The Buddhist Components of Caodaism and Their Reorientation

Emerging through séances in Southern Vietnam in 1926, the Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ, commonly known as the Cao Đài Religion, illustrates a unique form of religious syncretism. As part of the three major syncretized religious elements, Buddhism shows the most prominent influence, playing a key role in shaping its theological doctrines and its ritual practices. By conducting a comprehensive, comparative textual analysis focusing on syncretism and the efficacy of spiritual healing, this article explores how the faith has incorporated Buddhist teachings into its belief and practice system through its four core liturgical texts: (1) Kinh Cúng Tứ Thời (the Daily Offering Sutras), (2) Di lạc Chơn Kinh (the True Sutra of Maitreya), (3) Kinh Cầu Siêu (the Deliverance Sutra), and (4) Kinh Tuần Cửu (the Sutra of Nine Periodic Mourning Rites). This exploration reveals that core Buddhist concepts, such as karma, reincarnation, wisdom, and liberation, have significantly contributed to the spiritual landscape of Cao Đài. However, what is most interesting is that the movement did not simply incorporate Buddhist doctrines and rituals but it adapted them to answer Vietnamese circumstances. This is a deliberate strategy to tailor its therapeutic mechanisms to the spiritual needs of its Vietnamese adherents.