Exploring The Unique Blend Of Beliefs Within Cao Dai Faith
In the midst of World War II, as the Japanese military extended its grip over Indo-China in 1943, a new Vietnamese religious movement was born: Cao Dai. This spiritual group swiftly militarized, forming its own army in a bid for autonomy and influence.
However, the ascent of Ngo Dinh Diem to power in the early 1950s marked a turning point for the Cao Dai. Premier Diem, determined to consolidate his rule and eliminate dissent, decisively dismantled the political arm of the Cao Dai, effectively silencing their earthly ambitions.
Yet, the intriguing cosmology of the Cao Dai could not be quelled.
The faith holds that our planet is precariously positioned in a cosmic hierarchy—merely four levels above the infernal depths. Adherents believe in a vast universe composed of 72 planets, with the first being nearest to celestial bliss and the seventy-second abutting the gates of perdition. Earth, situated on the fourth level, hovers alarmingly close to this spiritual abyss.
Despite the political setbacks and the passage of time, the Cao Dai faith has endured. Over a million souls continue to embrace its teachings, finding solace and purpose in a religion that charts a complex spiritual geography, with Earth as a pivotal waystation between the divine and the damned..