The Origins Of Vietnamese Spiritualism
Rev.
Stainton Moses undertook a six-month’s retreat at Mount Athos in which he
studied theology, confronting various contradictory theses.An excellent exercise
which recalls the spirit, always prone to be doctrinaire, dogmatic, intolerant,
to greater humility, wisdom, and truth. He was then named to a little pastorate
on the Isle of Man where he never lacked for leisure: Nature, reading, prayer,
meditation,
silence and mystic contemplation made him a poignant orator: The
Imperator Spirit had already seized him, and intended never to release him, no
more than his demon would release Socrates.Imperator led Rev. Stainton Moses to
Oxford University, but above all, made of him one of the most precious
instruments of the “ New Revelation”, one of the most sublimely inspired
mediums of our age.
It was in
the same solitude, the same calm meditative retreat, that Cao-Đài found his
first Caodaist, no temple more beautiful than that nature, no book more divine
than the book of life.Jesus retired to the Garden of Gethsemane, even to the
desert; St. Francis of Assiz spoke to his little sister the rain, to his little
brother the wind, to the silent stars, to the talkative swallows, and he
stroked the jaws of the wolf of Gubbio and brought it home like a pet dog.The
Swedish naturalist Bengt Berg nestled in his hand the wildest bird of Lapland.
WHERE THE
HOLY IS, THE EARTH IS HOLY.
Where the
holy is, nature rises above itself.
The Holy
rises in man.It is man above himself.
The Holy
rises within man above the level of mankind in communing with the Spirit.
Thus, on the
threshold of this book, we must listen to the voice, which says:
From the
height of the roofless tower where Ecstasy had carried me, I regarded the
world, sad and cold, black and shaken.
From the
height of the roofless tower where Faith had raised me, I saw afar the sea,
guarding its blue quietness like a veiled Virgin.
From the
height of the roofless tower where faith had led me, I saw the dawn of an
eveless morning and an infinite day.
From the
height of the roofless tower where love had placed me, I beheld the sun lighten
the earth.
The sad cold
world turned red and warm.
Black became
white, and white was changed into black.Peace and harmony reigned in the world.
From the
height of the roofless tower, my heart wept for joy, my soul saw ecstasy, and
my body broke with pain.
From the
height of the roofless tower, I saw the shadow ship crossing the sea of light,
and wondering, I contemplated the Mover of stars, the Ordainer of worlds.
I saw the
elements, the seasons, and the months obey the Watcher.
The great
and watching Eye.
From the
height of the roofless tower, I saw in Him, by Him, for Him.
THE FIRST
CAODAIST
It was early
in the year Bính-Dần (1926) that Caodaism was founded.Nevertheless, for six
years, one man had been worshipping the Great Master Cao-Đài.Mr. Ngô-Văn-Chiêu,
who was at that time in the service of the criminal investigation department of
the Cochinchina government.
As an
administrative delegate in 1919, at a post called Phú-Quốc, an island in the
Gulf of Siam, Mr. Ngô-Văn-Chiêu led a life of great wisdom, conforming to the
stern rules of Taoism.From time to time, in this isolated place so favorable to
the religious life, he gave himself, with the help of young mediums from 12 to
15 years of age, to evoking the great Spirits (Cầu-Tiên) from whom he received
the necessary instruction for his spiritual growth.Among the communicating
spirits, he discovered one named Cao-Đài, in whom he became particularly
interested.
From the
first, this name caused general astonishment among those present, for to their
knowledge, no religious work had ever made mention of it, Chiêu, nevertheless,
whose wisdom was admired by all, by means of his revelations and philosophical
studies, believed he recognized a surname of God.
Having asked
Cao-Đài for permission to worship him in tangible form, he was ordered to make
representation in the form of a symbolic eye.
PRAYER TO
THE EYE OF GOD
Eye of God
Thou art the
gold and the crystal of heaven.
Ethereal
essence of all essence of all things, Thou seest in all.
Bodiless
spirit expressed in a look (the wise never confuse the symbol with that which
it represents).Thy vision is infinite.
