Cao Dai
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Wikipedia-Article "Cao Dai"
| Đạo Cao Đài |
| Chinese: 高台教 , Gaotaijiao |
| English: Caodaiism, Caodaism |
| Vietnamese: Đạo Cao Đài |
Cao Dai (Cao Đài) is a relatively new, syncretist, monotheistic religion, officially established in Tay Ninh, southern Vietnam, in 1926. Đạo Cao Đài is the religion's shortened name, the full name is Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ.
The term Cao Đài literally means "high place." Figuratively, it means that highest place where God reigns. It is also the abbreviated name for God, the creator of the universe, whose full title is Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tát Ma-ha-tát.
Caodaiists credit God as the religion's founder. They believe the teachings, symbolism and organization were communicated directly from Đức (means venerable) Cao Đài. Even the construction of the Tay Ninh Holy See had divine guidance.
Cao Đài's first disciples Ngô Văn Chiêu, Cao Quỳnh Cư, Phạm Công Tắc, and Cao Hoài Sang claimed they were contacted by God and given explicit instructions to establish the religion. They claimed to have received direct communications from God, ordering them to combine the major religions of the world, which he has created. These religions are Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Spiritualism.
Adherents engage in ethical practices such as prayer, veneration of ancestors, nonviolence, and vegetarianism with the goal of, minimally, obtaining a favorable rebirth, or, better yet, entering heaven, or, ultimately, escape from the cycle of birth and death. The saints, or guiding spirits revered in Cao Đài are Buddha, Laozi, Confucius, Sun Yat Sen, Victor Hugo and Jesus.
Estimates of the number of Cao Đài adherents in Vietnam vary, but most sources give two to three million. Some estimates are as high as eight million adherents in Vietnam. An additional 30,000 (primarily ethnic Vietnamese) in the United States, Europe, and Australia.
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Origin of God and the Universe
Before God existed, there was the Tao -- that nameless, formless, eternal source referenced in the Tao Te Ching. At some point, a Big Bang occurred, and out of which, God was born. The Universe cannot be formed yet for God represented Yang. Therefore, he shed a part of himself and created the Goddess, the Yin. In the presence of Yin and Yang, the Universe was materialized. The Goddess is, literally, the Mother of the myriad of things in the Universe. Thus, Cadaiists not only worship God, the Father, but also the Mother Goddess.
Scriptures
The Tay Ninh Holy See recognizes three main scriptures:
- 1. Thánh Ngôn Hiệp Tuyển
- 2. Pháp Chánh Truyền (The Religious Constitution of Caodaiism)
- 3. Kinh Thiên Đạo Và Thế Đạo
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- Note: Scriptures from other sects will be listed later
Symbolisms
God is symbolized by the Divine Eye, specifically the left eye. The reason for this is God is Yang, and Yang is the left side.
Religious Constitution and Organization
Americans may be surprised to find that they are more familiar with Caodaiism's organizational structure than they realize. Caodaiism's governing body consists of three branches that are functionally equivalent to the U.S.'s Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branch.
The head of the Executive Branch is called "Giáo Tông," which means leader or head of a philosophical or religious organization. Similarities between the hierarchy of Caodaiism's dignitaries and those of the Roman Catholic Church have led translators to borrow terminologies such as pope, cardinals, bishops, priests, etc. In practice, Caodaiism has many more ranks and titles of which there are no official English translation as of yet. The actual Vietnamese term for Pope, as in the Catholic Pope, is "Giáo Hoàng."
Caodaiism stresses equality among men and women. Ordained women may attain ranks up to cardinal. The reason a woman cannot be pope will be discussed later.
Schism
Caodaiism also suffers from schism like other religions. Some of the Cao Dai sects that have broken away from the Tay Ninh Holy See are: Chiếu Minh, Bến Tre and Đà Nẵng.
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