CaoDai, A Way to Harmony
Definition:
Human beings have a tendency toward materialism. They
discriminate against each other because of physical differences between
cultures and religions; they fight and kill each other under the form of
religious war.
In order to relieve humankind’s religious crisis, in 1926, via
spiritism, the Supreme Being founded an innovative faith called CaoDai in
Vietnam, with the principle that all religions are one, have the same origin
and principle, and are just different manifestations of the same truth.
"CaoDai" literally means high palace or Supreme Palace
or Abode on High (where God reigns). Figuratively, the phrase Cao Dai (two
words) is used as God's symbolic name. The philosophy of CaoDai is the oneness
between the Supreme Being and the universe, including humanity and religions.
The official name of CaoDai is DAI DAO TAM KY PHO DO.
"Dai Dao" is the great way, including all religions. The word
"Dao" has two meanings: the Tao (Spirit), the way that leads living
beings to become One with God; and religion, a physical organization with
diverse physical appearances, rituals, and laws. The Tao is invisible, but
religion is its visible physical counterpart.
"Tam Ky" means the third appearance. Saying "the third"
denotes that there were first and second appearances.
Indeed, the first appearance of the Great Way consisted of
diverse messengers representing diverse religions: Nhien Dang Co Phat
(Dipankara Buddha), founding Hinduism or the way of the Buddhas; Thai Thuong
Dao Quan (a previous incarnation of Lao Tse), founding Taoism, or the way of
the Immortals; King Fu Hsi, founding humanism; Moses, founding the way of the
Saints (which is Judaism, the precursor of Christianity and Islam).
The second appearance of the Great Way consisted of Sakya Muni,
or the Buddha Gautama, representing the way of the Buddhas; Lao Tse, the way of
the Immortals; Jesus and Mohammed, the way of the Saints; and Confucius, the
way of humanism.
The third appearance is the revelation of CaoDai, or the
revelation for all religions, all previous ways from East to West, to abide
together in harmony.
Pho Do means universally saving, saving all humanity regardless of their
cultural backgrounds.
CaoDai was officially founded in 1926. Regarding this third
revelation, Cao Dai said: “Before I founded CaoDai, I sent Angels, Saints,
Immortals, and Buddhas all over the world to promote religious unity.”
Indeed, various movements of religious unity have arisen all over
the world:
Baha’i was
founded in 1862 by Balla’Ulla in Persia; Theosophical Foundation was founded in
1875 by Helena Blavatski in New York;
the first
Parliament of the World’s Religions was held in Chicago in 1893;
the first
International Convention on Religion’s History was held in Paris in 1900;
and
Radhakhrishnan taught Comparative Religion at Oxford University in 1939.
So why CaoDai? Why one more faith? Don’t people have enough
religions?
There are in reality more than enough separate religions in the world, so much
so that religious competition and discrimination have led humanity to hatred,
conflict, and wars with each other: my God is different from yours. Because of
the plurality of separate religions and of the conflicts among humanity, God has
come to offer a way to bring people and religions together in harmony. Cao Dai
said: "Formerly, people lacked transportation, and therefore did not know
each other. Thus, I founded at different epochs and in different areas, five
branches of the Great Way: the way of humanism, the way of Genii (or of
Angels), the way of Saints, the way of Immortals, and the way of Buddhas, each
based on the customs of the race. Today, transportation has been improved, and
people have come to know each other better. But people do not always live in
harmony because of the very multiplicity of these religions. This is why I have
decided to unite all these religions into one to bring them to the primordial
unity.”
History of CaoDai.
In 1920, Cao Dai, the Supreme Being, revealed Himself to Ngo Van
Chieu, the then- governor of Phu Quoc, a beautiful island in the Gulf of Siam.
Ngo was leading a life of seclusion and wisdom. With the assistance of a
spiritualist form of worship, he maintained contact with the spiritual realm.
