,was the first disciple to worship and receive messages from Duc Cao Dai / God the Father. He received avision of the Divine Eye which is now the symbol for Duc Cao Dai/ God as well as the focus for worship onall Cao Dai altars.

On Christmas Eve 1925 God identified Himself to the first group of Caodaist mediums which included theirVenerableness Phm Cng Tc, Cao Qunh C, and Cao Hoi Sang. These great souls were to play an

essential role in the growing religion, as the H Php, Thng Phm and Thng Sanh respectively.

On 7 Oct 1926, His Excellency L Vn Trung(a former elected official of the Colonial Council ofCochinchina and a member of the Conseil de Gouvernement de l'Indochine), and a leading group of 27Caodaists, the first disciples of Duc Cao Dai, signed the "Declaration of the Founding of the Cao DaiReligion and presented it to the French Governor of Cochinchina.

Caodaism was formally established in the Vietnamese city of Ty Ninh in 1926.[1]It 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" (i o Tam K Ph ), it becameenormously 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 Caodaism (along with several other Vietnamesesects, such as Ha Ho) were active in political and military struggles against both French colonial forces

and South Vietnamese Prime MinisterNg nh Dim.[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,


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Caodaism was granted legal recognition and free practice once again.[8]

Religious Mission

The Cao i Religion's (or Caodaism's) official name is i o Tam K Ph . Translated directly itmeans: The Third Great Universal Religious Amnesty. (i o - "Great Faith", Tam K - "Third Period",Ph -"to announce" and - "to save"). It will be a period of intense religious activity that will see God andHumanity united in ways not yet imagined. The Third Amnesty establishes a new Great Faith for salvationof living beings before the universal destruction. The primary objective of the Third Amnesty is the unity of

all religions, which will bring mankind together in a universal family for universal peace.[11]

Throughout human history, God the Father has revealed His Truth many times. His Divine Messages havebeen translated through the mouths of many great prophets, but always these messages were either ignoredor forgotten due to humans susceptibility to secular desires. The Age has now come where He speaks tohumanity directly.

The previous two Religious Amnesties saw the rise of Hinduism, Judaism, Confucianism, Buddhism,

Taoism, Christianity, Islam, etc. Caodaism as the embodiment of The Third Amnesty comes to unite thetraditions of these Two Periods. It does so guided directly by c Cao i (God the Father) and the DivineBeings.

One of the early messages received from Him went as follows, Formerly people of the world lacked meansof 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]

In the nineteenth century Spiritism re-awoke the religious life of Europe. Great souls such as MadamBlavatsky, Alan Kardec and Victor Hugo opened new vistas of religious possibility. In Vietnam the age-oldtraditions of Asian divination and Taoist mediumship began to mix with the new traditions of EuropeanSpiritism. This meeting of Eastern and Western traditions caused an evolutionary leap in humanity's spiritualquest. Thus a strong communication link was established between Heaven and Earth. It was through thisspecial link that God granted His Third Amnesty directly. Though it was announced to the humble andgrateful nation of Vietnam, The Third Amnesty is a gift to all.

Emphasising this objective of unity, inside every Cao i Temple, is a representation of the Divine Contractof The Third Amnesty (The Third Alliance). This contract between Heaven and Earth is written and

presented to humanity by the Venerable Saints, Victor Hugo, Sun Yat Senand Trng Trnh Nguyn Bnh

Khim. Their mission is to guide humanity into the way of the Third Amnesty. The contract is written inFrench: Dieu et Humanit 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."[13]

As mentioned in the Bible, Maitreya Bodhisattva will be enthroned the next Pope of Cao i, after Hereaches enlightenment to become a Buddha. Maitreya Buddha together with His newly select congregationwill fulfill the mission of uniting the world religions. Then, He will hold the Dragon Flower Festival wherefaithful souls are evaluated for the ranks of Angels, Saints, Immortals an Buddhas based on their virtues, andgood deeds.

Beliefs and Teachings

God


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A sphere inside the Ty

Ninh Holy See,

representing the Left Eye

of God.

