Basics
Dai Dao Tam Ky Pho Do or “The Third Great Universal Religious Amnesty”
Founded by Ngo Minh Chieu in South Vietnam in 1926
While Cao Dai is highly formal in its hierarchy, worship and way of life it is attractive for many due to its approach to spiritism.

The Dai Thua Chon Giao teaches the way for overcoming intolerance of earlier salvation. The Caodaism's religious Constitution, which illustrates the structure of the church, is regarded by its followers as an unchangeable document created through spiritistic messages or channeling from God.
Channeling is a phenomenon that has been part of human experience since very ancient times. One hypothesis going beyond the stereotype is, that there is always some entity that is communicating, as beings are both an entity and an energy. Thus independent energy exchanges are thinkable. Others believe that channelling is pure nonsense, an entirely self-generated phenomenon which very often involves conscious and unconscious fakery. Depending on your assessment of channelling you will have to assess CAO Daiism.

An elaborated law and rules system governs this religion. These “laws” cannot be changed in any way without the proper procedures instructed in the Phap Chanh Truyen. The “laws” are fixed in a two-volume compilation of sacred messages received by Caodai leaders through séances.

Cao Daism is the third largest religion in Vietnam with officially 1.1mio followers, but Caodaists believe that the figure is more in the range of 3mio. Besides of Vietnam it is also represent in other Asian countries, Europe, Australia, and North America.

II. History
The first disciple of Cao Dai is Ngo Van Chieu, born 1878, who became explored the spiritual traditions of the Chinese, starting with Confucianism. Being an adherent to Taoism he also studied Western spiritism and Asian classics, and attended mediumistic séances.
During one such séance it is said that Chieu received a message to lead a religious life, after meeting the spirit of Duc Cao Dai in 1920 in a séance. Duc Cao Dai ordered Chieu to practice vegetarianism for three years. The Duc Cao Dai also asked him to use the symbol of a Divine Eye to represent Cao Daism. This symbol stands for the principle of the heart, from which a source of light comes which is according to Dao Cai God.

After three years of discipleship Chieu started to teach the rituals learned from Cao Dai to others, interested in the spiritual movement. Around the same time that Cao Dai appeared to Ngo Van Chieu, another later leader of Cao Dai Le Van Trung was in a séance, where the spirit of Ly Thai Bach (a great Chinese poet) revealed to him his future religious mission. From then on, Le Van Trung decided to prove himself worthy to the mission committed and entrusted by Cao Dai.

Cao Daism's purpose is to integrate the teachings of Confucianism, Geniism, Christianity, Taoism, and Buddhism.

According CAO DAIsm there are three revelations called amnesties. The First Revelation is called the Era of "Creation" a peaceful era until man became corrupted. This lead into the second era, the Era of "Self-Destruction."

In the Second Revelation God revealed himself to Lao-Tse (Taoism), Jesus Christ, Sakyamuni Buddha (Buddhism), Khuong Thai Cong (Geniism), Mohammed (Islam), and Confucius (Confucianism).

Then God's third revelation brought the Era of "Preservation" where Cao Daism unites the traditions and worship of the Divine Beings of these two revelations forming the “Third Universal Amnesty”.

The new religion spread quickly throughout Cochinchina, with a majority f its followers peasants. In 1926 Le Van Trung (the future “Pope” of Caodaism) founded the Cao Dai Religion. It seems the two main founders got in conflict with each other as immediately two directions appeared.

Cao Daism organization form follows the Catholic church, with a “pope”, “cardinals”, “Archbishops”, “Bishops”, “Priests”. It’s three “cardinals” represent the three branches: Nho (Confucianist), Thich (Buddhist), and Dao (Taoist) and decide on religious laws before their promulgation. They direct the Disciples spiritually and temporally. While the “cardinals” have a right to enact laws, final approval lies with the “Pope"
Female dignitaries can reach up to the the rank of a “Cardinal” But the “pope” has to be a male.

The two schools of Cao Dai are the " exoteric " and the "esoteric” ones.

In exoterism it is the duty of a CaoDai disciple to devote himself to the practice of good and avoidance of all evils. He should show kindness to nature, plants, animals, human beings, and avoid unnecessary destruction of any creature recognizing that they all have God's spirit and are part of the reincarnation cycle, and to serve the society in representing God's image to the world.

In the esoterist direction the believer has to cultivate his personal holiness by meditation, by progressive eradicating the inferior self. Developing the divine element within the self, he may reach enlightenment and then guide other disciples in their self cultivation.

While the split is regretted by all some believe, that this was divinely ordained to propagate the religion more rapidly. The two schools differ in goals and values, but all believe that the two directions will unify again.

III. Basic Beliefs
God is called Duc Cao Dai. Followers worship also the “Universal Mother” which embodies the outer world and the Divine Beings, including Sakyamuni, Jesus Christ, Confucius, Lao-tse, and Khuong Thai Cong.