An apparition which identified itself as “Cao Dai” appeared. From the
beginning, the name Cao Dai, which literally means high abode, or roofless
tower, was given as a symbolic name of the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being
informed Ngo that all the world’s religions should return to the One from which
they originally sprang. This message was to be delivered to the world. Ngo
asked CaoDai for permission to worship Him under a visible form. He then had a
vision of the All-Seeing Eye and was subsequently ordered to use it as the
symbol of Cao Dai. Ngo returned to Saigon in 1924. To those interested in
spiritual self-cultivation, he taught the philosophy and esoteric practice he
had learned from Cao Dai during his stay in Phu Quoc.
In mid 1925, totally independently from Ngo Van Chieu, three
minor civil officials in Saigon – Cao Quynh Cu, Pham Cong Tac, and Cao Hoai
Sang – were together practicing spiritism. One spirit contacted was unique for
His outstanding virtue and knowledge. He introduced Himself as AAA. (AAA are
the first three letters of the Vietnamese alphabet). On Christmas Eve of 1925,
AAA finally revealed that He was the Supreme Being, coming under the name of
Cao Dai, to teach the Way. He said: “Rejoice this day, it is the anniversary of
My coming to the West to teach the Way (God came to the Middle East in the form
of Yeshua - Jesus – Christ to found Christianity). This house will be filled
with blessings. You will see more miracles which will lead you to further
belief. For some time now, I have used the symbol AAA to lead you to religious
life. You are soon to found a unique religion under My instructions.”
1920, March 1: Ngo Van Chieu, governor of Ha Tien, received poems
via spiritism from a female immortal, who suggested him to take the spiritual
path.
1920, October 26: Ngo Van Chieu, then governor of Phu Quoc,
received teachings from the Supreme Being, via spiritism, about CaoDai the new
faith with the Divine Eye as a symbol.
1924, July 30: Ngo Van Chieu was transferred to Saigon.
1925, July: In Saigon, Pham Cong Tac, Cao Quynh Cu, and Cao Hoai
Sang organized seances with table tipping. The Jade Emperor came under the name
of A A A to guide them to the spiritual path.
1925, September 1: The trio organized a banquet for the Mother Goddess, and the nine females
Immortals. This banquet thereafter became a CaoDai annual tradition of the mid-autumn festival dedicated to the
Mother Goddess.
1925, December 24: The Jade Emperor used CaoDai as the name of the
Supreme Being and of the novel path to save humanity for the third time.
1926: CaoDai brought the trio to meet with Ngo Van Chieu, then
with Le Van Trung and other disciples.
1926, August 23: 247 CaoDai disciples submitted the declaration of
Dai Dao Tam Ky Pho Do, or CaoDai the novel faith to the French government, the
governor of which was Mr. Le Fol.
1926, November 18 – 19: Grand Opening Ceremony of CaoDai at Tu Lam pagoda at Go Ken. CaoDai
constitution was established with the formation of the male and female
Sacerdotal Council of the Cuu Trung Dai and the Hiep Thien Dai.
1927, March 23: The Holy land was moved to Long Thanh village,
where the construction of the Holy See was started.
1927: Spiritism seances for recruiting disciples was stopped.
1934, November 19: Giao Tong (Pope) Le Van Trung died leading to
the formation of other CaoDai sects.
1941: Ho Phap Pham Cong Tac (Legislator Protector) was exiled to
Madagascar by the French government.
1945: Formation of CaoDai army allied with Japanese forces.
1945: Ho Phap Pham Cong Tac was released
1954: Completion of the Holy See construction.
Principle of CaoDai.
The principle of CaoDai is that “All religions are one, have the
same origin and principle, and are just different manifestations of the same
truth.”