In Chapter I of Tao Te Ching, Lao Tse wrote:The Tao that can be told is not the universal TaoThe name that can be named is not the universal nameThe nameless is the beginning of the the universeThe named is the mother of all beings.

According to Gods Divine message, there was nothing before the creation of the material universe but oneprinciple, or monad. This monad is Tao or God. God has no form, no color, no beginning, and no end. He isinvariable, unfathomably powerful, and everlasting. After creating the universe, He divided His spirit andwith it made all matters and creatures. I have told you that when there was nothing in this universe, thecosmic ether gave birth only to Me, and My throne is the universal monad. I divided the monad into the diadwhich is Yin and Yang, then into the tetrad and then into the eight trigrams. The latter changed continuouslyto form the universe. I then divided My spirit to create myriad creatures, including matters, plants, insects,

animals generally called living beings.[14]

"Cao i" refers to God the Father (The Supreme Being, the Creator, the Ultimate Reality of the Universe).Cao i Tin ng i B Tt Ma Ha Tt, as Gods full title, indicates a combination of the three mainreligions - Confucianism, Taoism, & Buddhism.

Cao Dai literally means High Tower/Palace, that is, the place where God reigns over the

universe. These words represent Confucianism.

Tien Ong is the lowest rank in Taoism.

Dai Bo Tat Ma Ha Tat is the lowest rank in Buddhism.

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.[15]

Cosmology

Caodaists accept the idea of m(yin) and dng(yang) duality constituting the

harmonious balance of the universe.[16]Before the creation of the universe there

was the Tao, the infinite, nameless, formless, unchanging, eternal source.[16]

The negative and positive principles of the universe are the components of the

eternal nature.[16]

There are two main Gods, the Cao i("Highest Lord") and theDiu Tr Kim

uorc Pht Mu("Holy Mother").[16]

They represent respectively theyang and yin forces.[16]Cao iis viewed as the heart of the universe, the

common Father of all beings.[16]He imparts part of Him into each living being,including even rocks, in the form of conscience.c Pht Muis venerated asthe Mother of the universe, responsible for giving visible forms, consciousness

and emotions to all life.[16]Ultimately, She has to follow the orders of "cCao i", who is revered as the Supreme Being of both Heaven and Earth.

Another important belief is that "c Cao i" is at the same time a lovingFather, and an impartial Judge. He governs over the Divine hierarchy, a system whereby Heaven is

organized into classes and roles to enact the principles of the Tao, as well as to maintain the continuousevolution of the universe. Therefore, Dignitaries are required to don their formal religious costumes when

presenting themselves before Him in the Holy See. Meanwhile, "c Pht Mu" only has love for Herchildren, i.e. all the living beings. According to an important religious scripture (Divine path to eternal life)


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and the New Bible, she resides in the "Diu Tr Cung" (The Palace housing a Yellow Gem Pond where theforms of spirits are created) in the Realm of Creation, the ninth one in the rank of evolution. The samescripture and the New Bible also describes "c Cao i" as presiding over the Divine court in the JadePalace (just above the realm of "Diu Tr Cung").The remaining deities each has their own role andresponsibility as assigned by "c Cao i" or "c Pht Mu" or higher ranking Divine Beings. Theyreside across the thirty six heavens, three thousand worlds, and the four Cosmic regions.

A very detailed depiction of Heaven is provided in "Divine Path to Eternal Life (http://www.daotam.info/booksv/dptel/dptel.htm)", one of the most important scriptures of Cao i Religion. It is written by HisHoliness Phm Cng Tc, who was granted the blessing by God the Father to enter His kingdom duringesoteric and meditative practice.

