8/8 BRIEF GLIMPSES INTO CAODAISM

FOR FURTHER READING

A. For more knowledge of Caodaism, readers are suggested to consult the following bilingual Vietnamese-English books by Huệ Khải, published by the Programme of Joining Hands for Free Caodai Publications in cooperation with the Religion (Tôn Giáo) and the Hồng Đức publishing houses since 2008:

1. CẤM ĐẠO CAO ĐÀI Ở TRUNG KỲ (1928-1950) / Caodaism under Persecution in Central Vietnam (1928-1950). Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2012.

2. ĐẠO CAO ĐÀI TRONG ĐỜI SỐNG CÔNG CHÚNG / Caodaism in Public Life. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2015 (collaborated with Thiện Quang).

3. ĐẤT NAM KỲ − TIỀN ĐỀ PHÁP LÝ MỞ ĐẠO CAO ĐÀI / Cochinchina as a Legal Precondition for the Foundation of Caodaism. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2008, 2010.

4. ĐẤT NAM KỲ − TIỀN ĐỀ VĂN HÓA MỞ ĐẠO CAO ĐÀI / Cochinchina as a Cultural Precondition for the Foundation of Caodaism. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2008, 2012.

5. ĐỐI THOẠI LIÊN TÔN GIÁO TỪ GÓC NHÌN MỘT TÍN HỮU CAO ĐÀI / Interfaith Dialogues as Viewed by a Caodai Believer. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2015.

6. GIA ĐÌNH TRONG TÂN LUẬT CAO ĐÀI / Family in the Caodai New Law. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2014.

7. LƯỢC SỬ ĐẠO CAO ĐÀI: KHAI MINH ĐẠI ĐẠO 1926 / A Concise Caodai History: The 1926 Inauguration. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2015.

8. LƯỢC SỬ ĐẠO CAO ĐÀI: THỜI TIỀM ẨN 1920-1926 / A Concise Caodai History: The Earliest Beginnings 1920-1926. Hà Nội: Hồng Đức, 2017.

9. NGÔ VĂN CHIÊU − NGƯỜI MÔN ĐỆ CAO ĐÀI ĐẦU TIÊN / Ngô Văn Chiêu – the First Caodai Disciple. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2008, 2009, 2012.

10. NGŨ GIỚI CẤM XƯA VÀ NAY / The Five Precepts Past and Present. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2014.

11. TAM GIÁO VIỆT NAM – TIỀN ĐỀ TƯ TƯỞNG MỞ ĐẠO CAO ĐÀI / The Three Teachings of Vietnam as an Ideological Precondition for the Foundation of Caodaism. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2010, 2013.

12. THIÊN BÀN TẠI NHÀ / The God’s Altar at Home. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2014.

13. TRONG THỜI ĐẠI CHÚNG TA VỚI TÂM TÌNH MỘT TÍN HỮU CAO ĐÀI / Nostra Aetate in a Caodai Believer’s Sentiment. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2016.

14. TÂM LÝ NGƯỜI ĐẠO CAO ĐÀI / The Psychology of Caodaists. (to be published in late 2017)

B. Besides, all English texts of the above-listed titles can be accessed at

http://understandingcaodaism.blogspot.com

7/8 BRIEF GLIMPSES INTO CAODAISM

A GLANCE AT

THE CAODAI MISSIONARY HOLY ASSEMBLY

At the beginning of the 1930s, leaving their home village Bất Nhị (today belonging to Điện Phước village, Điện Bàn district, Quảng Nam province), a small group of adolescents who were brothers and relatives arrived in Saigon and later they were trained to be mediums at the Đại Thanh holy meditation house (in Gò Vấp district, Gia Định province), belonging to the Caodai Former Heaven Holy Assembly. Today, Đại Thanh is located at 465/51 Nguyễn Văn Công street, ward 3, Gò Vấp district.

Obeying the Heavenly Powers’ order, on Monday 22 October 1934 (the fifteenth of the ninth lunar month of the Dog year), they returned to their home village for the missionary diffusion of Caodaism. Under the leadership of Trần Công Ban (1906-?), the mediums included Lương Vĩnh Thuật (1918-1982), Trần Công Sĩ (1921-?), Lê Văn Qui (1917-1935), and Lê Văn Phụng (1915-1935). Their holy names respectively were Thanh Long (Blue Dragon), Xích Lân (Red Unicorn), Kim Qui (Golden Tortoise), and Bạch Phụng (White Phoenix); therefore, the whole group’s holy name was Tứ Linh Đồng Tử (the Four Supernatural Mediums).