One may wonder how all religions can be one while they appear so
outwardly different. The Vietnamese word for “religion” is “dao” which has two
meanings. The first meaning is “The Tao” or the way, which is invisible,
that leads living beings to the unification with the Supreme Being; the second
meaning is religion, a physical organization, or a physical visible counterpart
of the Tao with physical structures, rituals, and laws to guide humanity to the
Tao. Therefore, if one speaks of religions, one would see them under myriad
different appearances; but when one speaks of the Tao, or the esoteric aspects
of religions, one would see them as one.
CaoDai structure
Spiritual power:
The Bat Quai Dai (Eight Trigram Palace), headed by CaoDai the Supreme Being who gives orders and messages to the earth via spiritism
Earthly Power:
The Cuu Trung Dai (The Nine Sphere Palace) Executive Body.
The Cuu Trung Dai (The Nine Sphere
Palace) Executive Body which consists of nine ranks:
1-
One Giao Tong (Pope)
2-
Three Chuong Phap (Legislative Cardinals)
3-
Three Dau Su (Cardinals)
4-
Thirty six Phoi Su (Archbishops)
5-
Seventy two Giao Su (Bishops)
6-
Three thousand Giao Huu (Priests)
7-
Le Sanh (Student priests)
8-
Chuc Viec (Sub- Dignitaries)
9-
Disciples
The Hiep Thien Dai (The Heavenly Union Palace) Legislative Body
The Hiep Thien Dai (Heavenly Union
Palace), the Legislative Body that has the role of mediumship communicating the
Spiritual Power and the Cuu Trung Dai. It consists of:
The Ho Phap (Law Protector), head of the
Hiep Thien Dai
The Thuong Pham (Head of Religious
Affairs)
The Thuong Sanh (Head of Secular Affairs)
Under each of them there are four Zodiac
Dignitaries for the total of 12 Zodiacal Dignitaries who can all have the
ability of mediumship in the spiritism seances.
The Hiep Thien Dai (Heavenly Union
Palace) is the Sacred place where the Supreme Being manifests to give spiritual
direction to the Cuu Trung Dai.
The Hiep Thien Dai is also a place where
the Giao Tong (Pope) communicates with the Thirty Six Heavens, The Three
Thousand Spiritual Worlds, The Sixty Seven Planets, The Ten Courts of Hell to
ask for the salvation of humanity.
The Hiep Thien Dai is entrusted with the
maintenance and application of religious rules and laws
Is my God
really different from yours?
Regarding the Supreme Being, CaoDai believes that before the
creation of the heavens and universes, the cosmic ether was a kind of
stillness, quietness, or nothingness; and at the same time there was within it
a kind of primordial chaos, indistinct and shadowy with mixtures of pure and
impure materials, which is called "the Tao" or pre-creation
ether. CaoDai said: “The Cosmic Ether created only Me. So, who created
these religious founders? It was Me, theTao. You must understand this. If I did
not exist, there would be nothing in the universe. And if there were no Cosmic
Ether, then I would not exist either.”
It was into this cosmic ether that the great source of Divine Light appeared
called "Thai Cuc" (Monad) or the Supreme Being. CaoDai holds that the
Supreme Being is the “Great Sacred Light”--or Energy--and human beings are the
“little sacred lights.” The Monad then created Yin and Yang, the two opposite
logos: "Am Quang" (Yin Darkness) and "Duong Quang" (Yang Energy).
Yin is heavy, dark, cold, dense, negative, inactive… while Yang is clear,
bright, warm, pure, positive, active… Yin and Yang interact with each other to
form the heavens and universes, of which Yang is the origin of the invisible
spiritual part, and Yin is the mother of all visible physical manifestations.
In explaining
the meaning of the All Seeing Eye, the symbol of the new faith, the Supreme
Being taught:
"The Eye is the Master of the heart.
The two sources of Energy, Yin and Yang, are the
Masters of Creation (that is to say, these two sources of Energy correspond to
electrons and protons and are responsible for the creation of the universe).
Energy is, in turn, the Spirit;
Spirit is the Supreme Being.”