Three-fold revelation

The father of the universe, Cao i, is believed to have communed with men since the beginning of times,

revealing his will.[17]According to Caodaist doctrine, history is divided into three times (tam k) of

revelation.[17]In the first two periods there were teachings of Dipankara Buddha, sages, Phc Hy,

Shakyamuni Buddha, Laozi, Confucius and Jesus, who received the will of the Highest Power, and servedsuffering humanity founding religions.[17]But due to the frailty of the messengers and the common men, the

will of the Highest Power was misled into corrupted forms.[17]Caodaists also believe that former revelationswere culture-bound, being applicable only for certain ethnicities, and primarily intended for specific

ages.[17]The third and final form of revelation is disclosed through the teachings of Caodaism.[17]

Twelve-fold hierarchy

Caodaists believe that there are various ranks of Divine spirits: Thn("Angels"), Thnh("Saints"), Tin

("Immortals"), andPht("Buddhas").

[18]

Each of these ranks can be further divided in the three grades ofThin(Heavenly),Nhn(Human) anda(Earthly), forming a twelve-fold hierarchy that reflects the

twelve-fold earthly hierarchy of the Caodaist church.[18]Below those ranks are the the spirits of matters,

plants, animals and humans.[18]

Depending on their origin, human spirits are classified into three main types, including primary,evolutionary, and devilish spirits. Primary spirits were born at the same time with the creation of heaven andearth. Evolutionary spirits come from lower rank ones like matters, plants and animals. When these twotypes of spirits commit serious sins, they may be downgraded to devils. Only around 92 million people onthis earth possess primary spirits; the remaining are either evolutionary or devilish with the latter as

majority. According to one of the Caodaist holy scriptures, Collection of Divine Messages(Vietnamese:Thnh Ngn Hip Tuyn), God the Father has said:

Unfortunately, these devils are innumerable and they are masters of illusion and seduction. Thisis why I have said that I have unleashed many ferocious beasts among you and have orderedthem to devour you; however, I have also given each of you an armor to protect yourself. This

armor is your virtue and it is invisible to these beasts. [19]

All spirits may evolve to attain higher rank based on present deeds.[18]Disembodied spirits fulfill a number

of roles: they are benefactors of mankind, messengers and instructors of the truth.[18]Quan m is regarded

as the exemplary Goddess of the Buddhas, L Bch of the Immortals, and Quan V of the Saints.

Fundamental Rules & Values


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The doctrinesof the Cao i Religion tends not only to reconcile all religious views, but also to adapt itselfto all degrees of spiritual evolution. A basic principle of Caodaism is "All Religions are One".

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

2) From a philosophical point of view, Cao i 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.

3) From the point of view of worship, Cao i Religion prescribes the adoration of God, the veneration ofDivine Beings and the worship of ancestors.

4) From a spiritual point of view, Cao i Religion confirms, in harmony with other religions, the existenceof the spirits and the soul, their survival beyond the physical body, and their evolution by successivereincarnations, according to the Karmic Law.

5) From the initiates' point of view, Cao i Religion communicates to worthy adherents and reveals

teachings that enable them, by a process of spiritual evolution, to reach the ecstasies of happiness.[20]

A basic principle of Cao i Religion lies in synthesising the Doctrines of the three main Religions Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism - into one. This is why in belonging to Cao i Religion, believersmust observe the basic principles of these three Religions to cultivate and purify themselves by strictly

pursuing the following:

- The three main duties (Tam-Cang) and five essential virtues (Ng-Thng) of Confucianism for males.The three main duties are social relationships between king and subject (qun-thn cang), father andchildren (ph-t cang), husband and wife (phu-th cang). And the five essential virtues are: Love/Humanity(Nhn), Justice/Faithfulness (Ngha), Good manner/Politeness (L), Wisdom (Tr), and Loyalty (Tn).

The three main duties (Tam-Tng) and four essential virtues (T-c) of Confucianism for females. Thethree main duties are social relationships between a female and her father, husband, and son. Beforemarriage, she is to obey her father; after marriage, her husband; and when her husband passes away, her son.The four essential virtues are: Fulfillment of housework (Cng), Maintenance of good appearance, but notaddiction to it (Dung), Good verbal conduct (Ngn), Gentleness/ Kindness (Hnh).