In mid-July 1935, after both Bạch Phụng and Kim Qui had passed away, and especially when Xích Lân was no longer suitable for the mission, the Heavenly Powers ordered Trần Quang Châu (1915-2000) to be a medium whose holy name was Bạch Hổ (White Tiger). Born in Tư Phú village (today belonging to Điện Bàn district, Quảng Nam province), Bạch Hổ and Thanh Long wonderfully cooperated with each other to contribute to the mission of diffusing Caodaism in Annam (Central Vietnam) under the persecution unceasingly carried out by both the Huế court and the French colonial rulers.

In December 1934, the first achievement of the Caodai missionary group in Annam (Central Vietnam) was the birth of the Thanh Quang holy meditation house (today located in Điện Thọ village, Điện Bàn district, Quảng Nam province), which was thereafter succeeded by the establishment of other holy houses, one by one, in various locations.

In mid-February 1948, as commanded by the Heavenly Powers, a successful congress comprising delegates from Nam Ngãi Bình Phú (i.e., Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, Bình Định, and Phú Yên provinces) resulted in establishing Cơ Quan Truyền Giáo Trung Bộ (the Central Vietnam Missionary Organ), which might be regarded as the forerunner of the present Caodai Missionary Holy Assembly.

Although every Caodai missionary activity was completely banned in Annam by rulers, lots of achievements together with numerous losses and sacrifices truly contributed much to the emergence of a large, heroic Caodai community in Central Vietnam, where people had to suffer abundant harsh conditions.

To produce such a fruitful harvest, until mid-century 20, a large number of missionary apostles did bravely dedicate their lives to the Caodai ideal: Cao Hữu Chí (1904-1953), Huỳnh Ngọc Trác (1898-1945), Lê Trí Hiển (1879-1943), Nguyễn Đán (1905-1958), Nguyễn Hồng Phong (1894-1947), Nguyễn Quang Châu (1912-1955), Trần Doãn Cơ (1912-1944, female), Trần Nguyên Chất (1893-1950), and Trần Nguyên Chí (1914-1957), to name a few.

After two decades of spreading Caodaism unceasingly, on Monday 28 November 1955 (the fifteenth of the tenth lunar month of the Goat year), a very solemn cornerstone laying ceremony for Trung Hưng Bửu Tòa (the Precious Seat for Restoration) was performed in Đà Nẵng. Before that kick-off ceremony, Bảo Pháp (Dharma Conservator) Thanh Long had to laboriously and patiently cooperate with architect Hoàng Hùng in Saigon so that they managed to accomplish architectual drawings which conformed to the norms required by His Holiness Trần Hưng Đạo. For instance, during the evocation seance held at the Từ Vân holy house located on Nguyễn Huệ street (today at 100 Thích Quảng Đức street, Phú Nhuận district), His Holiness Trần said that the construction was “to represent the pure spirit of Vietnam”, “to display only Vietnamese characters inside and outside”, “to be decorated with images and colours in Vietnamese style”, and so on.

Two weeks later, on Saturday 19 November 1955, during the evocation held at the Nam Thành holy house (at 124-126 Nguyễn Cư Trinh street, district 1, Saigon), scrutinising the architectual drawings for the last time, His Holiness Trần approved them and praised Dharma Conservator Thanh Long. [See Plate 15.]

On Sunday 08 July 1956 (the first of the sixth lunar month of the Monkey year), Trung Hưng Bửu Tòa was very solemnly inaugurated at 35 Nguyễn Hoàng street (today 63 Hải Phòng street, Hải Châu district, Đà Nẵng city). On this occasion, the Caodai Missionary Holy Assembly was officially established under the leadership of its talented and virtuous head named Huệ Lương Trần Văn Quế. During the same period, to commemorate and express gratitude to martyr Saints, Linh Tháp (the Sacred Tower) and Nhà Báo Ân (the Gratitude Repaying House) were both inaugurated in La Hà (a town in Tư Nghĩa district, Quảng Ngãi province today). [See Plate 16.]

At present, with a population of nearly 41,700 congregants active in sixteen cities and provinces in Southern, Central, and Northern Central Vietnam, the Caodai Missionary Holy Assembly administers seventy-one parishes and sub-parishes, two holy halls in Tam Kỳ city (Quảng Nam province) and Quy Nhơn city (Bình Định province), two monasteries in Tam Kỳ city (one for males, one for females), one meditation central hall, named Trung Tông Thánh Tịnh, in Đà Nẵng city. [See Plate 16.]

The Holy Assembly’s dignitaries from Student-Priests to higher ranks are to follow perpetual vegetarianism strictly. Daily meditation practice in parallel with strict vegetarianism is the Holy Assembly’s common trait, popularly existing in even the majority of ordinary congregants, not only dignitaries and non-dignitary officials.

Ranked as the fourth largest when compared with other Holy Assemblies’ populations, the Caodai Missionary Holy Assembly is always very keen on training its congregants, upgrading them doctrinally and spiritually. The Holy See is traditionally successful in building up its youth generation, from teenagers to tertiary students. Today, its energetic and dynamic youths are present in almost every parish.