And the Supreme Being is from the midst of The Invisible Void, or the
Nothingness (called in Buddhism Shunyata or in Judaism Beli-mah).
Taoism describes this process in the following way: "The Tao
begets One, The One begets two, two begets three, three begets ten thousand
beings; ten thousand beings carry Yin on their back and hold Yang in front,
blending these two vital breaths to attain harmony." (Tao Te Ching, 42)
Taoism calls the Creator the Tao, and the Tao is nothing but the nothingness:
”There was something nebulous, existing before the heaven and earth, silent,
empty, standing alone, altering not, moving cyclically without being exhausted,
and which may be called the mother of all under heaven.” (Tao Te Ching, 25)
Regarding the Creator, Judaism considers God or Elohim as a state
of consciousness that pertains neither to perception nor to non-perception. Or,
in other words, the state of consciousness perceiving Nothingness. In the
beginning of the King’s authority, the lamp of darkness engraved a hollow in
the Supernal Luminescence...and the hollowing of the Divine Essence occurs in
Tohu and Bohu. (Chaos and Void) “He stretches the north on Chaos, He hangs the
earth on Nothingness (Beli-mah)” (Job 26:7)
Similarly, Christianity says: In the
beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All
things are made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. (John 1:1-3)
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. (John 1:4)
Islam says: Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. (Koran)
Sufism says: “In the widest sense, Islamic mysticism may be defined as the
consciousness of the One Reality - be it called Wisdom, Light, Love or
Nothing.” (Annemarie Schimmel, Chapel Hill, 1975, Mystical Dimension of
Islam )
Hinduism says: He is the one light that gives light to all. (Katha Upanishad)
Primal energy is Brahman.That Brahman is beginningless, transcendant, eternal.
(Bhagavad Gita)
Sikkhism says: God, being truth, is the one light of all. (Adi Granth)
The common Buddhist conception is that the Creator and living beings came from
the nothingness: “There is an unborn, not become, not made, unmanifest.”
(Samyutta- Nikaya of Theravada Buddhism)
Confucianism says:
Does Heaven ever speak?
The four seasons come and go,
and all creatures thrive and grow.
Does Heaven ever speak?
The Supreme Being is therefore called under various names by
various religions: The Nothingness, The Void, The Light, The Sacred Light, The
Wisdom, The Love, The True Self, The Absolute Self, The Truth, The Word, The
Monad, The One…
Regarding the formation of the universe, the Supreme Being gave
the following message: "After creating the universe, I divided My spirit
and with it made all creatures, plants and materials. Everything in this
universe comes from My spirit, and therefore has a life. Where there is life,
there I am, even in materials and plants. I am each of you and you are
Me."
Everything in this universe is derived from from Yin and Yang.
The proportion of Yin and Yang dictates the properties of each dimension. More
advanced souls enter dimensions which have a higher proportion of Yang and
would be lighter, brighter, calmer, more beautiful, and may be called the
heavens. Less advanced souls enter dimensions which have a higher proportion of
Yin, and would be heavier, darker, and more burdensome with many cruel souls
and may be called hells.
Spiritually, everything in the universe shares a part of the
Supreme Being's spirit, which is called the Conscience, or the soul, in human
beings. Physically, everything in the universe has a visible body, consisting
of a mixture of Yin and Yang, which is well demonstrated by science under the
form of electrons and protons in atoms, the basic common elements of all physical
reality--including materials, plants, animals, and human beings.
Science itself has contended that the universe came out of the
nothingness, the void, when there was no space, and there was no time.
Time is not an ever-flowing stream which gushes from forever in
the past to forever in the future. The flow of time is intimately linked to
space - and to matter and gravity. We cannot speak of what happened before the
Big Bang, because time itself did not exist then.
Before space existed, nothing could exist; there was nowhere for it to exist.