Total
intelligence, penetrating, enveloping: Zodiacal.
Life:Principle
of life, life of all principles, which the regard of the sun develops and
multiplies in the Gold of Heaven.
Night’s
repose in the light of the moon:
Sidereal
light.
Solar light.
Lunar light.
Unique light
in the eye of God.
Unique light
of the eye of God.
Thou
Three-in-One of the One-Look.
Eye of God
Bathe my
spirit in the light of crystal and gold.
- Amen –
Such was the
conversion of the first Caodaist, to the new religion, that it was able, six
years later, to plant itself in Saigon.Soon, Mr. Chiêu’s administrative duties
recalled him to the capital, where he made several proselytes to the new
faith.However, let us leave for the moment these first converts, to show the
reader the manner in which the Great Master recruited his mediums.
It was the
middle of the year Ất-Sửu (1925).A little group of Vietnamese secretaries
belonging to various branches of the administration in Saigon amused themselves
evenings by dabbling in spiritism.They made use of a “ouidja board”.Their first
attempts were mediocre.Nevertheless, through patience and practise, they
finally obtained results.Their questions put to the spirit, sometimes in verse,
sometimes in prose, received surprising answers.Their dead parents and friends
showed themselves to talk of family affairs and give counsel.These sensational revelations
taught them of the existence of an occult world.
One of the
communicating spirits became particularly noticeable by his high level of moral
and philosophic teachings.The spirit who signed himself under the pseudonym
“AĂ”, which is the first three letters of the Vietnamese alphabet, did not
wish to reveal himself, in spite of the entreaties of his hearers.Soon, other
secretaries came to swell the little group of amateur spiritist.The meetings
became more serious and regular.As the ouidja board was no longer convenient,
this spirit replaced it by the “corbeille à bec”.With this apparatus, which
permitted direct writing, the communications became more rapid and less
fatiguing for the apprentice-mediums.
On Christmas
Eve, the 24th of December, 1925, the guiding spirit, who, until then had
obstinately guarded his anonymity, revealed himself at last as the “Supreme
Being”, coming under the name of Cao-Đài to teach truth to Vietnam.Speaking in
Vietnamese, he said in substance:
“Rejoice
this day.It is the anniversary of my coming to Europe to teach my doctrine.I am
happy to see you, O my disciples full of respect and love to me.This house will
have all my blessings.Manifestations of my power will inspire even greater
respect and love in my regard."
From that
day forth, the Great Master initiated his disciples in the new doctrine.
Such was the
calling of the first mediums charged with the reception of the divine messages.
I asked the
Great Master, who from the nearby Beyond made answer.
I asked the Great
Master, saying, “Venerated Lord, what is the earth?”
The Spirit
replied:
The earth is
a vessel, which rocks in an ocean of light.
This light
is time and space.
Time is
invisible light.
Space is
visible light.
Thus time
envelops space as spirit envelops all.
Time hovers
above, within and without.
Space abides
beneath, without and within.
Of invisible
space is time
Of the
passing of time is space.
The earth is
a vessel that rocks in an ocean of light.
The earth is
time condensed.The weighting of spirit in matter.
Consulting
the magazine l’Inde Illustrée, which undertook a series of articles on various
religious manifestations in British India, Siam, China, Japan, The Philippines,
etc., we find in No. 2 dated March, 1933, a study on Caodaism in Vietnam (South).We read
concerning its origins:
“Of recent
date (1929) Caodaism has grown rapidly and spread through all Cochinchina.”
Origin
-Early in 1926, some young Vietnamese scholars, all Buddhists, gathered in a
compartment in the middle of Saigon.They had the habit of “table tipping”, and
giving themselves to spiritist experiments.
After a
period of groping about, they finally obtained some “surprising” results, they
said, by means of some of their number who possessed a powerful “fluid”.
They were at
first in spirit communication with one of the Chinese sage of antiquity,
Lý-Thái-Bạch, more commonly known as Li-tai-Pe, the Chinese Homer, author of a
literary revival under the 13th Tang dynasty (713-742), a fervent Taoist.
