After an initiation ceremony at a Caodai
holy house, a new disciple had better choose the most appropriate place at his
home to establish the God’s Altar (see Plate
1).
I. ARRANGEMENT
OF THE GOD’S ALTAR AT HOME
1. The God’s Eye.
2. The Thái Cực (Taiji)
lamp.
3. The vase of flowers.
4. The dish of fruit.
5-6-7. The three small cups of liquor.
8. The cup of water.
9. The cup of tea.
10. The incense bowl (incense burner).
11-12. The two lamps.
On
the altar, eleven items (from 2 to 12) form three lines: [4-2-3], [9-7-5-6-8],
and [12-10-11]. They resemble the Chinese character Wang 王 (that means King). The God’s Eye [1] looks like the Chinese radical Zhu 丶 placed above Wang, and thus they all resemble
the character Zhu 主 (that
means Lord). It is implied that God
is the King of all creatures and also the Lord of the universe.
The
God’s Altar consists of such twelve items as mentioned above. Caodai God says: “Twelve is a specific number of God.” ([1]a)
As a
result, for instance:
-
According to Caodai teaching, a disciple should “offer twelve kowtows to God”.(1b) However, instead of twelve kowtows, he is
allowed to kowtow three times; after each kowtow, his forehead touches his
palm-down hands on the floor four times.
- The
mantra “Nam
- On Saturday
20 February 1926, Caodai God’s earliest disciples amounted to twelve: Ngô Văn Chiêu
(1878-1932), Vương Quan Kỳ
(1880-1939), Lê Văn Trung
(1875-1934), Nguyễn Văn Hoài
(18…?-19…?), Đoàn Văn Bản
(1876-1941), Cao
Hoài Sang (1901-1971), Lý Trọng Quí (1872-1945), Lê Văn Giảng (1883-1932),
Nguyễn Trung Hậu (1892-1961), Trương Hữu Đức (1890-1976), Phạm Công Tắc
(1890-1959), and Cao Quỳnh Cư (1888-1929).
II. THE SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE TWELVE ALTAR ITEMS
1. The God’s Eye
Caodai God (the
Supreme Being) does not bear any physical body. Therefore, we had better not
create any portrait or statue of God in our image. Caodai God says:
“Unlike other religions, instead of a human image,
why do I tell you to draw the Holy Eye to worship Me? You should know that God
is Dao (the Principle), whose extreme sacredness embraces the whole universe. I
have not got a physical body like yours; so, worshipping the God’s Eye means
worshipping Me.” ([2])
The God’s Eye
appeared to Ngô Văn Chiêu (1878-1932), the first disciple of Caodai God, on Phú
Quốc island. The event is narrated as follows:
“On Wednesday morning 20 April 1921 (the thirteenth
of the third lunar month), around 8.00 a.m., sitting in his hammock slung at
the rear of his residence and looking at the open sea, suddenly he [Ngô Văn
Chiêu] caught sight of a large lifelike left eye which was encircled by radiant
beams in the sky and full of splendour.
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 ordered to worship it. Strange enough, thereafter, its brightness waned
gradually and finally faded away.
But, in his heart, he still had some hesitation. As
a result, the same eye came to sight again some days later and it would not
disappear until he prayed and promised to worship it.” ([3])
Caodai God
says:
Why
are you taught to worship the God’s Eye?
It’s
the basis of all living beings.
It
represents God the all-good,
The God’s Eye
is the basis of all living beings because it is human conscience, the innate sense of morality. Losing
his conscience, man loses his basis; then, despite his human image, his soul
has decayed or rotted.
The
above-mentioned significance may remind us of the God’s Eye in a well-known
sixty-eight-lined poem entitled La Conscience, written by Victor
Hugo (1802-1885) to narrate the first recorded Biblical murder (Genesis 4:8).
Both Cain and
Abel were sons of Adam and Eva. Affected by blind jealousy and losing his
conscience, Cain attacked and killed his own younger brother in the field.
After his crime, according to Hugo’s verses, Cain began an exodus to seek in
vain his peace of mind because the God’s Eye always kept looking at him, even
when he hid himself underground.
That judging
Eye symbolises the conscience awakened in Cain. Illustrating Hugo’s idea, in 1877,
François Chifflart (1825-1901) drew the God’s Eye as the left one (see Plate
4).
It is worth
noticing that the God’s Eye is also the left one on the Caodai Altar.