Our universe probably came into existence not only from nothing, but from
nowhere. Science cannot answer the question of why the universe began. All we
know is that something happened. The Big Bang took place about 13 billion years
ago. From nothing, a tiny speck of brilliant light appeared. It was infinitely
hot. Inside this fireball was all of space. With the creation of space came the
birth of time. The infant Universe was searingly hot, brimming with the
energy of intense radiation. Albert Einstein’s famous equation E=mc2 says that
mass and energy are interchangeable: one can be turned into the other. In the
early Universe, the energy of the radiation was so intense that it could
spontaneously transform into matter, which took the form of subatomic
particles, such as electrons and positrons. (Presently, Stanford University is
still continuing the experiment of creating matter from electrons and
positrons.)
From those tiny sources of energy, the Universe was created. The Creator being
composed entirely of energy, thus is the Universe.
It is clear from the discoveries of modern science relating to
the nature of molecules and atoms, which are simply composed of energy, that
everything, whether it is what we term animate or inanimate, is in motion and
also seems to exhibit some form of organizing intelligence.
The levels of heavens depend on the proportion of Yin and Yang
forces (energy) in their constitution. A level with more Yang would be lighter,
brighter, higher, and closer to God. Each level would accommodate corresponding
souls. Souls with good emotions (more yang) would be lighter and dwelling at
higher dimensions. Souls with more negative emotions, with less Yang or more
Yin, would be heavier, and dwelling at lower, darker, colder dimensions.
Emotions are like coats. The more negative emotions one has, the
more heavy coats one wears, the heavier one is, and the lower dimension one
inhabits.
When one is in a physical body, heaven or hell is in one’s heart.
People with a good heart feel like they are already in heaven. People with
negative emotions feel very heavy, miserable, with suffering in their heart, or
in other words, as if they are already in hell. Although they lived on earth,
did not Buddha and Jesus always live as if they were already in heaven? The way
to cultivate one's spiritual self is to return to one’s inner self to find the
quietness (without being attached to emotions) in one’s heart--which is a state
of Nirvana.
Most Eastern philosophies believe that there are nine dimensions
in heaven. CaoDai believes that there are twelve. The highest dimensions are
Hon Nguon Thien, Hoi Nguon Thien, and Hu Vo Thien which belong to the
pre-creation heavens where there is only Void, Nothingness, and Chaos. The
other nine dimensions are the dimensions of the Creation where universe and
living beings are created from two sources of energy Yin (electrons) and Yang
(positrons). They belong to the post-creation heavens. These nine dimensions
are under the control of the nine female Buddhas who guide human spirits to
progress through the nine dimensions.
After death, CaoDaists organize nine “Cuu” (meaning
"nine," and referring to a requiem recited every nine days) to pray
for the deceased to transcend through these nine dimensions. Two hundred days
after the ninth “Cuu” is recited, the celebration of the “Tieu Tuong” (Minor
Beauty ceremony) occurs, in which the spirit of the deceased is encouraged to
reach the “Hu Vo Thien” (the Nothingness dimension). Three hundred days after
the “Tieu Tuong” is the celebration of the “Dai Tuong” (Major Beauty ceremony),
the last requiem, when the spirit of the deceased is encouraged to reach the
“Hon Nguon Thien,” (the chaos dimension) the highest dimension.
In summary, science and religion agree with each other in that
there is a oneness between the Supreme Being, the universe, human beings and
everything that exists, and that they are all a form of energy. The only
difference is that the Supreme Being is absolutely pure, absolutely good,
absolutely Yang. Human beings have a spiritual heritage from the Supreme Being,
which is called the Conscience, and also have a physical body, which is a
mixture of Yin and Yang, and which human beings have to cultivate in order to
become more and more Yang: better, purer, and closer to the Supreme Being, to
finally become one with the Supreme Being.
In CaoDai, this distilling process is a product of meditation,
vegetarianism, moral practices, and prayer, to continually raise the
vibrational level of Yang.