Thus again,
we seem justified in our sub-title: Caodaism, or Vietnamese Spiritism.
A FRENCH
TESTIMONY
It is that
of Mr. Jean Roos, writing in le Colon francais of Hải-Phòng, on the origin of
Caodaism:
1926 !The
year is just beginning!
In a few
days comes the Vietnamese Tết.Not far from the Central Market, in a block of
shop-houses of modest appearance, occupied for the most part by employees of
the administration and large business firms.In one of them, since many long
months, young clerks from Customs, Public Works, the Railroad, and various
business houses find themselves from evening to evening playing with the table
– tipping it, making it talk.They are all Buddhists.How did it all begin?One of
them had heard of spiritualism, of the most important tables, in his office,
where one of the bosses, a Cochinchinese, is a convinced spiritualist, member
of one of the most important spiritist societies of France.He, in turn, had
spoken of it to friends, and one day, they found themselves, four of them,
seated about a table.
“We’ll see
if this works!We’ll see if there’s anything to it!”They said.The beginnings
were not very brilliant, but, little by little, elimination those who did not
possess the “fluid”, replacing them by more gifted friends, they marked up
extraordinary results.They never failed to receive answers to their questions
put to the table.They asked if they were truly in communication with a
spirit.The answer was affirmative.
The thing
became serious.At each session, they asked the name of the spirit who spoke to
them.Most frequently, Lý-Thái-Bạch, or Quan-Thánh Đế-Quân, or sometimes a
person unknown.Thus, that which, at the beginning, had been only an amusement
with a touch of that mysticism which nearly always flourishes in the Vietnamese
soul, became a privileged conversation with the superior spirits of the occult
world of whom they asked counsel.
No doubts
were raised concerning the nature of the conversations, first, because it was
equally new to all, it was impossible to suspect one another of connivance, and
later, because certain communications from the correspondent of the occult
world revealed such lofty sentiments, scientific knowledge, and depth of
philosophy that none among them was capable of being the author.
But the use
of the tipping table to correspond with the occult world was not very
practical!So much time was required for receiving the shortest sentence!
It was at
the time of which I speak, that is, shortly before the Vietnamese Tết of 1926
that they made known their complaint to the spirit.
It answered
that they should make use of the corbeille.
And since
they asked what that was – (those more or less versed in spiritism or having
attended but one seance will see what novices they still were) – the spirit
told them to address their compatriot, the Phủ-Chiêu, one very deep in
spiritism, for it would be too difficult for himself, to make them understand
by means of a table what he was talking about.
Thus,
Caodaism was about to be born, or rather was about to enter the stage of its
popularity, since, for many years as we shall see, one man had been worshipping
Cao-Đài.
The man, who
followed the holy doctrine of Gautama Buddha, was none other than the
Phủ-Chiêu.Besides the moral teachings of Buddha and those of Confucius whom he
venerated as emanations of the divine, he believed in the existence of a
Supreme Being, All-powerful, Sovereign Master of the Universe, called
Cao-Đài.He believed also in the spirits with whom he claimed to have been in
relation for years.The dignity of life of this first Caodaist, to whom the
young men were sent, was exemplary.His compatriots unanimously considered him a
holy man.He taught the clerks the use of the corbeille à bec, to which I shall
return later, which greatly facilitated their spiritualistic seances.He
participated with them, happy to make use of mediums particulary apt, gifted,
and possessed of unusually powerful fluid.
After having
entered into relations with the Phủ-Chiêu, it was under the same conditions at
the invitation of the same spirit, that they went to find another of their
compatriots, a former Cochinchinese mandarin, a member of the government
counsel, Lê-Văn-Trung, who was given from time to time to spiritualist
seances.Lê-Văn-Trung, whose name the young clerks did not know until the spirit
told them, had not always led a life of exemplary wisdom.He, on the contrary,
had gotten the most out of life to the point that, now that the young men were
sent to him, he had nearly ruined all his fortune.