- The three refuges and the five prohibitions of Buddhism. The three refuges (Tam Qui) are: to take refuge inthe Buddha (Qui Y Pht), to take refuge in His Law/Dharma (Qui Y Php), and to take refuge in theSpiritual Community (Qui Y Tng). The five prohibitions are: do not kill living beings (st sanh), do notsteal (du o), do not commit adultery (t dm), abstain from drinking intoxicants (tu nhc), and do not sin

by words (vng ng).

- The striving to unify the three jewels and the five elements of Taoism. The three jewels (tam bu) are: lifematter/ching (tinh), life energy/chi (kh), and soul/shen (thn). The five elements are: mineral (kim),vegetable/wood (mc), water (thy), fire (ha), and earth (th). This principle actually applies more to

esoteric practice to reach enlightenment, than to daily life.[21]

Worship Rituals

Caodaists worship God the Father, Holy Mother and the Divine Beings with all their heart. They also

venerate the Great Religious Prophets of history and honour the ancestors.

There are four daily ceremonies, that is, at 6:00 a.m., Midday, 18:00 p.m. and midnight, either at the templeor in front of the home altar. Monthly rituals take place on midnight of the 1st and 15th days of the lunarmonth. There is also a special anniversary ceremony once a year for God the Father, the Holy Mother, the


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five founders of the worlds major religions, and the founders of Cao Dai Religion.[22]The rituals differbetween 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 Thi Thng Lo Qun or

Taishang Laojun (Taoism), prayer to Confucius (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 the Holy Mother, prayer to express gratitude to the Holy Mother, one the three jewel

offering prayers (flower, wine, and tea), and the five pledges.

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

Additionally, disciples also chant other prayers on appropriate occasions, e.g. the Maitreya Sutra to savesouls from the Yin realm, the Repentance prayer for self-correction, the Suffering Relief prayer, Baptism

prayer, Funeral prayer, etc. They can all be found in the New Bible scripture.

Ceremonial prescriptions such as actions, dress and music were organised in detail by God the Father. Theseinclude ceremonies for initiations, marriages and funerals. Particular attention is paid to death, and it has

been revealed to the religion how the soul journeys towards heaven and how, on earth, co-religionists can

pray for souls to help them on their way.[22]

Symbols

Cao i 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 tells adifferent story that reveals the beliefs, values, cosmic secrets, prophecies, etc. When combined, they lay outthe journey of the Tao throughout the history of mankind and the universe, as well as its way forward.

The Divine Eye

The Eye symbolizes the spirit and also the place where the spirit resides in each human being. The spirit orconscience is granted by God to each living being, and thus represents God Himself. The Eye also points tothe secret mechanism of enlightenment via esoteric or meditation practice. According to the Collection of

Divine Messages:

The Eye represents the soulTwo sources of light (Yin and Yang) are the Master

Light is the spiritThe spirit is GodGod is Myself.

Since the Dao was lost, there has been a lack of the spirit in the miraculous mechanism of enlightenment.With this third salvation, I will allow the Than (spirit) to be unified with the Tinh (physical matter) and theKhi (perispirit), leading to a unification of the three elements, which is itself the miraculous mechanism of

enlightenment.[23]

In spirit and in pictorial representation it serves to remind Cao i believers that the God witnesseseverything, everywhere, constantly. At the local Cao i Temples, the Divine Eye has 16 rays of lightemanating from it. Nine radiate upward representing the nine levels of heaven, and seven radiating


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downward representing the seven emotions, which believers must control.[24]

The religious banner

In accordance with the religious mission, the three colors of Cao i banner represent the three mainreligions of the world; yellow stands for Buddhism, blue for Taoism, and red for Confucianism. Under theDivine Eye is a symbol which also represents the essence of the three religions; the bowl of charity for

Buddhist compassion and asceticism, the feather duster for Taoist purification; the Spring and AutumnAnnals for Confucianist virtue and love.[25]