Why do Caodaists not worship God in the image of a
man?
Worshipping God in the symbol of the Eye is closely
connected to this ancient Vietnamese saying: “In heaven God has eyes.”
During an evocation seance at the Vietnam
Organ for Universalising Caodai Teaching (No 171 Cống Quỳnh street, district 1,
Saigon ) at the hour of Dog (from 7 to 9p.m.)
on Wednesday 06 February 1974, Spiritual Pope Lý Thái Bạch said:
“God
is not an image of a deity statue, a human statue or an object statue. The
God’s Eye itself is merely a symbol expediently borrowed to convey the truth
through a concrete form chosen subjectively.”
We should contemplate His Holiness Pope Lý’s words.
During an evocation seance at the Ngọc Minh Đài holy
meditation house (district 4, Saigon) on Wednesday 08 February 1967, Caodai God
said, “I am the breath of nothingness...”
As the breath (qi 氣) of nothingness (xuwu 虛無), God
does not have a specific form. God is also the Macro Sacred Light. As the
light, God is shapeless. Accordingly, His Holiness Pope Lý says, “God is not an image of a deity statue, a human statue or an object
statue.”
In ancient days, Chinese people conceived of God in the
image of their kings; thus, their statues or paintings show God as a king
wearing royal vestments [see Plate 2]. The way they conceived of God is denominated “anthropomorphism” by philosophers. However,
God does not belong to a nationality or race. Of course, the Chinese image of
God looks strange in the eye of other peoples. An obvious proof is a fresco
painting by Michelangelo (1475-1564), which forms part of the Sistine Chapel’s
ceiling in Vatican City. This Italian genius’s artwork shows God as a strong,
old-aged European man [see Plate 3].
Nonetheless, humans generally prefer God personal to God
impersonal. They need an image like them but transcending them so that they can
trust in. That is why Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) says that if a fish could
conceive of God, its God would certainly be another fish of much more bigness,
strength and beauty. (cf. What Religion
Is in the Words of Swami Vivekananda, edited by John Yale. New York: Julian Press, 1962.)
Humans need an image or a symbol which not only combines
God personal with God impersonal but also represents the sameness of mankind.
Thus, the Divine Eye is the symbol of God in Caodaism; however, it is not the
absolute. Getting to this point, one can apprehend why Spiritual
Pope says, “The God’s Eye itself is
merely a symbol expediently borrowed to convey the truth through a
concrete form chosen subjectively.” ([5])
2. The Thái Cực lamp
Thái Cực (Taiji) produces the Two Forms (Yin and Yang principles); then these
Two Forms interact to produce myriads of creatures in the universe. In this
sense, Thái Cực also represents God (the Creator). Another title of Caodai God
is “Thái Cực the Holy Emperor”. Thus, the Thái Cực lamp on the altar symbolises
the origin of the universe. Caodai God says:
“Before the separation of heaven and earth,
the breath of Nothingness pervaded the whole universe, illuminating the cosmos.
It is the central point called Dao (the Way). Dao produces Thái Cực (Taiji),
transforming into the Two Forms. The Two Forms are Yin and Yang (passive and
active) principles. Then Yin and Yang produce myriads of creatures.” ([6])
The Thái Cực lamp symbolises a person’s
good sense of morality, or his bright conscience, which is compared to the mind
lamp. Caodai God says:
Accordingly, it is
advised to let the Thái Cực lamp be lit all day and night, even when there is
not a ritual before the altar. It implies that one should always keep his mind
lamp bright. The Golden Mother of the Jade Pond advises us:
Don’t
let your mind lamps dim.
The Thái Cực lamp also symbolises the God’s Eye within human body
(inside his top of head). Caodai God says, “Thái
Cực is the God’s Eye”.(9)
3. The vase of flowers
Flowers on the God’s Altar should consist
of five colours. The rare black ones may be replaced with the very dark ones.([9])
The Five Colours symbolise the Five
Directions, the Five Climatic Factors, the Five Elements in nature. They also
symbolise the Five Elements, the Five Viscera, the Five Virtues, and the Five
Precepts in human bodies. The correlations between these groups of five are
shown on next page.
Thus, when offering colourful flowers, we
should remind ourselves that we had better improve our Five Virtues, observe
the Five Precepts, and abstain from excessive sex as well as immoderate
drinking and eating to keep our Five Viscera healthy.