Having
already passed the half-century mark, Lê-Văn-Trung who seemed in everyone’s
eyes an impenitent materialist, in his amateur spiritist hours, considered as a
warning from the Supreme Being the fact the he, with the Phủ-Chiêu whom he had
long known, had been chosen to show the way to the young spiritists.He resolved
from that day to lead an exemplary life and to show himself worthy of the
mission to which he had been called by Cao-Đài.He immediately ceased smoking
opium without the slightest inconvenience (which proves, say the Caodaists, how
much he was strengthened by the Supreme Being, for without help, he could never
have cured himself so easily), he abstained from alcohol, from the eating of
meat, became, in a word, a sincere Buddhist priest.
This
miraculous conversion attracted to him the first group of adherents, in general
members of well-to-do families, or well-placed government officials, among
which was Phủ-Tương, in the provincial administration of Cholon, who was, like his
colleague Chiêu, a man of superior morals, practicing on every occasion.The
humanitarian virtues dear to Confucius, the Đốc-Phủ Lê-Bá-Trang the honorary
Huyện Nguyễn-Ngọc-Thơ and his wife, the former Mrs. Monnier, a very rich
Cochinchinese, who had long used a part of his income for works of benevolence
and charity.
The Phủ-Chiêu who had
first been designated to fulfil the functions of supreme Chief of the religion,
the pope of Caodaism, however, he later decided to retire.Therefore, the Pope
position was replaced by Lê-Văn-Trung.
Upon asking one of the
principal dignitaries for the cause of Mr. Chiêu’s attitude, I was told that
since he had been the first caodaist of Cochinchina, he would normally have
been called to fulfil the functions of supreme leader of that religion, but
that he had shown himself incapable of overcoming a temptation which God had
assigned him as he imposes to all superior beings before raising them, from low
degree, to a scale the top of which is perfection and he was, therefore,
obliged to redeem this weakness of which he had given proof before taking back
the place to which his past seemed to give right.
THE POPE OF CAODAISM
The conversation of Mr.
Lê-Văn-Trung, who was to become Pope of Caodaism, was one of the great events
of Indochina’s history.
It was also in 1925, Mr.
Lê-Văn-Trung was living in the city of Cholon.Given to diverse enterprises, in
the tumult of that town devoted to the worship of money, he had a spirit
completely averse to religion.One evening, at the invitation of one of his
relatives, a convinced spiritualist belonging to a religious sect called
“Minh-Lý” at Saigon, he went to a seance that was to take place in the suburb of
Chợ-Gạo.
At that
meeting, the spirit of Lý-Thái-Bạch manifested.Taking Mr. Trung aside, he
revealed to him his spiritual origin and at the same time announced to him his
future religious mission.He then exhorted him to quickly submit himself to the
regime imposed by the new faith.Moved by grace, Mr. Trung without hesitation,
sustained by his faith, had the courage to cease smoking opium and follow a
vegetarian diet; he also left his business enterprises in order to consecrate
himself entirely to religion.
The
conversion of that man, the day before still attached to wealth and pleasure,
is so striking that we may ask ourselves whether the spiritualistic seances
organized at Chợ-Gạo had not been inspired by missionary spirits with the
unique aim of bringing back Mr. Lê-Văn-Trung in the way of the Law.In fact,
when the latter had made up his mind to live according to the new faith, which
he had adopted, they ordered the dispersion of the spiritualistic group, to the
great astonishment and sorrow of its members.
In Saigon,
the Great Master, feeling the time had come, united the mediums of
Lê-Văn-Trung.He then sent two of these (Messrs. Cư and Tắc) to the newly
converted, with the order to organize there a seance during which, he should
give him instructions.
Mr. Trung
although he did not know these mediums, yet accepted their proposition when he
understood their motives.
An evocatory
seance took place.The Great Master, besides other teachings, announced to Mr.
Trung his great mission in the new religion he was going to found to save
humanity.
