Ngô Văn Chiêu (1878-1932)
In 1920, Caodai God began
initiating His earliest disciples who contributed to the foundation of a new
religion in Vietnam
- In 1920, God first
chose Ngô Văn Chiêu (1878-1932), who would establish Caodai esotericism.
- In 1925, God initiated
the Cao-Phạm group, later called the exoteric group, into the foundation of
Caodai exotericism.
I. NGÔ VĂN CHIÊU’S SOCIAL LIFE
The first disciple of
Caodai God was Ngô Văn Chiêu, commonly known by the religious name Ngô Minh
Chiêu.
1. His childhood
Chiêu was the only child
of an honest and poor couple. His father was Ngô Văn Xuân. His mother, Lâm Thị
Quý (1858-1919), also called Lâm Thị Tiền, was from Bình Tây district, Chợ Lớn
province. His parents worked at a rice mill in Bình Tây district.
Chiêu was born on 08
February 1878 in his mother’s village. However, as found in some books, his
birth date is 28 February 1878.
He was born in a small
house surrounded by a swampy area behind a Chinese pagoda dedicated to Quan đế.[1] Built in 1873, also called Chùa Ông, the pagoda is
now named Bình An and located at 242 Trần Văn Kiểu, district 6.
At the age of six,
because his parents left for Hà Nội to make their living, Chiêu was sent to
Điều Hòa village, Thuận Trị canton, Mỹ Tho province. He lived there with his
father’s only younger sister, Ngô Thị Đây. Her Chinese spouse, called Phu,
owned a shop selling Chinese medical herbs and timber. The couple had no
children; therefore, they were willing to take care of their little nephew and
sent him to school at his age of ten.
At the age of twelve,
with the help of đốc phủ sứ Lê Công Xũng (1853-1920), a high-ranking official
at the provincial chief’s palace (Inspection de Mỹ Tho), Chiêu applied for
admission to collège de Mỹ Tho as a boarder. Established on 17 March 1879 by Governor
Le Myre de Vilers, the collège was later named collège le Myre de Vilers (on 02
December 1942), and finally Nguyễn Đình Chiểu high school (since 22 March 1953,
by decree No. 179-NÐ).
Later, Chiêu attended
collège Chasseloup-Laubat in Saigon .
Established on 14 November 1874, the collège was changed into lycée
Chasseloup-Laubat (1928), then lycée Jean Jacques Rousseau (1958),
and finally Lê Quý Đôn high school (since 1966).
At the age of twenty-one
he graduated and was awarded a diploma (diplôme d’études primaires
supérieures), which qualified him for the civil service in 1899.
Studying Ngô Văn Chiêu’s
background, Professor R. B. Smith (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
2. His life as an
official (1899-1931)
The chronological chart
below offers a glimpse of Ngô Văn Chiêu’s life as an official:
23 March 1899: Working for Service d’Immigration
(Immigration Service) in Saigon , as a
trainee secretary at a salary of 200 piasters.
14 July 1901: Promoted to third-class auxiliary
secretary for Service d’Immigration, at a salary of 250 piasters. (Auxiliary
secretaries were classified into three scales.)
01 January 1903: Transferred to Gouvernement de la
Cochinchine, under the tenure of Governor François Pierre Rodier. When Chiêu
left the Gouvernement (April 1909), the Acting Governor was Ernest Antoine
Outrey.
14 July 1904: Promoted to second-class auxiliary
secretary for Gouvernement de la Cochinchine, at a salary of 300 piasters.
14 July 1908: Promoted to first-class auxiliary
secretary for Gouvernement de la Cochinchine, at a salary of 480 piasters.
01 May 1909: Transferred to Tân An province and
worked at the provincial chief’s palace (Inspection de Tân An). He took his
mother there.
14 July 1910: Promoted to third-class principal
secretary for Inspection de Tân An, at a salary of 540 piasters. (Like
auxiliary secretaries, principal secretaries were classified into three scales.)
01 January 1913: Promoted to second-class principal
secretary for Inspection de Tân An, at a salary of 600 piasters.
01 January 1916: Promoted to first-class principal
secretary for Inspection de Tân An, at a salary of 660 piasters.
01 January 1917: Having passed an administrative
examination, he became a second-class tri huyện (a district chief), still
working for Inspection de Tân An. (Tri huyện was classified into two scales.)
15 November 1919: His mother deceased.
01 March 1920: Transferred to Hà Tiên province
after the one-hundred-day memorial service for his mother.
14 July 1920: Promoted to first-class tri huyện,
at a salary of about 1,222 piasters.
26 October 1920: Transferred to Phú Quốc island in
the Gulf of Thailand
01 January 1924: Promoted to second-class tri phủ,
at a salary of 1,672 piasters. (Like tri huyện, tri phủ was classified into two
scales. Tri phủ was lower than đốc phủ sứ.)
