Holy scriptures of Cao Dai: themes, sctructure, ideologies

Abstract

This article aims to introduce some basic caodaist texts, which as caodaists believe have been dictated by the spirits directly to the mediums of Cao Dai clergy and were published within first years of this new religion's operations in Tay Ninh. The texts describe core principles of caodaism, provide instructions for creating religous communes, reflections on mundane and monastic life, and various lessons on theory and practice of caodaism. For each book there is an outline of its structure and content, followed by one or few examples of texts in authors translation with socio-cultural comments and intertextual highlights.