HUỆ KHẢI

 

6/8 BRIEF GLIMPSES INTO CAODAISM

A GLANCE AT

NINE CAODAI HOLY ASSEMBLIES AT PRESENT

In the years 1995-2000, the Vietnam Government acknowledged the legal entity status of the following nine Caodai Holy Assemblies:

1. Hội Thánh Cao Đài Tiên Thiên (the Caodai Former Heaven Holy Assembly). Its Tòa Thánh Châu Minh (the Châu Minh Holy See) is located in Tiên Thủy village, Châu Thành district, Bến Tre province. (Bến Tre city of Bến Tre province is about 85km from Sài Gòn.) Its legal entity status was acknowledged by Decision No 51/QĐ/TGCP dated 29 July 1995 and signed by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs. [See Plate 9.]

2. Hội Thánh Cao Đài Chiếu Minh Long Châu (the Caodai Chiếu Minh Long Châu Holy Assembly). Its Tòa Thánh Long Châu (the Long Châu Holy See) is located in Tân Phú Thạnh village, Châu Thành district, Cần Thơ city. (Cần Thơ city of Cần Thơ province is about 170km from Sài Gòn.) Its legal entity status was acknowledged by Decision No 1562/QĐ.CT.HC.96 dated 27 July 1996 and signed by the People’s Committee of Cần Thơ province. [See Plate 9.]

3. Hội Thánh Cao Đài Minh Chơn Đạo (the Caodai Minh Chơn Đạo Holy Assembly). Its Tòa Thánh Ngọc Sắc (the Ngọc Sắc Holy See) is located in Hồ Thị Kỷ village, Thới Bình district, Cà Mau province. (Cà Mau city of Cà Mau province is about 347km from Sài Gòn.) Its legal entity status was acknowledged by Decision No 39/QĐ/TGCP dated 02 August 1996 and signed by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs. [See Plate 10.]

4. Hội Thánh Truyền Giáo Cao Đài (the Caodai Missionary Holy Assembly). Instead of being called Holy See, its central temple is named Trung Hưng Bửu Tòa (the Precious Seat for Restoration) and located at 63 Hải Phòng street, Hải Châu district, Đà Nẵng city. (Đà Nẵng city is about 977km from Sài Gòn.) Its legal entity status was acknowledged by Decision No 40/QĐ/TGCP dated 24 September 1996 and signed by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs. [See Plate 10.]

5. Hội Thánh Cao Đài Tây Ninh (the Caodai Tây Ninh Holy Assembly). Its Tòa Thánh Tây Ninh (the Tây Ninh Holy See) is located in Hòa Thành town, Hòa Thành district, Tây Ninh province. (Tây Ninh city of Tây Ninh province is about 99km from Sài Gòn.) Its legal entity status was acknowledged by Decision No 10/QĐ/TGCP dated 09 May 1997 and signed by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs. [See Plate 11.]

6. Hội Thánh Cao Đài Ban Chỉnh Đạo (the Caodai Ban Chỉnh Đạo Holy Assembly). Its Tòa Thánh Bến Tre (the Bến Tre Holy See) is located at 100C Trương Định street, Bến Tre city, Bến Tre province. (Bến Tre city is about 85km from Sài Gòn.) Its legal entity status was acknowledged by Decision No 26/QĐ/TGCP dated 08 August 1997 and signed by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs. [See Plate 11.]

7. Hội Thánh Cao Đài Bạch Y Liên Đoàn Chơn Lý (the Caodai Bạch Y Liên Đoàn Chơn Lý Holy Assembly). Its Tòa Thánh Ngọc Kinh (the Ngọc Kinh Holy See) is located in Hòa An hamlet, Mong Thọ village, Châu Thành district, Kiên Giang province. (The center of Kiên Giang province is about 248km from Sài Gòn.) Its legal entity status was acknowledged by Decision No 2363/1998/QĐ-UB dated 08 July 1998 and signed by the People’s Committee of Kiên Giang province. [See Plate 12.]

8. Hội Thánh Cao Đài Chơn Lý (the Caodai Chơn Lý Holy Assembly). Its Tòa Thánh Chơn Lý (the Chơn Lý Holy See) is located at 193 Nguyễn Trung Trực street, Mỹ An hamlet, Mỹ Phong village, Mỹ Tho city, Tiền Giang province. (Mỹ Tho city of Tiền Giang province is about 70km from Sài Gòn.) Its legal entity status was acknowledged by Decision No 16/2000/QĐ-TGCP dated 14 March 2000 and signed by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs. [See Plate 12.]