In the beginning only God was, no heaven, no earth, no universe. God has no name, no color, no beginning, no end. God is invariable, all powerful, everlasting, and the origin of all.
After creating the universe, God divided His spirit and made with it all creatures, plants, and materials. All creatures and plants of the universe share or contain thus the same spirit.

A disciple has to vow that he/she will never leave Cao Daiism. Followers have a probation period of 6 month, in which they are learning all the rules and laws to which they are bound to follow. Only thereafter they are given a permanent status.

Teachings include
The three jewels of Taoism, life matter, life energy, and soul. The teachings also include the five elements of Tao, mineral, wood, water, fire, and earth.
The three main duties of Confucianism are social relationships king/subject, father/children and husband/wife. The five essential virtues tought in this context are love/humanity, justice / faithfulness, good behavior/politeness, wisdom, and loyalty to be practiced on an every day basis.
The five interdictions of Buddhism are not to kill, not to steal, to abstain from drinking intoxicants, not to be tempted by luxury and not to sin by word.

According to Cao Daiism each human being has a spiritual life and a physical life. The spiritual life continues from body to body by being reincarnated on earth or into another realm according to its karma. During the reincarnation all knowledge and experiences of an earlier life will influence the persons knowledge and experiences. The spirit's goal is to escape the continuing cycle of rebirths to achieve nirvana.

The physical life is used by the spirit to achieve unification with Cao Dai Death is a continuation of life. The purpose of the spirit is to be enlightened, therefore one must obtain good karma as well as teach others through positive living.
The sacred texts of the Coadaist's are held in high regard and followed strictly. They are the base of the belief of the religion.
Caodaism reminds people of their duties toward themselves, the family, society (broader family), and toward humanity (universal family). Honors, riches, luxury have no importance.
It recommends the adoration of God and the veneration of Superior Spirits that constitute the occult August Hierarchy. Cao Daism demands full vegetarianism.

It confirms the existence of the soul, its survival of the physical body, its evolution by successive reincarnations, and the posthumous consequences of human actions ruled by the law of karma.
It reveals to those who are regarded as worthy teachings, that are believed to enable them to accede to spiritual ecstasies.

IV. Practices
Caodaists worship and adore God, venerate Superior spirits and worship ancestors.
In exoterism the adepts perform at least one ceremony per day worshipping the Supreme Being at home, and twice a month at a local temple. Most CaoDaists belong to the exoteric practice.
An adept's practice includes a vegetarian diet of six days a month for the first time and then ten days a month thereafter.

The main temple for exoterism is “The Great Divine Temple” or “Holy See” which can be found in the center of the Tay Ning Province, a center of tourism. The temple was built 1928 not on plans but on the basis of a vision, representing the different religions integrated. The location for the Holy See was chosen as it had a tradition of political dissent, mixed with an aura of religious respectability, was isolated from the mainstream of colonial society and yet was not far from Saigon, and it was also strategically located near the Cambodian border.
The Holy See besides being a temple also includes schools for the children of Cao Dai believers as well as possibilities to participate in programs and activities.

The three saints recognized are: Trang Trinh (1492-1587), who was a Vietnamese poet and prophet who represents nationalism and independence for the Vietnamese, Victor Hugo (1802-1885), a French poet and Sun-Yat-Sen (1866-1925), the leader of the Chinese Revolution of 1911. These figures are said to deliver messages through séances.
Genders are not mixing during worshipping in the temple
The divine beings and other important spiritual leaders in the “Holy See” are made up of five tiers. The first and highest are statues of Buddha, Confucius, and Lao Tze.
The second tier has Quan Am, Ly Thai Bach and Quan Thanh De Quan recognized as the three "Lords of the earth."
Jesus Christ is on the third tier, below the others because he appeared in a later era.
Khuong Thai Quan, the head of the ancestral spirits, is on the lowest tier.
There are two candles on either side of the altar representing the positive logos “male” or sun light and the other representing the negative logos “female” or moonlight
Both candles represent yin and yang, the two main principles in the universe formation.
Prayer sessions and other religious affairs are organized and prepared traditionally. Proper attire is required as well as proper greetings from one to another. Also the color and style of clothes is prescribed.

Esoterism is considered to be the more elevated section of the Religion, therefore, devotion requires more extreme and disciplined measures. It’s called Chieu-Minh Vo Vi and the main temple is located in Can Tho. Vegetarianism is practiced at all times for the means of self-purification, as well as ascetic meditation. Practice does not have to be done in the temple because one realizes that the temple exists within.

At the altar, the followers bow with their hands three more times in the following order: First moving the hands to the forehead (in respect to Cao Dai), then toward the knees (in respect to the earth), and then finally to the chest (in respect to humanity). This reflects the devotion to the Confucian ideal between Heaven, Man and Earth.