Holy scriptures

There are various Caodaist scriptures. Some of those of the Ty Ninh Holy See are:Kinh Thin o V Tho(http://www.daotam.info/booksv/ktdvtd.htm)("Prayers of the Heavenly and the Earthly Way"), PhpChnh Truyn("The Religious Constitution [of Caodaism] (http://www.daotam.info/booksv/PhapChanhTruyen/PhapChanhTruyen.htm)"), Tn Lut("The Canonical Codes" (http://www.daotam.info

/tanluat.htm)), Thnh Ngn Hip Tuyn("Collection of Divine Messages" (http://www.daotam.info/tnht1e.htm)), "Con ng Thing Ling Hng Sng" ("Divine Path to Eternal Life"(http://www.daotam.info/booksv/dptel/dptel.htm)), "The Sermons of His Holiness Phm Cng Tc". Othersects have additional scriptures.

The Canonical Codes

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

Hierarchy of religious dignitaries1.

Initation and ranks of believers2.

Establishment of a parish3.

The five interdictions4.

The four commandments5.

Education6.

Sanctions7.

Promulgation of laws and regulations8.

Secular rules9.The house of meditation10.

The Religious Constitution

The Phap-Chanh-Truyen (The Religious Constitution of Caodaism) was delivered to the Religion as a seriesof Divine Messages. These are the guiding texts of the Religion's organisation, stipulating the authority,responsibility, limits, as well as religious vestment for each rank in the Religion.

Organisational structureThe organisational structure of the Caodaist church has similarities with that of a state. There are similarities

between the hierarchy of the Caodaist clergy and that of the Catholic Church. Besides the Pope, the Caodaisthierarchy has Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, and further ranks.


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Inner hall the Ty Ninh

Holy See temple.

Caodaists worshipping in

a temple. Priests are

dressed in red, blue and

yellow, followers in

white.

Caodaism stresses equality among men and women in society. However, in thespiritual domain, ordained women may not attain the two highest positions: theLegislative Cardinal and the Pope. The church claims this is ordered by theHighest Lord, who declared that becauseDng(Yang) represents male andm(Yin) corresponds to female, Yin cannot dominate Yang spiritually or else chaosensues.

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

The spiritual power (Bt Qui i): This is the heavenly council, that is, theSpirit and Soul of the New Religion. The council directs all activities of theuniverse. The council is the invisible part, made up of the Divine Beings, anddirected by Duc Cao Dai (God the Father). The Divine Beings representdifferent religions of the world, including:

Founders of five religions: Shakyamuni (Buddhism), Lao Tse (Taoism),

Confucius (Confucianism), Jesus Christ(Christianity), Khng Thi

Cng or Jiang Ziya (Geniism).Founders and teachers of Caodaism, who represent the doctrines of

Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism: Kwan Yin (Buddhism), Li Tai Po

(Taoism), Kwan Kung (Confucianism).

The earthly power: To avoid dictatorship, God divided the earthly power intotwo bodies - an Executive Body (Cu Trng i) headed by the Pope, and aLegislative Body (Hip Thin i) headed by the H Php (Protector of Lawsand Justice). The former takes charge of the administration of the Religion andits missionary activities, while the latter oversees legislation, jurisdiction and communication with God orDivine 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.[26]

The Executive Body (Cu Trng i)

The Cu Trng i is the Executive Body of Caodaism which takes charge of the administration of theReligion and missionary activities.

Head of Cu Trng i/ Executive Body is Gio-Tng (Pope). "The Gio-Tng (Pope) represents God towatch 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 Gio-Tng (Pope)has the same powers as God to teach Virtue to all His Disciples. He is concerned with each one of them, he

uides each one and takes care to ensure that each one does not transgress the Divine Laws (Thin iu).He obliges all disciples of God to conform strictly to the prescriptions of the New Codes (Tn Lut)... Sincethe Gio-Tng (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 Gio-Tng (Pope)."[27]There are nine ranksin its hierarchy:

One Pope

Three Censor CardinalsThree Cardinals

Thirty six Archbishops

Seventy two Bishops


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Three thousand Priests

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 subdivided into 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 adherentsin the ratio of one delegate per 500 members. The Popular Council makes plans for the future.