9. Hội Thánh Cao Đài Cầu Kho Tam Quan (the Caodai Cầu Kho Tam Quan Holy Assembly). Its Tòa Thánh Tam Quan (the Tam Quan Holy See) is located in Tam Quan town, Hoài Nhơn district, Bình Định province. (Bình Định province is about 632km from Sài Gòn.) Its legal entity status was acknowledged by Decision No 199/2000/QĐ-TGCP dated 28 April 2000 and signed by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs. [See Plate 13.]

10. Two Caodai congregations not organised like a Holy Assembly

Besides the nine above-mentioned Holy Assemblies, there are also two Caodai congregations which are not organised like a Holy Assembly:

10.1. Cao Đài Chiếu Minh Tam Thanh Vô Vi (comprising congregants intensively practising meditation). Its central temple is named Thánh Đức Tổ Đình (the Holy Virtue Patriarch Temple), located at number 264, on 30-April street, Ninh Kiều district, Cần Thơ city. (Cần Thơ city of Cần Thơ province is about 170km from Sài Gòn.) Its legal entity status was acknowledged by a certificate of registration for religious activities dated 15 December 2009 and signed by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs. [See Plate 14.]

10.2. Cơ Quan Phổ Thông Giáo Lý Đại Đạo (the Organ for Universalising Caodai Teaching) is located at 171B Cống Quỳnh street, district 1, HCM City. It was founded by the Heavenly Powers in 1965. Its legal entity status was acknowledged by Decision No 301/QĐCN dated 02 August 2000 and signed by the HCM City Committee for Religious and Ethnic Affairs. [See Plate 14.]

Unlike holy houses, the Organ does not keep a register of new admissions to Caodaism because it is not to hold any initiation ceremonies, as commanded by the Heavenly Powers.

Congregants coming from various Caodai parishes voluntarily apply for its membership because they agreeably accept its policy of universalising Caodai teaching in order to contribute to the religion’s unification. Almost all of its members strictly follow perpetual vegetarianism and practise meditation. Its first head was also the first head of the Caodai Missionary Holy Assembly: Huệ Lương Trần Văn Quế (1902-1980).

HUỆ KHẢI

5/8 BRIEF GLIMPSES INTO CAODAISM

ACHIEVEMENTS AND FRAGMENTATION

From early 1927 till the end of the 1930s, despite financial shortage as well as hardships in the woods being reclaimed, the newly established Caodai Holy Assembly in Tây Ninh province gradually managed to win lots of very significant achievements, to name a few in unchronological order:

- establishing and promulgating a number of laws;

- establishing an elaborate administrative system from the Holy See through provinces and districts to villages and hamlets;

- systemising and standardising rituals;

- publishing a number of fundamental scriptures, books and booklets on Caodaism;

- organising training courses for dignitaries and non-dignitary officials;

- establishing a free elemetary school for children;

- establishing the first holy house in Phnom Penh (Cambodia), and then founding La Mission Étrangère du Caodaïsme (The Foreign Mission of Caodaism) in the capital;

- establishing the first holy house in Hà Nội, etc.

Nevertheless, a process of fast growth could not help avoiding contradictions and conflicts which gradually emerged inside the Tây Ninh Holy Assembly. During the 1930s, the utmost of such disagreement resulted in some separations from the Tây Ninh Holy See and finally a few Holy Sees and Holy Assemblies were founded in some provinces far from Tây Ninh. Besides, a couple of Caodai congregations which did not detach themselves from the Tây Ninh Holy See became Holy Assemblies with their own Holy Sees in Central and Southern Vietnam.

In the years from 1935 through 1972, a number of noble and enthusiastic efforts to unite all “fragments” of Caodai religion were not successful eventually. Nowadays, therefore, the actual situation affecting Caodaism is that the religion still lacks its sole Holy Assembly and its millions of adherents remain in need of their one and only Holy See.

HUỆ KHẢI

4/8 BRIEF GLIMPSES INTO CAODAISM

CONSTRUCTING THE TÂY NINH HOLY SEE

On Wednesday morning 23 February 1927, following the directions given by His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch at a previous day’s evocation seance, Cao Quỳnh Cư, Phạm Công Tắc, and three other dignitaries shared two cars and arrived at a forbidden forest. Thanks to a local inhabitant’s help, they found nearby a piece of woods owned by a French ranger named Aspar, and managed to buy it for seventeen or eighteen thousand Indochinese piastres.

Moving the property from Thiền Lâm pagoda to the newly purchased woods, the earliest Caodaists had to erect a temporary holy house. [See Plate 8.]

At first, the reclamation was focused on the woods bought from Aspar. Later, complying with His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch’s instructions, the earliest dignitaries applied to the provincial government and got permission to reclaim the neighbour woods so as to enlarge the Holy See area. During the reclamation, thousands of hefty Khmer labourers left Cambodia for the site to help Caodaists voluntarily.