29 July 1924: Leaving Phú Quốc for Saigon , and working again for Gouvernement de la
Cochinchine under the tenure of Governor Auguste Tholance. His office (the
second bureau) was in charge of civil affairs like road and house construction,
provision, and pricing, etc.
01 July 1926: Promoted to first-class tri phủ, at
a salary of 1,933 piasters.[3]
December 1931: Retiring from Gouvernement de la
Cochinchine under the second tenure of Eugène Henri Eutrope, Acting Governor in
the absence of Governor Jean Félix Krautheimer. He went to Cần Thơ province for
convalescence.
As a high-ranking
official in French Cochinchina, Ngô Văn Chiêu was so humble. Descended from a
poor family, he always showed compassion for the poor and did not make use of
his administrative position to exploit his countrymen.
The principle of this
moral and honest official was Nhứt hào vô phạm (i.e., Never
steal even one-tenth of a penny.) Talking with his friends about his high rank,
he once named it “la bolée de riz administrative” – the bowl of
administrative rice.[4] This French phrase
reflected his attitude towards his job. Indeed, he did not care the lures of
honours and riches although he was in a position to enjoy them.
Choosing a secretive and
reserved way of life, Ngô Văn Chiêu did not let himself in for political
affairs. Also, he did not allow the French rulers to make him go against his
countrymen. As a low-salaried clerk in Saigon ,
to support his parents and his own family, Chiêu gave Chinese residents private
French lessons in the evening; his spouse cooked some of his co-workers meals
every day on monthly payment.
As a diligent district
chief, Ngô Văn Chiêu usually assisted the poor, especially those who were
imprisoned due to adversity. The more he won people’s hearts, the more the
French rulers felt unsatisfied and suspicious. That was why, in the report “Le
Caodaïsme” (Tây Ninh province, 01 January 1932), inspector Lalaurette had
no hesitation in criticizing Ngô Văn Chiêu for not wholeheartedly serving the
French colonialism in Cochinchina. The fact that he was transferred to remote
offices in Hà Tiên province and on Phú Quốc island could be an administrative
measure against a civil worker who displeased the French rulers with his
unwillingness to become a henchman of the colonial government.
3. His married life
When Ngô Văn Chiêu was a
clerk in Saigon (circa 1903), đốc
phủ sứ Lê Công Xũng expressed his wish to choose him as a son-in-law,
neglecting their unequal family backgrounds. Obeying his aunt Ngô Thị Đây’s
advice, Chiêu wisely found a good excuse for refusing the marriage offer.
Later, he married Bùi Thị Thân (1879-1955), an orphan born in Thạnh Trị village
and retailer at Mỹ Tho market. During the years he was stationed in different
places away from home, his moral spouse devotedly took care of their children.
In all, she gave birth to
nine children. The two first daughters were Ngô Thị Ngữ (died five days after
birth in Mỹ Tho province), and Ngô Thị Hồng (born and died in Saigon at the age of three). The next seven children
were born in Tân An province. The two daughters were Ngô Thị Yến Ngọc or Lợi
(born 1904), and Ngô Thị Nguyệt (born 27 May 1906). Following were five sons:
Ngô Văn Nhựt (born 10 September 1908), Ngô Văn Tinh (born 20 November 1910),
Ngô Tường Vân (born 01 September 1913), Ngô Thanh Phong (born 15 November
1915), and Ngô Khai Minh (born 09 September 1920).
In spite of his honest
poverty and large family, his religious life was not hindered. His spouse’s
silent help was really so considerable. She passed away in Tân An province on
30 December 1955.
Transferred to Tân An
province (1909), Chiêu rented a house on a river bank, near Quan thánh pagoda.[5] His mother lived there with him but his father
lived in Saigon with the second wife.[6] Later,
Chiêu paid sixty piasters for a thatched house on rented land, at 31
Lagrange street, Bình Lập commune (today 27 Phan Đình Phùng street, Tân An
town, Long An province). Gradually, he had it rebuilt with a tiled roof.
When Chiêu was
transferred to Hà Tiên province (1920), his spouse and children still lived in
Tân An province. Returning to Saigon (1924),
he stayed at a hotel named Bá Huê Lầu [7] on Pellerin street
Throughout his final
twelve years away from his family, Ngô Văn Chiêu led a spouseless life and
practising meditation taught by Caodai God. However, he did not fail to do his
duty for his family: sharing his monthly salary with his spouse and children,
saving money for the repair of his house in Tân An province.
Ngô Văn Chiêu used to ask
some of his poor neighbours to do very odd jobs and thereafter paid them highly
for their miscellaneous services. This was his subtle way, i.e., to conceal his
assistance to others skilfully.
As a judge in his own
administrative zone, he was never involved in bribery. He used to reconcile
both the accuser and the accused in trifling cases so that they could avoid
exploitation by court clerks. Those who were poor, oppressed, helpless and who
had been done unjustices, would be undoubtedly assisted.