After this reflection, Caodai followers bow completely to the ground with both hands flat on the ground in front of them, and their fingers together and the right thumb crossing the left thumb. After bowing on the ground, chants and prayers are said to greet the Supreme Being (Cao Dai), the Lords of the Earth, and the Superior Spirits. Prayer is one of the most important forms of worship for the followers.

The main form of practice Caodai followers conduct is Spiritism, both doctrinally and organizationally. According to Caodaism, this world is a school for the spirit. Thus the medium is believed to be the instrument for establishing the new religion. To conduct rituals and ceremonies with spirits, three means of communications are used

The first one is a Ouija board, a small movable platform touched by two or more mediums on a Ouija board, which is inscripted with letters and numbers. During a séance, the spirits communicate with the mediums by pointing with the platform to various letters, numbers, or words on the board.

The second use of communication is table tipping. It is a small table that the mediums hold lightly on opposite sides of each other. During a séance the table tips/taps on the floor continuously. There is another medium present who records the number of taps, which indicate a specific letter.

The third device is a Ngoc co (basket with a beak). Two mediums hold the basket; the apparatus moves and its pen writes out messages which are interpreted by a third person and written down by a secretary. Of the three devices, the Ngoc co is preferred because it is efficient and the message is written directly during the séance.

The mediums that conduct the séances are very important in ceremonies and seasonal festivals to chase the evil spirits away. The mediums are Coadaists who receive the messages from the Divine Beings through their ears, eyes, hands, and thoughts. According to Caodaist belief, one's status in the spirit world is determined by one's earthly status in the hierarchy.

Certain Caodaists are specialized to receive certain kinds of messages, so if a follower needs to communicate with a particular spirit they would go to a certain medium. Spiritism has been a part of Vietnamese culture since ancient times.
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Ngo Minh Cheiu used séances as a beginning ritual of Cao Daism, and since the founding of the religion, séances have been the most common means of attracting converts. Séances were performed inside and outside the temple, and they became so extreme when the religion originated that miraculous heeling of supernatural character occurred. In 1927 the church came to a conclusion that the demonstration of séances were to no longer be used for recruiting and exhibitory purposes. They stopped all outside exploitation and legally permitted séances only to be done in Tay Ninh. From then on, only the mediums in Tay Ninh recorded messages from spirits as a base of the religion.

V. Controversial Issues
From the origination of the religion, Caodaism experienced tension and control from the Vietnamese government and the French government. In 1928 the French were worried on possible political implications of the emergence of Caodaist administration, perceived to rely on the French legal system in its institution building. This is why the French prohibited the construction of new Caodaist oratories. In addition to this, they faced discrimination and persecution by the colonial authorities, especially as some of the communities of Caodai were located in Cochinchina where religious freedom was restricted.

In 1935 the governor of Cochinchina decided to give to Caodaists the privileges of religious freedom including ritual gatherings in temples without prior notice to local authorities. But by 1941 the Holy See was seized by French troops after French Indochina got a new governor. Temples were closed and the adepts had to vacate Tay Ninh within 24 hours of the seize. This did not stop the religion from growing and the followers regrouped on the outskirts of Tay Ninh.

By 1945, about eighty percent of the Tay Ninh province population was Caodaist. In 1947 they formed an army to defend and protect their beliefs and practices and the adepts were declared to be "Soldiers of the Heavenly Path”. The army reached 10,000 by 1948. They gained back the control over large parts of Tay Ninh from the French. 1954 the South was liberated and the Caodaist church was given full judicial recognition in 1965.
After the fall of Saigon the Vietnamese government seized schools, clinics, and orphanages to stop all religious activity, including prayer. After the government had gained control of the temple in 77', they went after the entire religion in 79'.
The SRV government strictly ruled against all activities and practices of Caodaism. Followers were arrested and sentenced to life in prison. Dignitaries and followers of Coadaism could not conduct any ceremonies, spiritist séances, or rituals and the government separated all the dignitaries from their followers to cut off all forms of communication.
In 1980 the provincial administration dissolved all political institutions of the church and transferred to the state 40 out of the 46 buildings inside the Holy See. However, the main temple and five most important buildings remained within the church.
When séances became forbidden the number of followers decreased, because the main form of attraction was no longer permitted. In 1995 the government of Vietnam held a conference on Caodaism in Hanoi, which decided to reintegrate Caodaists within the course of "renovation" so as to strengthen adepts' belief in party leadership. From then on the governments objective was to subtly eliminate the religion.
In 1997 the Communist Party placed the Cao Dai temple under their control and confiscated all properties, and all religious activities, which now had to be submitted for government approval. Despite the government's efforts, Cao Dai followers and dignitaries continue to peacefully fight back with petitions and the demand for religious freedom.

In the meantime Coadaism has expanded across the world and is growing. The practice of Caodaism is more freely practiced today. It's success is due to the form of new worship on account of spiritism and "the spreading of peace made by God through the Third Alliance.