On Monday 28 February 1927, His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch gave the dignitaries details of the location and dimensions of the Holy See. The architectual drawings were made by His Holiness Lý at an evocation seance on the same day. As requested by Caodai God, however, the dimensions given by His Holiness Lý had to be reduced for the purpose of curtailing the cost.

Affected by war and financial shortage, the construction of the Holy See had to be prolonged, taking two decades (1927-1947) to finish. Some remarkable events as follows:

- Saturday 28 June 1941: French troops occupied the unfinished Holy See, seized and exiled Dharma Protector Phạm Công Tắc to Madagascar (an African island), and expelled all workers from the Holy See.

- Friday 30 August 1946: Dharma Protector Phạm came back to the Holy See. Then, the construction was continued.

- Friday 24 January 1947: The construction was accomplished.

- Wednesday 19 January 1947: The Universe Globe (3.3 metres in diameter) was ritually fixed inside the Eight-Trigram Apse of the Holy See. The God’s Eye and constellations were drawn on the Globe.

- Tuesday 01 February 1955: On occasion of God’s Birthday (the ninth of the first lunar month), Dharma Protector Phạm formally inaugurated the Holy See.

The Holy See of the Cao Đài Tây Ninh Holy Assembly is situated in Long Thành Bắc village, Hòa Thành district, about four or five kilomtres south-east of Tây Ninh city.

HUỆ KHẢI

3/8 BRIEF GLIMPSES INTO CAODAISM

THE CAODAI INAUGURATION (1926)

Between the 1926 Inauguration and the latent years in the Caodai history was a transition step, which was named Phổ Độ Lục Tỉnh (the Cochinchina-wide diffusion) and lasted a month.

1. General Announcement to the Public

A few days right after the registration for the Caodai legal entity, a booklet was published (14 pages, 15x24cm), entitled Phổ Cáo Chúng Sanh (General Announcement to the Public). No matter how thin it is, the publication can introduce some crucial points of Caodaism. [See Plate 7.]

2. The Cochinchina-wide diffusion

The earliest Caodaists formed three diffusion groups. Group one was in charge of nine Cochinchinese provinces; group two, five provinces; group three, six provinces.

After a month of enthusiatically spreading the fledgling religion (from Saturday 16 October 1926), each group was able to help tens of thousands of people become Caodai followers. Among the newcomers were lots of personages, who soon played their key roles of Caodai leaders during the construction of the first Holy Assembly in Long Thành village (Tây Ninh province) as well as the Caodai development in the following decades. The earliest Caodaists finished the Cochinchina-wide diffusion on Sunday 14 November 1926 and gathered at the Thiền Lâm pagoda so as to ardently continue preparations for the soon-coming Inauguration.

3. The Thiền Lâm holy house

Thanks to a permit dated 15 July 1925 and signed by the chief of Tây Ninh province, the Thiền Lâm pagoda was constructed in Gò Kén (today at 5/11 Long Trung hamlet, Long Thành Trung village, Hòa Thành district, Tây Ninh province). Its head bonze was Monk Như Nhãn, also known as Thích Từ Phong.

At the end of August 1926, Monk Như Nhãn willingly let the earliest Caodai dignitaries borrow the unfinished Thiền Lâm pagoda and transform it into a holy house named Thiền Lâm (also called Gò Kén or Từ Lâm). As of the beginning of September 1926, the earliest dignitaries whole-heartedly poured money and effort into the site so as to improve the holy house, inside and outside. The Thiền Lâm pagoda (30x15m) can be seen today, about five or six kilometres from the Tây Ninh city, on the right side of road 22B leading to Saigon.

4. The 1926 Inauguration

The Inauguration was planned to last three days and three nights, from Thursday 18 through Saturday 20 November 1926 (from the fourteenth through the sixteenth of the tenth lunar month). As of Wednesday 17 November, crowds began pouring into Gò Kén (Long Thành village, Tây Ninh province) for the ceremony at the Thiền Lâm holy house.

At midnight, Thursday 18, and into the small hours of Friday 19 November 1926, the ordination of the earliest Caodai dignitaries was conducted in the main hall of the Thiền Lâm holy house which was filled with dignitaries of the Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucian branches, who respectively dressed in yellow, blue, and red. [See Plate 7.]

5. The Orthodox Dharma

On Saturday night 20 November 1926, during the evocation seance in the main hall of the Thiền Lâm holy house, Caodai God bestowed Pháp Chánh Truyền (the Orthodox Dharma), establishing eight dignitary ranks of Cửu Trùng Đài (the Nonuple hierarchy), from Giáo Tông (Pope, the top rank) down to Lễ Sanh (Student-Priest, the eighth rank). In the following night, Caodai God stipulated the rules of publicly selecting dignitaries, from Lễ Sanh up to Giáo Tông.