The Sacerdotal Council: composed of Priests, Bishops, Archbishops and Principal Archbishops. The

Sacerdotal Council 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 HighCouncil for approval.

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

The Principal Archbishops of the Buddhist branchtake care of finances, supply, and public works.

The Principal Archbishops of the Taoist branchtake care of education, health, and agriculture.

The Principal Archbishops of the Confucianist branchtake care of interior, rites, and justice.

The administrative network which functions throughout Vietnam consists of:

The Religious Region(Trn o) comprising several provinces, headed by a Bishop who is called the

Regional Religious Chief/ Khm Trn o.

The Religious Province(Chu o) comprising several districts/delegations, headed by a Priest who

is called Provincial Religious Chief/ Khm Chu o.

The Religious District/ H o comprising several villages, headed by a Student Priest who is called

the Religious Chief of Delegation/ u Tc o (u H o/ u Phn o).

The Religious Village/ Hng o headed by a Sub-dignitary who is called Village Religious Chief/

u Hng o. He is assisted by one (or more) Ph Tr S (Deputy Chief for Administration of a

religious village) representing the Executive Body and one (or more) Thng S representing theLegislative Body. The Religious Village is made up of Religious Hamlets/ p o.[26]

The Legislative Body (Hip Thin i)


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. At the centre of this city stands the Great Divine Temple. This Temple, like the Religion, is a fusion ofworld influences. As well as being a major centre of pilgrimage, the Caodaist Holy See is also one of

Vietnam's major tourist attractions.[25]

Branches

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

The Caodaist Executive Council of Ty Ninh Province received official government recognition in 1997.Independent Caodaist groups allege that government interference has undermined the independence of theTy Ninh group, and it no longer faithfully upholds Cao i's principles and traditions. Religious trainingtakes place at individual temples rather than at centralized seminaries. Some Caodaist sects that have brokenaway from the Ty Ninh Holy See are Chiu Minh, Bn Tre, and Nng. Ng Vn Chiu founded ChiuMinh when he left the original church structure, refusing his appointment as Caodaism's first pope.

See also

Xiantiandao

Taoism

Trnh Minh Th

Ha Ho

References

^ abcdeHoskins, 2012. p. 31.

^Oliver, 1997. p. 72.

^Hoskins, 2012. pp. 3-43.

^Hoskins, 2012. p. 4, note 14.

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Indochina (http://www.academia.edu/1933794/_Gods_Chosen_People_Race_Religion_and_Anti-

colonial_Struggle_in_French_Indochina_). Asia Research Institute, Working Paper Series No. 189.

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studies.info/CaoDai_Sep2010.pdf). In: Social Compass, 57(3), 2010, 357371. DOI:

10.1177/0037768610375520

Sergei Blagov. Caodaism: Vietnamese Traditionalism and Its Leap Into Modernity. Nova SciencePublishers, 2012. ISBN 1590331508

Vincent Goossaert, David A. Palmer. The Religious Question in Modern China. University of Chicago

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Vere Langford Oliver. Caodai Spiritism: A Study of Religion in Vietnamese Society. Brill Academic,

1997. ISBN 9004045473

External links

Cao Dai Library in Sydney (Multilingual) (http://www.daotam.info/tusachdd.htm)

Cao Dai Library in English (http://www.daotam.info/tam.htm)

Cao Dai Ebooks in PDF, Kindle, Nook formats (http://www.daotam.info/tusachdd.htm#ebooks-pdf)

Caodaism main website (http://www.caodai.org)

Caodaist Overseas Missionary (http://www.caodai.net)

Hi Vn Ha Cao i Caodaist Cultural Association, Australia (http://www.caodai.org.au)

Caodaist French Resources (http://caodaitv.free.fr)

Sacerdotal Council of Caodaism (http://caodai.com.vn/)

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Religion in Vietnam Religions that require vegetarianism Religious organizations established in 1926

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