World religions’ COMMON LANGUAGE:
Although religions wear different physical appearances, they do have one same
principle. The most practical important principle of all religions is that of
“LOVE and JUSTICE.”
BAHA’I:
LOVE IS THE LIGHT THAT GUIDETH IN DARKNESS, THE LIVING LINK THAT UNITETH GOD
WITH MAN THAT ASSURETH THE PROGRESS OF EVERY ILLUMINED SOUL
LAY NOT ON ANY SOUL A LOAD WHICH YE WOULD NOT WISH TO BE LAID UPON YOU, AND
DESIRE NOT FOR ANYONE THE THING YOU WOULD NOT DESIRE FOR YOURSELF
YE ARE ALL THE LEAVES OF ONE TREE AND THE DROPS OF ONE OCEAN
BUDDHISM:
THE NINTH PERFECTION IS LOVING KINDNESS. AS WATER QUENCHES THE THIRST OF THE
GOOD AND THE BAD ALIKE, AND CLEANSES THEM OF DUST AND IMPURITY, SO ALSO SHALL
YOU TREAT YOUR FRIEND AND YOUR FOE ALIKE WITH LOVING KINDNESS
HURT NOT OTHERS IN WAYS THAT YOU YOURSELF WOULD FIND HURTFUL
WHAT IS MEANT BY SOUL OF A SUCHNESS IS THE ONENESS OF THE TOTALITY OF THINGS,
THE GREAT, ALL-INCLUDING WHOLE.
FOR THE ESSENTIAL NATURE OF THE SOUL IS UNMANIFEST AND ETERNAL
CAODAI
YOU ARE THE BODY OF LOVE
GOD AND HUMANITY. LOVE AND JUSTICE
I, YOUR MASTER, AM YOU; YOU, MY CHILDREN, ARE ME
CHRISTIANITY:
GOD IS LOVE; AND HE WHO DWELLS IN LOVE DWELLS IN GOD
DO NOT DO UNTO OTHERS WHAT THOU WOULDST NOT THEY DO UNTO THEE
THERE IS ONE BODY, AND ONE SPIRIT, ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE GOD WHO IS ABOVE
ALL, AND THROUGH ALL, AND IN ALL
HINDUISM:
TRUE RELIGION IS TO LOVE, AS GOD HAS LOVED THEM, ALL THINGS, WHETHER GREAT OR
SMALL
DO NOT TO OTHERS THAT WHICH IF DONE TO YOU WOULD CAUSE YOU PAIN
ISLAM:
I WAS NOT SENT TO CURSE THE INFIDELS BUT TO HAVE MERCY ON MANKIND
NONE OF YOU TRULY HAVE THE FAITH IF YOU DO NOT DESIRE FOR YOUR BROTHER THAT
WHICH YOU DESIRE FOR YOURSELF
THE EAST AND THE WEST IS GOD’S: THEREFORE, WHICHEVER WAY YOU TURN, THERE IS THE
FACE OF GOD
JUDAISM:
THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF
DO NOT DO UNTO OTHERS WHAT THOU WOULDST NOT THEY DO UNTO THEE
HEAR, O ISRAEL. THE ETERNAL IS OUR GOD, THE ETERNAL IS ONE. THE ETERNAL ONE OF
ALL BEING IS THE GOD WITHIN US
TAOISM:
THE EXCELLENCE OF FRIENDSHIP IS MEASURED BY LOVE
WORLD SOVEREIGNTY CAN BE COMMITTED TO THAT MAN WHO LOVES PEOPLE AS HE LOVES
HIMSELF
MYSELF AND GOD AND EARTH ARE BORN TOGETHER MYSELF AND TEN THOUSAND BEINGS ARE
ONE
UNITY AND DIVERSITY COUNCIL:
WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD, WE ARE ONE.
PATHS ARE MANY, SPIRIT IS ONE.