Having fully absorbed Yin Yang and the
Five Elements in nature, plants produce beautiful and fragrant flowers.
Therefore, flowers symbolise Essence, one of the Three Treasures (the other two
are Breath and Spirit).
Similarly, man is the essence of Yin Yang
and the Five Elements combined, as described in a Confucian scripture entitled the Book of Rites:
“Man
is therefore produced by the virtues of Heaven and Earth, by the interaction of
Yin and Yang, by the union of the sacred beings, and by the finest matters of
the Five Elements.” ([10])
Offering flowers of five colours implies
that we can practise meditation to nourish our Five Viscera and combine the
Five Elements available in our bodies to cultivate ourselves into divinities.
4. The dish of fruit
Having fully absorbed Yin Yang and the
Five Elements in nature, plants produce flowers. Finally, flowers turn into
fruit. Figuratively, fruit means result. In other words, the dish of fruit
symbolises the disciple’s successful journey of self-cultivation.
5-6-7. The three small cups of liquor
Liquor is obtained by distillation from
fermented rice (or other grains). Thus, liquor symbolises Breath, one of the
Three Treasures.
Arranged in a line, the three small cups
of liquor resemble the Chinese character Yi
一 (that means One). Successful self-cultivators are
those who have got the One, becoming
divinities
Liquor is poured into three small cups or
glasses on the altar; about one third of each cup or glass is filled. So, the
contents in the three cups fill one full cup, which implies the significance of
“having got the One”.
8. The cup of water
Having no colour or taste, plain water
symbolises Yang.
9. The cup of tea
Having a good scent, colour, and slightly
bitter taste, tea symbolises Yin. Tea also symbolises Spirit, one of the Three
Treasures.
Therefore, both the cups of water and tea
are symbols of Yang and Yin, the dual forces that interactively give birth to
myriads of creatures in the universe. Caodai God says:
“The
two cups of water and tea are Yang and Yin (active and passive). Yang and Yin
are dual forces of heaven and earth. They are also your Spirit and Breath, my
children. Without Spirit and Breath, how can you succeed in cultivating
yourselves into divinities? Without Yang and Yin, how can myriads of creatures
be produced in the universe? Without males and females, how can living
creatures be multiplied more and more? So, Yang and Yin are the mysterious
duality of heaven and earth.”([11])
At the end of a worshipping ceremony,
both the tea and the plain water are poured into another cup. This mixture is
called yinyang water and is customarily used as a remedy by a patient.
To sum up, flowers, tea and liquor
arranged on the God’s Altar are symbols of the Three Treasures (Essence,
Breath, Spirit) in human bodies. Owing to them, meditators can cultivate
themselves into divinities.
10. The incense bowl (incense burner)
One by one, the five incense sticks are
inserted into the bowl or burner as follows:
N.B.: Style 1 should be recommended.
a. Forming the inner line with three
sticks is called disposing the Three Powers (Heaven, Earth, Man). It implicitly
refers to the equal relationship between man (microcosmos) and the universe (macrocosmos).
b. When the outer line is added, the
total of five incense sticks symbolises the Five Elements (Wood, Metal, Fire,
Water, Earth).
The five incense sticks imply that man is
a sacred creature in the universe. The Book
of Rites, one of the Confucian scriptures, describes man as follows:
“Man
is therefore produced by the virtues of Heaven and Earth, by the interaction of
Yin and Yang, by the union of the sacred beings, and by the finest matters of
the Five Elements.”
So, offering the five incense sticks
(like offering the flowers of five colours) bears the hidden meaning that owing
to meditation practice, we may both nourish our Five Viscera and combine the
Five Elements available in our bodies to cultivate ourselves into divinities.
11-12. The two lamps
The two lamps are lighted at each
beginning of the four daily worshipping ceremonies. They are turned off when
the ceremony is over.
The lamp on the same side of the flowers
symbolises Yang; the one on the opposite side symbolises Yin.
These two lamps are therefore symbols of
Yang and Yin, produced by Thái Cực (Taiji).
They symbolise the sun (Yang) and the
moon (Yin) in the sky. Caodai God says:
“The
two lamps (Yang and Yin) symbolise the sun and the moon.” (13)
They also symbolise two human eyes: The
left one is Yang; the right one, Yin. Caodai God says:([13])
For meditation practitioners, the hidden
meaning of the two lamps is as follows:
Secular people generally look outward
with flesh eyes; the sight they catch usually affects their soul or mind, and
troubles them.