6. Extending the great ceremony at the Thiền Lâm holy house

After every midnight daily worship, an evocation seance was held for new followers to be admitted to Caodaism by Heavenly Powers. Each night the average quantity of conversions amounted to around a hundred or more, which made the seance last until 02:00 or 03:00 in the morning. Then, every new follower was issued with a certificate.

Due to continual flows of people pouring into the Thiền Lâm holy house, the ceremony had to be extended, and lasted three months rather than three days and three nights. During those three months, there were lots of significant events.

6.1. Spiritual Papacy

Obeying Caodai God’s command, His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch started His Spiritual Papacy on Monday 29 November 1926.

6.2. The New Law

On Monday 06 December 1926, Caodai God requested the earliest dignitaries to stay frequently at the Thiền Lâm holy house so as to establish Tân Luật (the New Law), composed of three parts: (a) Meditation House Law, stipulating the meditation practice. (b) Religious Law, stipulating the administration of the Caodai congregation. (c) Secular Law, stipulating the life of Caodai followers.

After two debate sessions, the New Law was approved on Monday 07 March 1927 by Caodai God. Tân Luật was first printed at l’Imprimerie Commerciale C. Ardin, Saigon, 14 pages (15x24cm), and its distribution commenced at the beginning of June 1927. [See Plate 7.]

6.3. The character Khí at the Dharma Protector altar

On Monday 13 December 1926, His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch instructed the dignitaries to make a long piece of felt (1.5x3 metres), embroidered with the character Khí 氣 (Breath); it was placed at the Dharma Protector altar, facing the God’s altar. Using the beaked basket, His Holiness Lý wrote the character in the style of amulet. A week later (on Monday 20 December), Caodai God told a dignitary to use red felt and yellow embroidery thread to make the character.

6.4. The Orthodox Dharma for female dignitaries

During the evocation seance on Wednesday 02 February 1927, His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch arrived, establishing Pháp Chánh Truyền (the Orthodox Dharma) for female dignitaries of Cửu Trùng Đài (the Nonuple hierarchy), from Đầu Sư (Cardinal) down to Lễ Sanh (Student-Priest). All female dignitaries are to dress in white because they are not split into three branches Thái (Buddhist, dressing in yellow), Thượng (Daoist, blue), and Ngọc (Confucian, red).

6.5. The Orthodox Dharma for the Heaven Uniting Hierarchy

On Sunday 13 February 1927, Caodai God established Pháp Chánh Truyền (the Orthodox Dharma) for Hiệp Thiên Đài (the Heaven Uniting Hierarchy). The highest was Hộ Pháp (Dharma Protector) Phạm Công Tắc, administering the Pháp (Dharma) branch. On the right of Hộ Pháp was Thượng Phẩm (Superior Dignity) Cao Quỳnh Cư, administering the Đạo (Dao) branch. On the left of Hộ Pháp was Thượng Sanh (Superior Being) Cao Hoài Sang, administering the Thế (World) branch. Below them were Thập Nhị Thời Quân (the Twelve Lords of Time), split into three branches (Pháp, Đạo, Thế).

 7. Monk Như Nhãn’s demand for the return of the pagoda

Losing his belief in the new faith, and also being hard pressed by his Buddhist congregation, at the beginning of December 1926, Monk Như Nhãn decisively demanded the return of the pagoda.

Wednesday 23 March 1927 was the date when the Thiền Lâm pagoda was returned to Monk Như Nhãn. Before this date, all belongings of the holy house had to be transported to the newly purchased woods in Long Thành village (Tây Ninh province).

This fatiguing removal ended the Inauguration period at the Thiền Lâm holy house, which was planned to last three days and three nights (from 18 through 20 November 1926), but which was finally prolonged to three months (not including one more month due to the late returning of the pagoda). This removal also marked a landmark in the Caodai history: the construction of the Tây Ninh Holy See.

HUỆ KHẢI

2/8 BRIEF GLIMPSES INTO CAODAISM

THE LATENT YEARS OF CAODAISM (1920-1926)

The history of Caodaism includes its earliest beginnings six years long so that its earliest dignitaries and other essential conditions for an organised or institutional religion could be well prepared.

1. Caodai God’s first disciple: Ngô Văn Chiêu (1878-1932)

Ngô was born in Bình Tây district, Chợ Lớn province. Attending collège Chasseloup-Laubat in Saigon, Ngô graduated with a diploma (diplôme d’études primaires supérieures), which qualified him for the civil service in Saigon in 1899. Later, leaving the Palace of the Government of Cochinchina (Palais du Gouvernement de la Cochinchine), he worked consecutively in Tân An province (1909), Hà Tiên province (1920), and on Phú Quốc island district (1920). He returned to Saigon and worked again for the Palace of the Government of Cochinchina (1924), then retired (1931) and spent his last days in Cần Thơ province. Below are some key landmarks in his spiritual life during the years 1920-1925:

1.1. Hearing the name Caodai the first time (1920)

At his home in Tân An province, circa January or February 1920, Ngô held a spirit evoking seance and contacted a divinity who descended under the name Cao Đài Tiên Ông (Caodai the Immortal).