ZOROASTRIANISM:
ALL BEINGS ARE BELOVED OF THE LORD AND SHOULD LOVE GOD IN RETURN
THAT NATURE ONLY IS GOOD WHEN IT SHALL NOT DO TO ANOTHER WHATEVER IS NOT GOOD
FOR ITS OWN SELF
THE SOUL OF THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL BE JOYFUL IN IMMORTALITY
Besides the principle of “Love and Justice,” which has an
important role in the daily life of humanity, most religions believe that one
has the Supreme Being, or God, or Buddha inside oneself, which is usually
understood as conscience. It is the Spirit, or one’s true self bestowed by the
Supreme Being. It is called Microcosm by Zoroasterianism, True Self by
Hinduism, Buddha’s heart by Buddhism, God’s heart by Taoism, Soul by
Christianity, Rei by Shintoism, Nafs-e-mutamannah by Islam, and little sacred
light by CaoDai. Caodai said: "After creating the universe, I
divided My spirit and with it made all creatures, plants and materials.
Everything in this universe comes from My spirit, and therefore has a life.
Where there is life, there is Myself, even in materials and plants. I am each
of you and you are Me.” Thanh Ngon Hiep Tuyen p. 170
Hinduism also teaches: "When are liberated all the desires
that lodge in one’s heart, then a mortal becomes immortal, therein he reaches
Brahman.
He that has known the glory of the self within the ephemeral body - that
stumbling block to enlightenment - knows that the self is one with Brahman, Lord
and Creator of all."-- Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
"A person of the measure of a thumb, is the inner soul
(antaratman) ever seated in the heart of creatures, he is framed by the heart,
by the thought, by the mind; they who know that, become immortal."--Svetasvatara
Upanishad
Taoism teaches:
The heart is the Tao, the Tao is the heart.
Return to the heart to find the Tao.
You can see the whole world
Without leaving your room.
You can see the universe
Without even looking out your window.
In fact, it is often true
That the farther one travels
The less one sees.
By looking inside himself,
The wise man sees with his heart and his mind,
And his heart and his mind see everywhere.
--Tao Te Ching
And Christianity teaches: "There is one God and Father of all, who is
above all and through all, and in you all,"
Eph. 4:6;
"For the Kingdom of God is within you," Luke 17:21; "Don’t you
realize that all of you are the house of God, and that the Spirit of God lives
in his house," 1 Cor 3:16; "For though we have never yet seen God,
when we love each other, God lives in us and his love within us grows ever
stronger. And he has put his own Holy Spirit into our hearts as a proof to us
that we are living with him and he with us," I John 4:12-13.
And Buddhism teaches: I am a Buddha already enlightened. You are
a Buddha yet to be enlightened.
Every human being has a Buddha inside.
The heart is Buddha, Buddha is in the heart.
And Islam teaches: "We (God) are nearer to him (man) than
his jugular vein." (Koran 50:16)
One of the most persistent doctrines of Sufism is inwardness.
They despise outward piety and shallow religious rituals. “Direct thyself to
the inward and thou shalt see thy God.”
Poem of the Sufi Hallaj:
I saw my Lord with the Eye of the Heart.
I said: “Who are thou?”
And He answered: “Thou”
--Martin Lings, What is Sufism.
1995.
CaoDai teaches:
I, your Master, am you; you, My children, are Me.
Nhien Dang (Dipankara) Buddha is Me,
Sakya Muni (Gautama Buddha) is Me,
Thai Thuong Nguon Thi (Lao Tse) is Me,
Who is CaoDai?
Buddha, God; God, Buddha are Me,
Although different, all branches belong to one same trunk (family),
Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity are in My hands,
Because of love, I come to save humanity for the 3rd time
It is miraculous.
God and men are one.
--Dai Thua Chon Giao, p.65
We are One Universal Mind
Immense and omnipresent
Although our selves do not exist, we still individually exist
We individually exist, but we are still One Universal Mind
The Tao is the first cause, the Master,
And is one with ten thousand beings.
