History

A critical analysis in quest of the relationship between Caodaism and new religious movements: comparison and appraisal

It was often said that few phenomena in Asia have been so completely misinterpreted by the West as the Vietnamese religion known as "Caodaism".  Given its firm roots of Caodaism in Vietnamese culture, and the adherence of millions of followers, it is surprising that only recently have serious studies of the Cao Dai been undertaken. 

Early in 1926, some young Vietnamese scholars, all Buddhists, gathered in a compartment in the middle of Saigon. They had the habit of “table tipping”, and giving themselves to spiritist experiments...

The three figures it depicts are Saints through their spiritualistic connection with Caodaism. In plain modern Chinese dress is the founder of the first Chinese Republic Sun Yat Sen.

Caodaism is the first religious community so far that enables its adepts to have direct communication with the transcendental world via institutionalised spiritist seances....