Meditation practitioners had better look
inward to search for the God’s Eye immanent within their top of head.
III.
CONCLUSION
Understanding the above-mentioned mystic
significance of the God’s Altar, we know that the altar is established not for
the purpose of looking outward to pay homage to God.
Contrarily, we realise that we had better
look inward to search for Caodai God immanent within our bodies, inside the top
of each head.
The top of head is the highest position of the
body. Ancient Chinese Confucian scholars once named it caodai (gaotai 高臺).(15)
Old Patriarch of the Orient also says:
Who
knows Caodai is where.
Returning
to God, which place?
Isn’t
God within your head?
In the Second Universalism, writing his
first letter to the Corinthians, Saint
Paul
- Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s
temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? (3:16)
- Therefore glorify God in your bodies. (6:20)
Today, having perceived the mystic
significance of the God’s Altar, Caodai disciples may remind themselves as
follows:
- Immanent within my body are the God’s Eye, a pair of lamps (our
flesh eyes), Yin-yang, the Three Treasures, and the Five Elements, etc. Thus,
my body is a God’s Altar.
- As a disciple of Caodai God, I should
cultivate my own virtues in order to truly honour the God’s Altar within my
body, as well as to pay homage to Caodai God dwelling inside me.
- All above-mentioned words are true but
they remain bookish knowledge. I myself should deeply practise meditation so
that I can realise that God is within me, as well as to testify what our Master
taught at the very beginning of Caodaism: “Therefore,
you are God, and God is you..” ([18])
Revised, 17 October 2017
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 Tôn Giáo (Religion) and the Hồng Đức publishing houses
since mid-2008:
1.
CÁI ĐẸP THEO MỸ HỌC CAO ĐÀI / Beauty in
Terms of the Caodai Aesthetics. Hà Nội: Hồng Đức, 2017.
2.
CẤM ĐẠO CAO ĐÀI Ở TRUNG KỲ (1928-1950) / Caodaism
under Persecution in Central Vietnam (1928-1950). Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2012.
3. ĐẠO
CAO ĐÀI TRONG ĐỜI SỐNG CÔNG CHÚNG / Caodaism
in Public Life. Hà Nội: Tôn
Giáo, 2015 (collaborated with Thiện Quang).
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. GIA
ĐÌNH TRONG TÂN LUẬT CAO ĐÀI / Family in
the Caodai New Law. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2014.
8. LƯỢC
SỬ ĐẠO CAO ĐÀI: KHAI MINH ĐẠI ĐẠO 1926 / A
Concise Caodai History: The 1926 Inauguration. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2015.
9. LƯỢC
SỬ ĐẠO CAO ĐÀI: THỜI TIỀM ẨN 1920-1926 / A
Concise Caodai History: The Earliest Beginnings 1920-1926. Hà Nội: Hồng
Đức, 2017.
10. MỘT THOÁNG CAO ĐÀI / Brief Glimpses into Caodaism. Hà Nội: Hồng Đức, 2017.
11. NGÔ
VĂN CHIÊU − NGƯỜI MÔN ĐỆ CAO ĐÀI ĐẦU TIÊN / Ngô
Văn Chiêu – the First Caodai Disciple. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2008, 2009, 2012.
12. NGŨ
GIỚI CẤM XƯA VÀ NAY / The Five Precepts
Past and Present. Hà Nội: Tôn
Giáo, 2014.
13. 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.
14. TÂM
LÝ NGƯỜI ĐẠO CAO ĐÀI / The Psychology of
Caodaists. Hà Nội: Hồng Đức, 2017.
15.
THIÊN BÀN TẠI NHÀ / The God’s Altar at
Home. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2014; Hồng Đức 2017.
16.
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.
17. Ý
THỨC HỆ CAO ĐÀI / The Caodai Ideology. Hà
Nội: Hồng Đức 2017.
B. Besides,
all English texts of the above-listed titles can be accessed at
http://understandingcaodaism.blogspot.com
THESE BOOKS ARE NOT FOR SALE.
*
([15]) You Xue Qiong Lin 幼學瓊林 by
Cheng Dengji 程登吉 (1308-1644), then supplemented by Zou Shengmai 鄒聖脈 (1644-1911). The book (in
four vols.) was issued in Shanghai