--Thanh Giao Suu Tap 1966-67, p. 35
Children, you are sacred spirits on earth,
Who share with Me the same sacred light…
You have already the key,
To go to anywhere either to earth or to heaven.
--Thanh Giao Suu Tap 1966-67, p. 36
Isn't it wondrous, how much religions have in common? If an
individual takes time to study others' religions, one would realize that they
are but one unique truth which has been expressed in different ways.
At this moment, in this current situation of the world, the existence of CaoDai
is just to remind humanity and all religions that ALL RELIGIONS ARE OF THE SAME
ORIGIN AND PRINCIPLE, AND ARE JUST DIFFERENT MANIFESTATIONS OF THE SAME TRUTH.
A thorough study of all religions leads to the conclusion that
ALL RELIGIONS ARE ONE, not in their historical accuracy or separate customs,
but in their essential message:
ALL RELIGIONS COME FROM ONE COMMON DIVINE SOURCE
ALL ETHICS ARE ESSENTIALLY CONTAINED IN THE GOLDEN RULE AND LOVE
ALL HUMANITY IS ONE COMMON FAMILY
DIVINITY CAN BE EXPERIENCED AND REALIZED IN THE INDIVIDUAL
THROUGH PRAYER/MEDITATION
GOOD DEEDS ARE REWARDED, EVIL DEEDS ARE PUNISHED, etc....
The noble effort of CaoDai is to unite all of humanity through a
common vision of the Supreme Being, whatever our minor differences, in order to
promote peace and understanding throughout the world. CaoDai does not seek to
create a gray world, where all religions are exactly the same, only to create a
more tolerant world, where we can all see each other as sisters and brothers
from a common divine source, reaching out to a common divine destiny.
If people are open to independently reading and studying each
other's religions, or to contact other religious communities in their areas to
talk to the religious leaders and perhaps to some of the faithful as well--to
simply build a continuing dialogue of understanding between them--this would be
likely the most powerful weapon against hatred and intolerance, and hopefully
many friendships would result.
In addition, various church groups could organize meetings where
different religions could be discussed, speakers could be invited, videos and
music of different traditions could be shown, and understanding between humans
would be enhanced.
Also, charity projects for communities could be established with
the participation of everyone, regardless of their different religions and
ethnic origins, so that through love and compassion for the needy, humans would
become closer and closer to each other, love would develop between them as a
solid bond, and peace would subsequently be found, between individuals at
first, and then progressively in local communities and finally, throughout the
world.
CaoDai Sectarianism.
Prophecy:
From My precious throne, flowers are happily and continually
blooming more.
Although many different branches are growing out, they will belong
later to one same family.
Likewise, you should join together to try your best in serving the
Great Way.
With patience and loyalty, you will come back to Me.
The main sects:
Chieu
Minh Tam Thanh: 1926, Ngo Minh Chieu
Toa
Thanh Tay Ninh: 1926, Pham Cong Tac
Tien
Thien: 1930: Nguyen Huu Chinh
Bach
Y Lien Doan: 1930, Nguyen Van Tong
Cau
Kho: 1931, Vuong Quang Ky, Doan Van Ban
Minh
Chon Ly: 1931, Nguyen Van Ca
Nu
Chung Hoa: 1932, Ngoc Nhien Huong
Ban
Chinh Dao: 1934, Nguyen Ngoc Tuong
Tich
Coc: 1934, Mr Nhuan
Trung
Hoa Hoc Phai: 1935, Cao Trieu Phat
Minh
Chon Dao: 1935, Tran Dao Quang
Co Quan Truyen Giao Trung Viet: 1956, Tran van Que
Reasons for CaoDai sectarianism:
Government
involvement
Seùance suspicion
and manipulation
Personality
conflicts and leadership rivalry
A deliberate plan
for the creation of sects to
protect CaoDai against the French.
Hum D. Bui, M.D.