That
revelation confirmed the allusions of various spiritualistic messages that Mr.
Trung had received at Chợ-Gạo with other mediums.It fortified his conviction
and encouraged him to consecrate himself without reserve to religious exercise.
Some time
after, the Great Master sent Messrs. Trung, Cư, and Tắc close to the Phủ Chiêu,
who had to guide them in the religious way as an elder brother.This man having
been so ordered by the Great Master welcomed them most cordially.He immediately
put them in contact with his first co-religionists.The caodaist cell thus
formed was composed of a dozen members, all of French culture and most
employees in various administrative departments in Saigon.
The
earnestness and disinterestedness of these pioneers soon attracted to them an
increasing number of adherents.The Caodaist religion then came out of its
limited circle to spread among the people at the beginning of the year Bính-Dần
(1926).
The
Phủ-Chiêu used to his solitude, was annoyed the influx of adherents who
bothered him.As an official conscious of his responsibilities, he decided from
then on to keep himself free of this great religious movement.Mr. Lê-Văn-Trung
was then named by the Great Master to replace him at the end of April.
FIRST
MEETING PLACES
Spiritualistic
seances continued more and more numerous at individuals’ homes but mainly in
meeting-places organized in each of the following centers: The town of Cholon
Two mediums
were appointed to each place to receive the teachings of the Great Master.The
admission of new members was also decided there.Adherents came in mass,
amounting to hundreds of new enrollments at each seance.
OFFICIAL
DECLARATION OF CAODAISM
The new
religion was very rapidly extended, it was received with much enthusiasm,
especially by the masses.Anxious to act openly and keep themselves in the
strictest limits of legality, its leaders made an official declaration signed
by 28 persons, which they sent in on October 7, 1926 to the Governor of
Cochinchina.Also enclosed was a list of signatures of 247 members present at
the ceremony announcing the official existence of Caodaism.
PROPAGANDA
After having
made that declaration which was courteously welcomed by the local Government,
the leaders of the “Great Way
These were
three, one for the provinces of the East, one for the Center and one for the
West.
In less than
two months, over twenty thousand persons among which many native notables, were
converted to the new religion.It was on account of spiritism, and especially to
the infinite kindness of God who was always manifested at each invocatory
prayer and whose messages had a decisive influence over spectators, that also
due to the form of the new worship which had nothing contrary to that of the
principal religions practiced in the country.
FESTIVAL OF
THE ADVENT OF CAODAISM
Since the
10th day of the tenth month (October 14, 1926) the propaganda tours were
interrupted.Every effort of the leaders was concentrated on the festival of the
advent of Caodaism.This took place on the 14th, 15th and 16th of the tenth
month of the year Bính-Dần (November 18, 19, 20, 1926) in the pagoda Từ-Lâm-Tự,
situated at Go-Kén (Tây-Ninh).The Governor General of Indochina as well as the
Governor of Cochinchina and high-placed European and native officials were
invited.
Celebrated
with solemnity, this festival gathered a considerable number of believers from
all the provinces of Cochinchina, It also attracted thousands of curious come
simply to observe.The presence of Captain Monnet, a great French spiritualist,
was also noticed there.
It was
during this festival that the Caodaist sacerdocy was instituted and the new
religious code was established and promulgated.
DEFINITE SEE
OF CAODAISM
The Từ-Lâm-Tự
was a Buddhist pagoda newly built by the Hòa-Thượng Giác-Hải of Chợ-gạo
(Cholon), who had allotted it to the new religion to which he had been
converted.However, after the festival, the Buddhist faithful who had furnished
funds for the erection of this temple who had not been consulted on its
transfer, demanded its return.
On the other hand,
experience had shown that that pagoda was too small and that the land on which
it was built was too exiguous to enable them fitly to install the Holy See of the
incipient new religion, which promised so great a future.
On indications of a
superior Spirit, the land on which the temporary temple is actually placed was
then chosen and bought to locate the Caodaist Holy See.Situated at the village
of Long-Thành, province of Tây-Ninh, it is large enough (about 100 hectares ) to meet with actual and future needs.
