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