THE 1926 INAUGURATION
VI. EXTENDING THE
THIỀN LÂM GREAT CEREMONY
According
to the given programme, the Inauguration ceremony was to be closed at the end
of Saturday 20 November 1926. Nonetheless, 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.
Relatively,
the following events are listed in the order of their importance. Each event
may include several steps in sequence, which are recorded in the order of time.
1. The Caodai
calendar
During
the séance on Wednesday 02 February 1927 (the first day of the traditional
Tết), Caodai God said, “This day last
year when I established Caodaism, I had only twelve disciples...” ([1]) Then He added that within a year from that
establishment, the number of Caodai followers amounted to over forty thousand
thanks to the Supreme Being’s miraclous power and the devotion of His six
apostles as well.([2])
According
to the above holy message, the Caodai calendar should commence on the first day
of the year Tiger (Saturday 13 February 1926). In other words, whenever the
Vietnamese people’s traditional Tết begins, the Caodai congregation also starts
its own new calendar.
During
the said séance, Caodai God twice praised Đầu
Sư Thái Thơ Thanh (Buddhist Cardinal Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ) for his devotion. He
promoted Giáo Sư Thái Bính Thanh (Buddhist
Bishop Lâm Quang Bính) to Phối Sư (Buddhist
Archbishop); Giáo Hữu Thượng Bản
Thanh (Daoist Priest Đoàn Văn Bản) to Giáo
Sư (Daoist Bishop), and Lễ Sanh Thượng
Trò Thanh (Daoist Student-Priest Nguyễn Văn Trò) to Giáo Hữu (Daoist Priest).
Caodai
God said, “I bestow favour upon all of
you, including My absent children. I am going to raise the beaked basket, and
you all are to crawl under it to receive My blessing.” Before leaving the
séance, God repeated, “Again, I bestow
blessing upon you all, My children.” ([3])
2. Establishing
Tân Luật (the New Law)
On
Tuesday 30 November 1926, Caodai God complained that, in preparation for Tân Luật (the Caodai New Law), just
Legist-Censor Như Nhãn finished the bill assigned to his Buddhist branch (Thái).([4])
During
the repeat séance, His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch commanded that at the beginning of
the next month all dignitaries should be present at the Thiền Lâm holy house so
as to establish the New Law. He also requested that the final version of the
bill should be available then for approval by Caodai God.
On
Monday 06 December 1926, Caodai God requested the apostles to stay frequently
at the Thiền Lâm holy house so as to establish 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.
On
Saturday 18 December 1926, at the Thiền Lâm holy house, His Holiness Lý Thái
Bạch instructed Daoist Cardinal Thượng Trung Nhựt (Lê Văn Trung) to request
dignitaries to temporarily cease their diffusing the new faith so as to focus
on the New Law establishment. On Christmas day (24 December 1926), they all
would have to gather at the holy house. The three Principal Archbishops
(namely, Thái Thơ Thanh, Thượng Tương Thanh, and Ngọc Trang Thanh) would have
to submit their assigned bills then. In the following day (25
December 1926), the bills would be debated under the co-chair of Daoist
Cardinal Thượng Trung Nhựt (Lê Văn Trung, as the chair) and
Confucian Cardinal Ngọc Lịch Nguyệt (Lê Văn Lịch, as the deputy
chair). All dignitaries were to join the debate in the following order:
first, the Buddhist branch (Thái); then, the
Confucian (Ngọc); and finally, the Daoist
(Thượng).
On Friday 24 December 1926, His Holiness
Lý Thái Bạch instructed Daoist Cardinal Thượng Trung Nhựt (Lê Văn Trung) to
conduct the debate on the bills of the New Law (Tân Luật) in three sessions: morning (6-11am), afternoon (14-18pm),
and evening (20-23pm). If
the bills could not be finalised, they would carry on with the debate likewise
in the following day.
· The first debate
On Saturday
25 December 1926, His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch blamed Daoist Cardinal Thượng Trung
Nhựt (Lê Văn Trung) for his unsuccessful chairing of the whole day’s debate on
the bills of the New Law (Tân Luật).