The transfer of the Gò-Kén Temple
at Long-Thành took place on March 1927.The number of adherents continued to
increase considerably.The movement of pilgrims to the new temporary temple is
worthy of notice: it was by thousands that they were received there daily.
As any other
religion at the beginning, Caodaism had also its adversaries whose criticism,
often too passionate, was not always dictated by a sufficiently objective
spirit.
However, the
caodaist leaders obeying the instructions of the Great Master, endeavored to
maintain and improve themselves in the Great Way only considering the moral and
spiritual good of humanity.It is the only answer that they are allowed against
attacks of which they are the objects, for every caodaist keeps his temper.
At last,
after four years of existence, Caodaism counted half a million
adherents.Moreover, in spite of multiplied obstacles sowed in its way, it
always continued its triumphant walk towards the goal that God assigned to it:
the regeneration of humanity in universal peace.
SOURCES OF
THE DOCTRINE OF CAODAISM
L’Inde
Illustree gives an abridgment of it as follows:“Cao-Đài is a symbolic name of
the Supreme Being who, for the third time, is to be revealed in the Orient.The
opinion of the adherents of the new faith is that God, adapting his teaching to
the progress of the human spirit, which is more refined than formerly, should
this time, be manifested by means of mediums.He being unwilling to grant any
mortal the privilege of founding Caodaism.
“This new
manifestation of the Supreme Being arose from the fact that all religions
submitted to the authority of a human founder, is opposed to universality,
since its prophets rise up against truths proclaimed by other religions toward
which they show an obvious intolerance.”
“The
Caodaist Doctrine is a fusion of the oldest religions of the Orient: Buddhism,
Taoism and Confucianism.
“ In a
message transmitted on the 13th of January, 1927, in the
presence of several Frenchmen, Lý-Thái-Bạch, one of God’s ministers, made clear
this doctrine.We take from it the following lines:
“The holy
doctrines of the various religions are ill-practiced.The order and peace of the
days of Yore is effaced.The moral law of humanity is betrayed.For unthinking
and skeptical persons, God exists in name only.They ignore the fact that in His
supreme place reigns a Personage, Sovereign Master of all events of the
universe and all human destinies.
“Formerly,
the peoples of the world did not know each other and lacked means of
transportation.I then founded, at different epochs, five branches of the Great Way
1) Nhơn-Đạo:Confucianism
2) Thần-Đạo
: Khương-Thái-Công, worships of Genii
3) Thánh-Đạo
:Christianity
4) Tiên-Đạo:
Taoism
5) Phật-Đạo:
Buddhism
“Each based
on the usages and customs of the races particularly called to practice them.
“Nowadays,
all parts of the world are explored: humanity, knowing itself better, aspires
to real peace.However, because of the very multiplicity of these religions, men
do not always live in harmony.That is why I decided to unite all in one to
bring them back to primitive unity.What is more, the Holy Doctrines of these
religions have been, through the centuries, denatured by the very persons
charged with spreading them to such a point that I now have taken the firm
resolution to come to you myself to show the true way.”
In that same
spiritualistic message of the 13th of
January, 1927 , Lý-Thái-Bạch also said:
“Dear
Brethren, the merciful Christ came among you to mark out for you the good
way.Try to follow it in order later to have peace of soul; go forward each day
with alert step in the love of God.Unite in love one with another, help one
another, this is law divine.
“At that
moment, when each is condemned to undergo his purgatory, if he think of his own
interests, if he seeks to sow misery and suffering, he will risk to be drawn
into the infernal torment where the wicked goes to crush his life and soil his
soul”.
Indeed,
Caodaism or Đại-Đạo is the most simplified religion that exists at present so
far as the practises of its worship are concerned; it merely asks its adherents
to address daily prayers to Cao-Đài, either at home, or in appointed places; no
confession (spiritualistic evocations being delicate and dangerous to handle,
are reserved to the sacerdocy), nor communications.The number of Priests
reduced to strict necessity for preaching from time to time, the holy doctrine,
exhort the faithful to practice the virtue of humanity such as Confucius
conceived.If it exists but one God, the Supreme Being, it recommends to its
members to follow pure Christian morals or that of Confucius, which, actually,
do not greatly differ.