1.2. Hearing the name Caodai the second time (September 1920)

In Hà Tiên province, on Sunday mid-autumn night 26 September 1920, Ngô was at the home of a notable named Hữu Lân Lâm Tấn Đức (1866-1934), who was uncle of Đông Hồ Lâm Tấn Phác (1906-1969), a famous poet from Hà Tiên province. Then, a divinity descended, bestowing a four-lined poem commencing with the name Cao Đài. [See Plate 2.]

1.3. Beginning meditation practice (1920)

Around the end of 1920, a spirit evoking seance was held at Quan Âm (Guanyin) pagoda on Dương Đông mountain (Phú Quốc island). Then, a hidden-named immortal descended, requesting Ngô to become his disciple. On the first day of the new lunar year (Tuesday 08 February 1921), Ngô commenced perpetual vegetarianism along with meditation practice as instructed by the hidden-named immortal.

1.4. The God’s Eye appeared twice (April 1921)

The hidden-named immortal requested Ngô to devise a sacred symbol for the new faith. Ngô suggested a cross 十 but the immortal asked him to think of another symbol. After one week, Ngô still failed to meet the request.

On Wednesday morning 20 April 1920, around 8.00 am, sitting in a hammock slung at the rear of his residence and looking out to the open sea, suddenly Ngô caught sight of a large lifelike left eye encircled by radiant beams in the sky and full of splendour. [See Plate 3.] Frightened by such a vision, he hid his eyes in his hands. After a while, he lowered his hands and still saw the same sight. Then, he joined his hands praying to the immortal for making the eye disappear if he was to worship it. Thereafter, its brightness gradually waned and finally faded away. However, he still hesitated to worship the eye. The same eye came to sight again some days later and would not disappear until he prayed and promised to worship it.

1.5. Hearing the name Caodai the third time (April 1921)

A few days after the second appearance of the God’s Eye, Ngô attended a spirit evoking seance at Quan Âm pagoda. The immortal requested him to draw what he had seen for worship, and also revealed his name Cao Đài Tiên Ông Đại Bồ Tát Ma Ha Tát (Caodai the Immortal Mahabodhisattva Mahasattva). Ngô was told to address Him as Thầy (Master).

1.6. A hermit life in Saigon (1924-1925)

On Tuesday 29 July 1924, Ngô left Phú Quốc island for Saigon, where he led a hermit life while fulfilling his daily duties of an administrative official. Caodai God did not let him start diffusing the new faith until the beginning of 1926.

2. The Cao-Phạm group on D’Arras street (Saigon)

2.1. Cao Quỳnh Cư (1888-1929) and Hương Hiếu (1887-1971)

Cao was born in Hiệp Ninh village, Hàm Ninh Thượng canton, Tây Ninh province. In 1925, as a clerk, Cư worked for Saigon Railroad Service, and rented a house at 134 Bourdais street (Calmette street, district 1 today). He got married to Nguyễn Thị Hương (also called Hiếu, or Hương Hiếu), born in Dakao (district 1, Saigon).

2.2. Cao Hoài Sang (1901-1971)

Cao was born in Thái Bình village, Tây Ninh province. Attending collège Chasseloup-Laubat in Saigon, he graduated with a diploma (diplôme d’études primaires supérieures). He worked for the Customs Service in Saigon as a clerk in 1920. Located on D’Arras street (Cống Quỳnh street, district 1 today), his rented house was separated from Phạm Công Tắc’s by another one.

2.3. Phạm Công Tắc (1890-1959)

Phạm was born in Bình Lập village, Châu Thành district, Tân An province. Attending collège Chasseloup-Laubat in Saigon, he graduated with a diploma (diplôme d’études primaires supérieures) in 1907. He became a colleague of Cao Hoài Sang when joining the Customs Service in Saigon as a clerk in 1910.

2.4. Experiment with the turning table

On Friday night 24 July 1925, at Cao Hoài Sang’s home on D’Arras street, the Cao-Phạm group experimented with “la table tournante” (the turning table) as instructed in French books of Spiritism. In the first two nights, their efforts were in vain. On Sunday night 26 July 1925, they could contact the siprit of Cao Quỳnh Tuân (Cư’s father). [See Plate 4.]

2.5. Thất Nương (the Seventh Lady)

On Thursday night 30 July 1925, at Cao Hoài Sang’s home, the Cao-Phạm group contacted Thất Nương, the Seventh of the Nine Immortal Ladies, who all escort Buddha Mother (the Golden Mother of the Jade Pond). Thereafter, almost every night, the Cao-Phạm group could contact and exchange poems with various divintities. Cư’s wife (Hương Hiếu) managed to copy down the messages received during those evocations.

