FOREWORD
For lots of historical issues, one is required to patiently
wait until time has passed, until historical figures have returned to the
eternal world, until all dirty dregs of rumours, prejudice, and discrimination
have sunk to the past, deeply lying under the clear water of the invariable
truth; then, one might have an unbiased look into history, and partly
understand the defunct’s innermost thoughts as well as their heart and will.
Consequently, history is always to be read again and written again.
Historical events are often intermingled with each other, and every experienced
historian has his own method to arrange them best. Nonetheless,
my presentation
in the following pages might be not good enough because I am
not at all a historian. Only due to my own needs of understanding my beloved faith’s history, I have been interested in reading Caodai history books. Then,
thinking that most of my co-religionists must have the same needs, I started
compiling a few booklets to introduce a concise and general history of
Caodaism. Each booklet merely focuses on a specific period or event of Caodai
history. For instance, the present book concentrates on its earliest beginnings
(1920-1926).
While preparing the English
text included in this book, I have received lots of helpful suggestions and
corrections from my respectable senior teaching colleague Tú Đoàn, whom I would
like to express my sincere appreciation to.
At present, thousands of
copies of this title are placed in our dear readers’ hands thanks to our
innumerable noble and generous donors, who have strongly, unceasingly, and
enthusiastically sponsored the Programme of Joining Hands for Free Caodai
Publications, a journey I started in mid-2008.
With heart and soul, we
should spare a thought of them, and pray to God for His blessings upon our
benefactors, their ancestors and relatives as well.
Namo
Caodai the Immortal Mahabodhisattva Mahasattva.
HUỆ KHẢI