It
recommends the veneration of the Superior Spirits, who were benefactors of
humanity at different epochs; Christ, as well as Buddha Gautama, Confucius and
different Genii of the Chinese antiquity, are not forgotten in prayers.
Dignitaries
of Caodaism, on principle, are forbidden evocations of spirits before the
masses of the faithful in order to avoid becoming professional and abusing the
credulity of the mystic crowds.The billed basket is veiled in the
temples.Nevertheless, inspired mediums continue to be heard by the faithful.It
would seem then, in my opinion, unjust to declare too quickly that the founders
of the Caodaist religion put their light under a bushel and reserve to
themselves the monopoly of contact with the invisible.It is sufficient for him
who practices the religion that he may rise to acquire the right to a more
complete initiation.In some respects, it is the attitude of the Catholic Church
toward spiritism.
FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES CONFIRMED IN 1946
The Caodaist
doctrine tends not only to conciliate all the religious convictions, but also
to adapt itself to all degrees of spiritual evolution.
1) From a
moral point of view, it reminds man of his duties toward himself, his family,
society, that is a broadened family, then toward humanity, the universal
family.
2) From a philosophical
point of view, it preaches the despising of honors, riches, luxury, in a word,
the emancipation from servitudes of matter, to seek, in spirituality, the full
quietude of the soul.
3) From the
point of view of worship, it recommends the adoration of God, the Father of
all, and the veneration of Superior Spirits that constitute the occult August
Hierarchy.Admitting the national worship of ancestors, it prohibits however
meat offerings as well as the use of votive paper.
4) From a
spiritualistic point of view, it confirms, in harmony with other religions and
systems of spiritualistic and psychic philosophy, the existence of the soul,
its survival of the physical body, its evolution by successive reincarnations,
the posthumous consequences of human actions ruled by the law of karma.
5) From the
initiates point of view, it communicates to those of the adherents who are
worthy, revealed teachings that shall enable them, by a process of spiritual
evolution, to accede to ecstasies of felicity.
ADHERENTS
They are of
three kinds:
1)
Religious: high dignitaries who are constrained to lead the life, if not of an
ascetic, at least entailing certain privations: the works of the flesh are
forbidden to them: they keep their wives, but they are to them no more than
sisters; alcohol, meat, fish, are forbidden to them; they partake exclusively
of vegetables.They are authorized to commune with God and the Superior Spirits,
but only occasionally.
2)
Mediums:to the number of twelve, who are somewhat auxiliary, and are not
actually monks, but are yet compelled to certain rules, certain privations in
their material life.They continue to take care of their daily occupations, in
commerce, or industry.They are formally forbidden to practice spiritism, save
in the presence of the dignitaries and with their invitation after having
recited prayers to the Most-High.
3) Ordinary
members: the mass of believers, whose duties are only to follow the morals and
rules of behavior indicated by the directing Committee of Caodaism and
especially, to prostrate themselves every day before the altar of Cao-Đài,
either in a special pagoda, or in a newly created meeting place, or at home
before the altar which certain have erected, on the throne of which is found
the drawing of an eye surrounded with clouds, before ritual candlesticks, a
perfume-burner full of ash in which joss sticks are burned, and offerings such
as fruits in more or less abundance.
According to
another more recent document, I find the members divided into two categories:
The thượng-thừa (superior degree) and the hạ-thừa (inferior degree).In the first
degree are all the real monks; they may be dignitaries or simple adherents.With
that title, they are compelled to grow a beard and long hair, to follow a diet
of exclusively vegetable food, to abstain from luxury and sexual
intercourse.Their life, freed from servitudes of matter, is entirely devoted to
the service of religion.