2.6. His Holiness AĂÂ

At Cư’s home on Friday night 28 August 1925, the Cao-Phạm group contacted a divinity who called himself AĂÂ. Until the very end of December 1925, they did not know that AĂÂ was no one else but Caodai God.

On Friday mid-autumn night 02 October 1925, complying with AĂÂ’s request, the Cao-Phạm group held a vegetarian feast (later named the Peach Banquet) at Cư’s home to offer Buddha Mother (the Golden Mother of the Jade Pond) and the Heavenly Powers. On this occasion, they began to use the beaked basket to evoke divinities. Today, adapting that night’s event, Caodai congregations annually observe the mid-autumn night’s Peach Banquet, enriched with more rituals.

2.7. The Cao-Phạm group became Caodai God’s disciples

Obeying AĂÂ’s command, on Wednesday night 16 December 1925 (the first of the eleventh lunar month), the Cao-Phạm group held an outdoor ritual of seeking the Dao on the ground before Cư’s house. [See Plate 5.] Then, they did become the disciples of Caodai God, who came under the name AĂÂ.

2.8. Lê Văn Trung (1876-1934)

Learning of the spirit evoking seances held on D’Arras street, lots of guests visited the Cao-Phạm group. Among them was Lê Văn Trung, born in Phước Lâm village, Phước Điền Trung canton, Cần Giuộc district, Chợ Lớn province. After graduating from collège Chasseloup-Laubat in Saigon (1894), and then passing a civil service examination, he started his clerical job at the Palace of the Government of Cochinchina. After twelve years, he resigned to stand for the Colonial Council of Cochinchina (Conseil Colonial de Cochinchine) and won the election. In 1912, he was conferred Knight of the Legion of Honour (Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur) by the French Government. In 1914, he was appointed to the Government Council of Indochina (Conseil de Gouvernement de l’Indochine).

Besides the above-mentioned activities, he went into business after leaving the Palace of the Government of Cochinchina. In 1920 his business began to decline and eventually ended up in a total failure four years later. Deeply distressed, he worsened himself by smoking opium. Misfortunes never come singly: His eyesight degenerated and he was almost blind.

Around June 1925, he joined a spirit evoking seance at Chợ Gạo (i.e., Rice Market, around the junction of Phú Lâm and Hùng Vương streets, district 6 today). His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch (Li Taibai) descended, advising him to cultivate himself. He started vegetarianism, quit smoking opium, and his eyesight was gradually recovered. After the closure of the Chợ Gạo evocation seance, he joined a seance at Cao Quỳnh Cư’s home on Monday 11 January 1926, and was taught by Caodai God. Exactly a week later, an evocation seance was held at his home on Quai Testard street, Chợ Lớn (today Châu Văn Liêm street, district 5). Caodai God descended, initiated him into the new faith.

2.9. Union with Ngô Văn Chiêu

Around late January 1926, Caodai God told the Cao-Phạm group to unite with Ngô Văn Chiêu to found Caodaism. They were also requested to respect Ngô as their Eldest Brother (Anh Cả). According to Caodai New Law, Eldest Brother is also a title for Pope (Giáo Tông). Thereafter, Ngô instructed them in worship rituals, especially the altar arrangement with the God’s Eye.

2.10. Ngô’s separation from the Cao-Phạm group

In April 1926, Caodai God requested Lê Văn Trung, Cao Quỳnh Cư, and Phạm Công Tắc to inform Ngô of a papal robe to be made for him. However, Ngô refused the papacy on Saturday 24 April 1926, and detached himself from the exoteric activities initiated by the Cao-Phạm group in order to be able to lay a solid foundation of Caodai esotericism.

3. Establishing the Caodai legal entity

To prepare for the registration of Caodai legal entity, at 20:00 on Wednesday evening of 29 September 1926 at the home of a dignitary named Nguyễn Văn Tường (1887-1939) in Saigon (today 208 Cô Bắc street, district 1), a meeting was held and attended by over two hundred and forty earliest Caodai dignitaries and followers. Thereafter, Lê Văn Trung himself took all the dossier to Cochinchina Governor’s Palace and submit it to Acting Governor Le Fol on Thursday 07 October 1926. When completing formalities for establishing the legal entity of their new religion, the earliest Caodaists followed the French Associations Law of 01 July 1901, promulgated by Prime Minister Waldeck-Rousseau (1846-1904). [See Plate 6.]

Right after completing the formalities for establishing the Caodai legal entity, the earliest dignitaries immediately spread their new faith almost throughout Cochinchina without authorisation, according to Article 2 of the Associations Law 1901 mentioned above. Thus, the Caodai legal entity establishment ended the latent years of the new faith.

HUỆ KHẢI