His Holiness Lý added:
“As for the process of passing the bills
into the New Law, if our Master [Caodai God] let Me take charge, it would be
completed within two hours only. Nonetheless, if I Myself established the law,
none of Caodaists could obediently follow it.
That is why our Master gives His disciples
full rights to establish the law. He deliberately wishes to have some human
power contribute to the law, and then He will exercise his Divine power.
Indeed, that is His virtue of justice.
So, I first assign Thái Thơ Thanh the
amalgamation of the three draft bills.([5])
Within a week, your amalgamation must be completed. Next week, it will be the
turn of Thượng Tương Thanh. The week after next, it will be Ngọc Trang Thanh’s.([6]) That
is to say, despite any circumstances, the draft New Law must be completed
within three weeks, and then the debate will be repeated at the [Thiền Lâm]
holy house.” ([7])
On
Saturday 15 January 1927, His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch instructed the apostles to
hold a séance to evoke His presence in the Thiền Lâm main hall before
conducting the debate. During the debate process, the dignitaries were to wear
their major ceremonial dresses, not minor ones,([8]) so as to pay reverence to Caodai God and
the Heavenly Powers, who invisibly witnessed the debate.
· The second debate
On
Sunday 16 January 1927, Spiritual Pope Lý Thái Bạch revealed that Caodai God
had instructed Him “to base on the
original text by the Church’s dignitaries, and only amend the secret mechanism
of the law.” His Holiness Lý instructed the dignitaries in ceremonial
formalities to present the draft New Law right before His statue on the God’s
Altar. These formalities were to be
carried out on that Sunday afternoon. The document would be left there the
whole night. In the following Monday, both Daoist and Confucian Legist-Censors
would hold a séance so that His Holiness Lý would be able to give instructions
on submitting the document to Hiệp Thiên
Đài (the Heaven-Joining Body).([9])
On
Monday 17 January 1926, His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch gave instructions on
ceremonial formalities to submit the draft New Law to Dharma Protector Phạm
Công Tắc and Thượng Phẩm Cao Quỳnh Cư (while Thượng Sanh Cao Hoài Sang was at
work in Saigon).
· Putting the New Law into effect
On
Wednesday 16 February 1927, His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch complained:
“Your Master [God] instructed
you to put the New Law into effect at once but the Law has still been left
before My statue for three days. How regretable that I have not got a physical
body like yours!
Since the Church establishment till now,
you have not completed anything. Take it right now. Tomorrow you must manage to
put it into effect without delay. If the Supreme Being blamed Me, it would be
your fault!” ([10])
On
Monday 07 March 1927, Caodai God approved the New Law. He said to Đầu Sư Thượng Trung Nhựt (Daoist
Cardinal Lê Văn Trung), “Trung, let your
co-religionists know that the New Law has been established already. The Church
is to bring it into force.” ([11])
Tân Luật was first printed at l’Imprimerie Commerciale C.
Ardin, Saigon, 14 pages (15x24cm), and its distribution started at the
beginning of June 1927.
[Plate
8: The New Law, front cover (1927).]
3. The Orthodox Dharma for female
dignitaries
During
the séance on Wednesday 02 February 1927 (the first day of the traditional
Tết), 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). Thus, the
female hierarchy excludes the ranks of Giáo
Tông (Pope) and Chưởng Pháp
(Legist-Censor). Female Đầu Sư is
subordinate to Giáo Tông and Chưởng Pháp of the three branches.
His
Holiness Lý also instructed in the ceremonial dress for each rank of female
dignitaries. Unlike the male ones, all female dignitaries are to dress in white
because they are not split into three branches Thái, Thượng, and Ngọc (say
Buddhist, dressing in yellow; Daoist, blue; and Confucian, red).
Due
to the absence of several female dignitaries, His Holiness Lý requested Giáo Sư Hương Thanh (Bishop Lâm Ngọc
Thanh) to send letters, inviting them all to be present at the holy house on
the fifteenth of the first lunar month to be conferred ranks by Caodai God.
Later,
on Tuesday 15 February 1927, at the Thiền Lâm holy house, Caodai God conferred
four dignitary ranks on His female disciples as follows:
- Two
Phối Sư (Archbishops): Lâm Ngọc
Thanh, and Lê Thị Ngân.