The second degree
comprises the mass of the believers who continue to look after their normal
occupations; their religious duty consists in daily practicing the worship and
observing the rules of conduct prescribed by the New Religious Code
(Tân-Luật).These as well as the others are forced to “ngũ-giới-cấm” (the
panchashila), interdictions drawn from the Buddhist morals commanding not to
kill, to avoid cupidity, luxury, gaiety and sin in words.
Concerning the diet that
the members of the second degree must follow a gradual vegetarianism is
prescribed to them, consisting in abstaining from meat a fixed number of days
per month.
So they begin with the
“sóc, vọng”, temporary diet of two days; then successively pass to “lục trai”,
diet of six days; and to “thập trai” diet of ten days.
The Caodaism admits to its
fold all men of good will without distinction of race, or social rank.There the
simple “dân” fraternally rubs elbows with the “đốc-phủ-sứ”.
CAODAIST WORSHIP
This is practiced
everyday, in places of meeting as in private homes, in four hours (times)
(tứ-thời): 6 a .m., noon, 6 p.m.,
and midnight. Prostrated before the divine altar, in the leap of the soul
toward the Supreme Being, we begin by fulfilling the rite of the offering of
incense (niệm-hương).Then comes that of the offering of prayers (khai-kinh),
the form of which may be translated as follows:
“Above the ocean of human
pain in which immensity is lost between sky and sea, already the Day-Star
points to the East.
“Lao-Tze, the Great
Teacher had the merit of aiding our human salvation.
“The Three Religions teach
as base of their doctrine the practice of good and of virtue.
“Confucius the Sage has
clearly traced the path of the Middle Way.
“Buddha the Merciful
preached devotion and charity.
“The Taoist doctrine
ordained the worship of truth and character discipline.
“Tis thus that one trunk
gave birth to three similar branches,
"Let him who can
penetrate truth so profound, purify his heart for the recital of holy prayers.
These formalities ended,
we entone in chorus a hymn to the glory of God, then three in honor of the
Holy-Three: Confucius, Lao-Tze, and Buddha.
Such is, in all its
simplicity, the daily worship rite.As for the divine services celebrated in the
temples on great ceremonial days, we shall observe a more elaborate ritual.
HOW TO PRAY TO CAODAI
I ask of you, my Brethren,
to pray and sing the praises of Him who gives life, strength, beauty and what
is still better: wisdom that makes you like unto him.I ask you, my brethren, to
sing, pray and put yourselves in order.
Position of order standing
in the station of motionless waiting…I ask you to await the benefactions of the
Spirit.
Position of order standing
in the gesture of the first step toward the Light…I ask you to walk toward the
Light.
Position of order seated
in waiting and inner meditation… I ask you to meditate, pray and wait.
I ask you, my Brethren, to
pray, inwardly singing the praises of Him who gives life.
The life of the body to
run to the help for those who have need of you.
The life of the heart to
love all men, all beings, to love all life, all divine life, angelic, human,
animal, vegetable, mineral and atomic life.I ask you to love
earth, water, fire, air,
and the pebbles of the road and the stars of the heavens.
Position of order in
repose.That of rest which must be an action of grace.
Immobility is an order, a
position of action, a prayer, a song toward Him who gives Life, Strength,
Beauty and what is more, Wisdom.
My Brethren, My Sisters, I
ask you to pray and sing the praises of Him who gives life.
I bring flowers of five
colors.I bring flowers.
The white lily of
innocence, candid, united with God.
As all colors are found in
the white of the faith, so all beliefs are of one.
The blue of the fields of
heavenly hope.The blue of the heavens which induces the upward look.
In divine hope are all
human ideals.
The red rose of bleeding
love, of love crucified, the red rose of charity.
The rose that carries the
cross.
The cross that carries the
rose.
Rose-Cross.
The yellow sun-flower, the
gold sun-flower, the sun-flower of silent speech.
The gold of heaven falls
on the earth.
The mauve flower, the
violet of secret humilities.The violet made of red love and blue hope.The
violet of morning, but also of secret power.
The mauve color of him who
knows truth.
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