Ngô Văn Chiêu himself
investigated the murder of a peasant at Thái Bình village, Mộc Hóa canton, Tân
An province. The criminal, who was the village chief, colluded with a canton
chief to cover up the truth; thus, the case did not come up for trial during
the two previous district chiefs’ tenure. Thanks to Chiêu’s justice, the
murderer had to plead guilty.
To perform corvée
labour, a thief prisoner had to pull a ceiling fan at Chiêu’s residence. He
cried, asking the district chief to let him return home to hold the funeral of
his father. Feeling compassion for the filial man, Chiêu gave consent. The
prisoner turned himself in after three days as promised.
A buglar was caught while
breaking into Chiêu’s house. After having kindly but severely advised the
buglar of what was wrong and right and to mend his ways, he gave him some money
and let him go.
He was tolerant towards
outsiders but severe with his children. His teenage children once complained
about his generosity towards outsiders instead to his own offspring. He calmly
explained, “You should not be so demanding since you all have enough food and
clothing. I help the poor to bequeath divine blessings to you all.”
Ngô Văn Chiêu usually
reminded his children of the saying Quan nhất thời, dân vạn đại [8] (i.e., transitory is a mandarin’s tenure,
generation after generation the people), or the saying Thuyền dời chớ
bến không dời (i.e., a boat can leave but a wharf cannot). He implied
that his children should not depend on their father’s power to do wrong. Little
Ngô Văn Nhựt, the fifth child, together with a few boys once stole watermelons
for fun. They all were arrested. Chiêu ordered the police to let the others go,
but hold his own child until late that evening.
Chiêu was very
economical. From Saigon , he sent a letter
dated 12 December 1924 to Ngô Thị Yến Ngọc and Ngô Thị Nguyệt in Tân An
province, asking the two daughters to mend his old clothing. He advised them, “Be
thrifty enough so as not to feel ashamed in life. Wearing simple clothing, but
free from hunger and debts, is a good lifestyle.” [9]
The above biographical
sketch of Ngô Văn Chiêu shows that he was a good example of human-being right
way in fulfilling his duties towards his family, society, and countrymen.
Choosing a simple lifestyle, this benevolent official could transcend
mediocrities of life.
With a virtuous background, he was in a favourable condition
to step on the path of liberation from samsara. Yet, he did not follow any
faith until the age of forty-three (1921) when he was under the direct
instruction of Caodai God through evocation séances.
HUỆ KHẢI
[1] Quan đế (Guandi 關帝)
has long been very famous in China , Vietnam
Living in the Three Kingdoms period of ancient
China, Quan Vũ (?-220), Lưu Bị (Liu Bei 劉備, 161-223) and Trương Phi (Zhang
Fei 張飛, ?-221) were
joined by a solemn oath, sworn in Trương Phi’s peach orchard, that they would
thenceforward live side by side and die the same day. Long celebrated as one of
the most renowned Chinese heroes, Quan Vũ was canonized from dynasty to dynasty.
In the Caodai pantheon, Quan đế is known as Tam
trấn Oai nghiêm (Sanzhen Weiyan 三鎭威嚴, i.e., the Third Governor of Majesty),
representing Confucianism. The rest of the triad are Nhứt trấn Oai nghiêm Lý
Thái Bạch (Yizhen Weiyan Li Taibai 一鎭威嚴李太白, i.e., Li
Taibai the First Governor), representing Daoism; and Nhị trấn Oai nghiêm Quan
âm (Erzhen Weiyan Guanyin 觀音二鎭威嚴, i.e., the Second Governor), representing
Buddhism.
[2] R.B. Smith, “An
introduction to Caodaism”, BSOAS. University of London
[3] On the scales of secretary, tri
huyện, tri phủ, and đốc phủ sứ, see: Paulus Của, Sách quan chế,
1888, p. 15.
On Ngô Văn Chiêu’s
examinations for administrative promotion as well as his salaries, see: Cơ quan
Phổ thông Giáo lý Đại đạo, Lịch sử đạo Cao Đài. Vol. 1, Tôn
giáo pub., 2005, p. 352. However, the salaries of second-class tri huyện
(1917), and first-class tri huyện (1920) are illegible from the illustration.
[4] Đồng Tân, Lịch sử Cao
Đài. Vol I. Saigon , 1967, p. 129.
[5] See footnote 1, p. 64.
[6] Lịch sử quan phủ Ngô Văn
Chiêu. Saigon : 1962, p. 15.
On 04 September 1946,
officials of Lợi Bình Nhơn village, Hưng Long canton, Tân An province,
certified that Mr Ngô Văn Xuân had deceased there without death registration.
(Cơ quan Phổ thông Giáo lý, Lịch sử đạo Cao Đài. Vol. 1, p. 53,
footnote 15.)
[9] Cơ quan Phổ thông Giáo lý, Lịch
sử đạo Cao Đài. Vol. 1, p. 56.
