His Holiness Ho-Phap Pham Cong Tac (Nov 1948) said: "...The
Divine Master came to gather us together again, to unite us and to encourage us
to live in peace like children in one large Family. The prediction of his coming
in the Christian Gospel is fulfilled: 'I have other wandering sheep to bring
back to the fold'. This means that He has to unify many religions.
Among the religions founded by those sent by God at different times, we
can mention:
- The Doctrine of the Buddhas which include Brahmanism, Vedantism,
Buddhism, and the Philosophy of Pythagoras;
- The Doctrine of the Seraphim which includes Taoism, the Theories of
Yang-Tsu and Mei-Ti, Exorcisms, Idolatry and the Occult Sciences;
- The Doctrine of the Saints which include Christianity, Catholicism,
Protestantism, Islam;
- The Doctrine of the Genies which includes the Chinese, Greek and
Egyptian Mythologies;
- The Doctrines of the Sages which includes the Theories of Socrates,
Aesop, Plato, etc in Greece; and Confucius, Mencius etc, encompassing the
refined practices and customs of the Han and Tan dynasties, and the Classical
Literature of the Duong dynasty from the early age of China.
Before revealing Himself to found Caodaism which is the syncretism of the
ancient doctrines, God sent the Great Spirits incarnate in the World to create
various philosophical societies aimed at giving new life to human consciousness.
Examples are the Theosophical Society, the Society for Research into Buddhist
Philosophy, the Psychic Society, study of Spiritism, etc. Most of these
societies were founded to teach the Truth to all the countries of the World, one
century before the appearance of Caodaism.
Today our Master comes and builds "The Lofty Palace / Cao Dai" or
the Lofty Church symbolising the Greatest Faith in the World, in order to
provide a basis for the New Religion. He has chosen His Apostles among the
inhabitants of a minor group of people in the Far East, for that is what VietNam
is, to carry out this prophecy: The Holy doctrine of God comes from the East.
The Priestly Group is thus the Spotless Body of the Eternal One, and by beating
the drum called 'Loi-Am' (Sound of Thunder which created the First Logos,
manifestation of God to create the worlds), and ringing the bell called 'Bach-Ngoc'
(Bell which has the power to rouse sleeping souls, as it rings out God's Call to
his children), they wake God's children from the sleepy lethargy of the present
times and lead them towards their Father's Home.
The Supreme Being/God who rules in this space is the Creator, the Supreme
Chief of all the Universe and Cosmos. This Creator/God has come under the name
of CAO DAI TIEN ONG DAI BO TAT MA HA TAT, to found in Viet Nam, through
Spiritism, a New Religion of high moral and philosophical value to save humanity
from the cycle of reincarnation. This New Religion is called Caodaism or DAI
DAO TAM KY PHO DO (Great Way for the Third Universal Amnesty).
Cao Dai Religion (Dao Cao Dai) or Caodaism, as it is usually
known in Europe, is an indigenous religion, the third largest religion in Viet
Nam. It originated in South Viet Nam in the early twenties, and was officially
inaugurated in 1926. Its followers called Caodaists in English, workship DUC
CAO DAI (pronounced: Duk Kow Dye) known as God the Father in the western
world. Caodaism is a synthesis of all main religions in the world, i.e.,
Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Taoism, Confucianism, and Geniism.
Caodaism is syncretistic in its doctrine, ritual practice, organizational
structure, divinities and philosophy.
The Cao Dai Religion also has another name is Dai-Dao Tam-Ky Pho-Do (Great
Way or Great Religion for the Third Universal Amnesty / Third Amnesty of God in
the East). The term "Dai-Dao" literally means "Great
Religion/Way", "Tam-Ky" means "The Third Time/Period",
"Pho" means "to Show" and "Do" means
"to Save". So Dai-Dao Tam-Ky Pho- Do means "great religion
that for the third time is manifest to save all living beings".
Garry W. Trompf who is Professor in the History of Ideas, School of Studies
in Religion, University of Sydney wrote (1992): "...Caodaism is described
as a 'super- Theosophy' bring[ing] harmony to all spiritual beliefs and
philosophies". Indeed, with the Cao Dai Religion, God the Father revealed
Himself, organized and founded ONE religion, which is the Religion of the
future, to save humanity and to restore concord and therefore harmony, peace and
love among people on this planet.
The early history of Caodaism is summarised as follows:
- From 1921 His Highness Ngo Van Chieu who was the first Caodaist received
messages to worship Duc Cao Dai / God.
- On Christmas Eve, 1925, the Supreme Being, God identified himself to the
first group of mediums (Their Highnesses - Pham Cong Tac, Cao Quynh Cu and Cao
Hoai Sang), as Ngoc-Hoang Thuong-De viet Cao-Dai Tien Ong Dai Bo-Tat
Ma-Ha-Tat Giao-Dao Nam-Phuong (Jade Emperor, alias Cao Dai, Immortal, His
honor to the eldest Boddhisattva, the venerable Saint, Religious Master of the
Southern Quarter).
- A group of 28 Vietnamese who were the first Cao-Dai disciples signed
the "Declaration of the Founding of the Cao Dai Religion" and sent it
to the French Governor of Cochinchina on 17 October 1926.
- On 18 November 1926 (14th day of 10th month of the Year Binh Dan/Year of
the Tiger), a three days inauguration ceremony took place at Tu Lam Pagoda, Go
Ken (Tay Ninh Province, South Vietnam). The ceremony was planned for only three
days (18,19,20 November 1926) but it lasted for three months.
- After the religious inauguration ceremony, the New Religion, Caodaism,
rapidly expanded and was welcomed with much ardour by the public in Vietnam.
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