-
Eight Giáo Sư (Bishops): Bùi Thị Giàu
(Nguyễn Ngọc Tương’s spouse), Đãi Thị Huệ (Lê Văn Trung’s spouse), and Nguyễn
Thị Hiếu (Cao Quỳnh Cư’s spouse), etc.
-
Twenty-eight Giáo Hữu (Priests): Ca
Thị Thế (Ca Minh Chương’s daughter), Lâm Thị Tiếng (Lâm Quang Bính’s daughter),
Nguyễn Thị Huyền (Nguyễn Văn Tương’s daughter), Nguyễn Thị Hương (Nguyễn Ngọc
Thơ’s daughter), Nguyễn Thị Nhiều (Phạm Công Tắc’s spouse), and Trần Thị Lựu
(Cao Quỳnh Diêu’s spouse), etc.
-
Fifty-six Lễ Sanh (Student-Priests):
Nguyễn Thị Sanh (Trương Hữu Đức’s spouse), and Nguyễn Thị Thơm (Lê Thế Vĩnh’s
spouse), etc.
4. The Orthodox Dharma for the
Heaven-Joining Body
On
Sunday 13 February 1927, Caodai God established Pháp Chánh Truyền (the Orthodox Dharma) for Hiệp Thiên Đài (the Heaven-Joining Body).
The
highest was Hộ Pháp (Dharma
Protector) Phạm Công Tắc, administering the Pháp
(Dharma) branch. On the right of Hộ
Pháp was Thượng Phẩm Cao Quỳnh
Cư, administering the Đạo (Dao)
branch. On the left of Hộ Pháp was Thượng Sanh Cao Hoài Sang, administering
the Thế (World) branch.
Below
them were Thập Nhị Thời Quân (the
Twelve Sovereigns of Time), split into three branches as follows:
The Pháp (Dharma) branch included: Bảo Pháp (Dharma Conservator) Nguyễn
Trung Hậu, Hiến Pháp (Dharma
Dedicator) Trương Hữu Đức, Khai Pháp
(Dharma Developer) Trần Duy Nghĩa, and Tiếp
Pháp (Dharma Receiver) Trương Văn Tràng.
The Đạo (Dao) branch included: Bảo Đạo (Dao Conservator) Ca Minh
Chương, Hiến Đạo (Dao Dedicator) Phạm
Văn Tươi, Khai Đạo (Dao Developer)
Phạm Tấn Đãi, and Tiếp Đạo (Dao
Receiver) Cao Đức Trọng.
The Thế (World) branch inluded: Bảo Thế (World Conservator) Lê Thiện
Phước, Hiến Thế (World Dedicator)
Nguyễn Văn Mạnh, Khai Thế (World
Developer) Thái Văn Thâu, and Tiếp Thế
(World Receiver) Lê Thế Vĩnh.
5. The character
Khí at the Dharma Protector altar
On
Monday 13 December 1926, His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch instructed the apostles 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 in the Thiền Lâm main hall. Using the beaked
basket, His Holiness Lý wrote the character in the style of amulet. Exactly a
week later (on Monday 20 December), answering an apostle’s question about
making the character Khí, Caodai God told
to use red felt and yellow embroidery thread.([12])
6. Temporary
“storey” for the Heaven-Joining Body
On
Thursday 20 January 1926, His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch instructed the apostles to
construct a temporary “storey” for Hiệp
Thiên Đài (the Heaven-Joining Body) at the Thiền Lâm holy house. It was 4
metres deep, about 3.6 metres high, and as wide as the holy house. A staircase
was to be made so that Dharma Protector would be able to enter the main hall
right from Hiệp Thiên Đài “storey”.
7. Making the
seals of Cardinals and Legist-Censors
On
Saturday 19 February 1927, at the Thiền Lâm holy house, His Holiness Lý
instructed in designing three round seals for Chưởng Pháp (Legist-Censors) of the three branches. Each seal
consists of an outer ring with the French words “3e AMNISTIE DE DIEU EN ORIENT”
[3rd Amnesty of God in the Orient]. Each inner circle bears six Chinese
characters 大道三期普度 [Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ, say the Third Universalism of the Great
Dao]. Each seal center shows a different image: a patra (almsbowl, for the Buddhidt branch), a dust whisk (Daoist),
or the Spring and Autumn Annals (Confucian).
