Let us ask: “Who brought us into existence?” And then ask further: “Who brought forth the One who created us?” Continue tracing back to the very first ancestor of humanity, the Creator of all beings. This Creator must be eternal, without beginning or end, omniscient, omnipotent, and infinitely transformative to be able to create all beings, the universal parent of all. The Annamese people call Him “Ông Trời” (Heaven), the Chinese call Him “Thượng Đế” (Supreme Emperor), the French call Him “Dieu” (God). The Indians call Him “Brahma,” the Hebrews call Him “Jehovah,” and so on. Although each country addresses the Supreme Being with different names in their own languages, the underlying concept refers to the same one Lord. Since the Creator gave birth to all beings, how can anyone not respect this infinite grace? Since the Creator is omniscient, omnipotent, and infinitely transformative, how can anyone not be awestruck by this supreme power? Respect for His grace and awe of His power give rise to the concept of worshipping Him.
Throughout the world, from ancient times to the present, from primitive to civilized societies, humanity has always placed importance on the Way of Heaven worship. However, the methods of worship and ritual ceremonies differ because each country follows its own customs. In the West, everyone is free to worship Heaven, unlike in ancient China and Vietnam, where only the emperor could conduct the Heaven Worship ceremony (Tế Giao). This was based on the idea that only the Son of Heaven was worthy of representing all the people in offering this sacrifice. Commoners were considered too lowly to directly worship Heaven, fearing potential disrespect. Therefore, despite their reverence, the people could not express it openly. They could only set up an altar before their homes on the 8th day of the first lunar month, called “vọng Thiên” (looking towards Heaven), to express their devotion. This flawed understanding of Heaven worship gradually eroded people’s faith. Everyone knows that God is the Lord of the Universe, and they often pray to Him in times of sickness or misfortune, but the Vietnamese people only hold an attitude of “respect without worship” towards Him. Due to their inherent inclination towards worship, and being unable to worship Heaven directly, they developed the concept of “polytheism,” freely worshipping any deity they wished. With no established rules for worship, superstition led to the veneration of evil spirits and demons. This gave rise to unorthodox practices, superstitions, and heretical beliefs.
At the end of the third era of the third transition, the Way of Heaven is widely opened in the South, allowing all people with faith to freely worship God in their homes. Thus, our longing for the Way of Heaven can finally be fulfilled, and the long-standing superstitions prevalent among the lower classes in Vietnam will gradually disappear.
Some may ask: “The Creator is omniscient, omnipotent, and the creator of all things. Every flower, every fruit, everything is created by Him. Why then should we offer Him things that He Himself has created?”
We reply: “The Creator, in bringing us forth, has also bestowed upon us a bright and intelligent soul, by which we hold a position superior to all other beings. Therefore, we must be grateful to the Creator. It is to express this gratitude that we worship Him, and in worship, we use incense, lamps, tea, and fruits according to our country’s rituals. These are merely symbolic offerings, not for His need.”
Perhaps they further inquire: “I thought He is supreme, most revered, compassionate, and merciful. Why does He need our gratitude? Even if we were not grateful, His compassion and mercy would never waver.”
We reply: “Indeed, the Creator is supreme and most revered; He does not need our gratitude. His compassion and mercy are boundless, and He does not condemn those who are ungrateful, nor even those who do not believe in Him. However, it is our duty to be grateful when we have received grace; this is the righteous path. To offer sacrifices and worship Him, to love and trust Him, is to express our gratitude in every way. For example, if someone has received great favors from a wealthy and powerful person, and they say: ‘My benefactor has wealth and power; although I am deeply indebted to them, I need not repay them, for they do not need anything from me.’ Such an argument is clearly flawed.”
Perhaps they may still ask: “Even if we are grateful to the Creator, a sincere and trusting heart should suffice. He is most divine; our thoughts are known to Him instantly. Is it necessary to perform rituals and ceremonies, which are merely outward displays?”
We reply: “In these noisy and turbulent times, many things can easily distract us from the Way: the daily worries of making a living, the trials and tribulations of life, each pulling us away from the path of virtue. Therefore, we need a way to remind and bind ourselves to the Way (*1). This method is the act of offering sacrifices and worshipping the Creator. Moreover, worship should be conducted collectively and openly, with sincerity, reverence, and solemn rituals, befitting a religion. This not only serves as a reminder to stay true to the Way and nourishes the faith of those who share the same beliefs, but also inspires those outside the faith. Imagine a sacred hall during a ceremony, with all the faithful kneeling before the altar, reciting scriptures with reverence, their spirits uplifted by the fragrant incense that rises to the heavens. Faced with such collective sincerity and reverence, even the most critical and scornful would find their arrogance softened in such a solemn and peaceful atmosphere.”
The day when the concept of worshipping Heaven becomes universally unified, when all people understand that despite the different names used to address the Creator in each country, they all ultimately revere the same Lord of the Universe, that day will mark the unification of faiths (unité des croyances). All people, nurtured by faith, will then know how to live in harmony, love and support each other, recognizing their shared ancestry and one universal Father. Nations will unite, people from different lands will come together, creating a world where all continents are interconnected and all people are one family, transcending differences in skin color and language, abandoning prejudice and conflict, ushering in an era of peace and prosperity where all live under the banner of universal love.
We should constantly pray for the swift arrival of this blessed day, for the realization of the “Unity of Faiths.” And to achieve this noble goal, only The Third Great Universal Religious Amnesty (Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ) can serve as the driving force. This is the divine will, beyond the aspirations of ordinary mortals like ourselves. As the Confucian saying goes: “Every meal, every drink is predestined.” If even the smallest acts of eating and drinking are predetermined, how much more so is the Way of Heaven, which has only been widely disseminated for four or five years, yet already counts millions of believers? This demonstrates that without divine will, human effort alone could never achieve such a feat.
In the past, sacred teachings fell into the hands of mortals and became worldly religions. People within each religion only revered their own founder, leading to conflict and antagonism between different faiths.
Today, Caodaism emerges to resolve this religious conflict. Its core principle is to teach people that all religions share a common origin and should revere the same one Lord. He is the one who holds the power to unite all religions, guiding all sentient beings towards liberation from suffering, escaping the cycle of reincarnation and retribution, and returning to their original essence. No one in this world can claim to be the founder. The Holy See (le Sacerdoce) is established to maintain order and ensure the widespread dissemination of the Way. The Holy See is not exclusive to the Vietnamese; regardless of nationality, anyone with strong moral character and determination to cultivate their spirit can be ordained into the clergy (*2). It is certain that in the coming years, the Holy See will unite people of goodwill from all nations, working together to promote the Way and spread the principle of “universal love” throughout the world.
Humanity learning to love one another, recognizing each other as children of the same Father – this is the ultimate aspiration of Caodaism. Where else can we find such a noble and profound ideal?
The Way of Heaven rejoices, its third opening revealed,
With the Way, like children in one household we feel.
All people united in faith, hearts aligned,
Content with their lot, in harmony they dine.
(*1) Those with strong faith need no reminders, but they are few.
(*2) Foreigners are already among the clergy: French, Chinese, Cambodians.
Leave a Reply