2. THE THREE TEACHINGS OF VIETNAM AS AN IDEOLOGICAL PRECONDITION FOR THE FOUNDATION OF CAODAISM

INTRODUCTION

Since the 20th century, in Vietnamese culture as well as in world literature there have been two more terms: (i) Cao Đài Giáo or đạo Cao Đài (Caodaism), as an abbreviated name; (ii) Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ (the Third Universalism of the Great Way), as the full form of the former.

Vietnam is the cradle of this religion in the first half of the 20th century. From this country, according to Caodai teaching, Caodaism will flourish and spread all over the world as its name actually implies (the Third Universalism of the Great Way).

But why this little S-shaped country on the eastern coast of the Indochinese peninsula? Why has it become the chosen land? This fact is the pride of patriotic Caodaists, but the question requires an answer. One of the many factors answering the question is the long-lasting moral and cultural tradition of the Vietnamese nation, deeply absorbing the Three Teachings (Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism) introduced from China and India.

In other words, the Vietnamese nation has absorbed a Three-Teaching culture for nineteen centuries. This historical depth has formed one of some preconditions for the birth of Caodaism in Vietnam.

With concise data sifted from other authors’ works, and from Vietnamese history and literature, I hope that this monograph could give a broad overview of the nineteen-century-long progression of the Three Teachings in Vietnam before the advent of Caodaism. The core of this progression is the Vietnamese thought of the Three Teachings’ common origin mixed with Heaven worship.

Part I briefly introduces some Vietnamese Confucian scholars' philosophical works. Vietnam has had a brilliant Confucian learning. However, most of Vietnamese Confucian scholars’ philosophical works in the past have not been kept sufficiently and systematically. Therefore, a limited view of Vietnamese Confucianism is an inevitable consequence.

Part II is a preliminary collection of some information, and it might contribute to the understanding of Vietnamese Daoism, a domain not much studied so far.

Part III is merely sketchy because lots of books on the history of Vietnamese Buddhism are available for those who need a thorough research nowadays.

Part IV represents religious tolerance, which is a very precious virtue of the Vietnamese during the historical progression of absorbing the Three Teachings. This tolerance results in several works expressing the Vietnamese nation’s equalitarianism towards the Three Teachings. This part is supplemented by parts V and VI.

Part V surveys the theme of part IV in the context of folk literature.

Part VI quotes a number of Vietnamese authors' works written before the 20th century and chronologically presents some typical literary and philosophical data.

Thus, the core of this monograph lies in parts IV, V, and VI in order to show that since ancient times the Vietnamese have had clear and fair awareness of the Three Teachings. Whether they are Buddhist monks, Daoist priests, or Confucian scholars, intellectuals or labourers, court officials or rural peasants, the Vietnamese – with their practical thinking and historical activities as well as their literary and philosophical creation over nineteen centuries – have affirmed their humanistic virtue, i.e., their ability to regcognize the only intrinsic principle underlying all religious manifestations. Consequently, despite the existence of various beliefs, Vietnam has not suffered from any religious wars.

HUỆ KHẢI