The
three round seals to be made for Đầu Sư
(Cardinals) of the three branches are a little smaller than the ones for Chưởng Pháp. Their outer rings and inner
circles bear the same French words and Chinese characters as described above.
Each seal center shows a different Chinese character: 太 (Thái,
for the Buddhidt branch), 上 (Thượng,
Daoist), or 玉
(Ngọc, Confucian).
In
order to prevent fake imitations, after the six seals of Chưởng Pháp and Đầu Sư
had been made, they all were to be officially registered at the court of Tây
Ninh province.([13])
8.
Establishing the Lộc Giang holy house
On
Wednesday 16 February 1927, Caodai God arrived. The Supreme Being requested Yết Ma (Karma) Trần Văn Giống, owner of
the Phước Long pagoda, to kneel close to the evocation table. God said that He
accepted Spiritual Pope Lý Thái Bạch’s request to convert Giống’s pagoda in Chợ
Đệm into the Lộc Giang holy house, and to rank its owner Thái Giáo Hữu (Buddhist Priest).
Caodai
God instructed Cardinal Thượng Trung Nhựt (Lê Văn Trung) and Dharma Protector
Phạm Công Tắc to send Khai Pháp
(Dharma Developer) Trần Duy Nghĩa and Tiếp
Pháp (Dharma Receiver) Trương Văn Tràng to the Lộc Giang holy house, where
this pair of mediums would help Priest Thái Giống Thanh hold séances to
introduce the new faith to the local inhabitants.([14])
9. Change in
the number of dignitaries
On
Thursday 09 December 1926, due to serious illness, Daoist Legist-Censor Nguyễn
Văn Tương (born in 1879) passed away in his home village of Hữu Đạo, Cai Lậy
district, Mỹ Tho province. Over a month later, during a séance on Saturday 15
January 1927, Caodai God conferred the rank of Acting Thượng Chưởng Pháp (Daoist Legist-Censor) on apostle Trần Đạo Quang.
At
midnight of Saturday 25 December 1926, His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch conferred the
rank of Thượng Giáo Sư (Daoist
Bishop) on Latapie, a Frenchman.
On
Saturday 15 January 1927, Caodai God conferred the rank of Thái Đầu Sư (Buddhist Cardinal) on apostle Dương Văn Nương. God
revealed that His Holiness Lý Thái Bạch had dismissed Thích Thiện Minh (Monk
Như Nhãn’s adept) due to Thiện Minh’s negligence of his duties as the Buddhist
Cardinal.
On
Saturday 19 February 1927, at the Thiền Lâm holy house, His Holiness Lý
reminded Cardinal Thượng Trung Nhựt that he should manage to finish the parish
register, appoint Ban Trị Sự (Boards
of Administration) and chức việc (officials
or elders) to serve at hương đạo (village
congregations). In a few months’ time, new followers would unceasingly
multiply, His Holiness Lý would bestow dignitary ranks on more disciples so as
to have more people to deal with congregational routines.
Nhiêu Lộc, 28 July 2015
HUỆ KHẢI
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Đại Đạo, Lịch Sử Đạo Cao Đài. Quyển
II. Hà Nội: Tôn Giáo, 2008.
[Huệ Khải 2010], 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, 2010.
[Hương Hiếu 2], Đạo Sử. Quyển II. (mimeographed). Tòa Thánh
Tây Ninh, không năm xuất bản.
[Lê Anh Dũng 1996], Lịch Sử Đạo Cao Đài Thời Kỳ Tiềm Ẩn
1920-1926 / History of Cao Dai - the Beginnings of Early Cao Dai
1920-1926. Huế: Thuận Hóa, 1996.
[Nguyễn Văn Hồng 1], Đạo Sử Nhựt Ký. Quyển 1 (1925-1934). Bản
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[Thánh Ngôn Hiệp Tuyển 2]. Quyển 2. Sài Gòn: Tòa Thánh Tây Ninh, 1966.
