INTRODUCTION

 

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.