Library - Theology - Đạo Cao Đài

Overview

Publications

Đạo Cao Đài (a word meaning "the highest place where God reigns" in the Vietnamese language, sometimes written as Dao Cao Dai, Caodaism, and Caodaiism) is a contemporary polytheistic religion that originated in 1926 CE in the southern Tây Ninh city in Vietnam.  "Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ" is the full name for this religion, which means "great religion of the third revelation-and-salvation period."

Deities:		Supernatural agents:		Beliefs:		Traditions:
God the father, and creator deity Mother Buddha (less important than God)		Spirit of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Spirit of Victor Hugo Spirit of Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm Spirit of Joan of Arc		Before God existed, there was only Tao (from Tao Te Ching) which is nameless, formless, unchanging, and eternal The Big Bang was the birth of God God created the universe, and Yin and Yang God is responsible for all Yang Mother Buddha is responsible for all Yin Mother Buddha is male because she is a part of Yang		Non-violence Prayer Vegetarianism Veneration of ancestors

The three levels of spiritual attainment are taught through the Three Teachings, in the order of least difficult to most difficult:  Saints, Sages, and Buddhas (only Buddhas are exempt from the birth-to-death cycle).  Various stages of spiritual development are in the order of Human (con người), Angel (Thần), Saint (Thánh), Sage (Tiên), and Buddha (Phật).

See also

• Buddhism