Cao Dai (a.k.a. Dao Cao Dai or Caodaism) is a syncretist Vietnamese religious movement with a nationalist political character. Cao Dai draws upon ethical duties and virtues from Confucianism, occult rituals from Taoism, theories of karma and rebirth from Buddhism, and a hierarchical organization from Roman Catholicism. Its saints includes the Buddha, Confucius, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Pericles, Julius Caesar, Joan of Arc, Victor Hugo, and Sun Yat-sen.
Cao Dai
| Fast Facts on Cao Dai | |
|---|---|
| Adherents | 4-6 million |
| History | Founded in 1926, Vietnam by Ngo Van Chieu and others based on a séance. |
| Beliefs | God represented by Divine Eye. Salvation by "cultivating self and finding God in self." Reincarnation. |
| Practices | Hierarchy similar to Roman Catholicism. Daily prayer. Meditation. Communication with spirit world (now outlawed in Vietnam). |
| Texts | Caodai canon |