IOverview
Cao Dai has two paths that insiders call phổ độ and vô vi. The first opens the doors wide, building churches and a clergy. The second is inward, grounded in meditation and self-cultivation. The Chieu Minh lineage is the clearest expression of the second.
It traces back to Ngo Van Chieu, whom followers call Đức Ngô Minh Chiêu or Đức Tôn Sư. In the faith's account he was the first person taught by the Supreme Being and shown the Divine Eye. English Wikipedia calls him the first disciple and the founder of the Chieu Minh branch.
Today the lineage has two state-recognized organizations, both based around Can Tho: the Cao Dai Chieu Minh Long Chau Church and the Cao Dai Chieu Minh Tam Thanh Vo Vi school.
IIHistory
In the faith's account, in 1921 at Duong Dong on Phu Quoc island, Ngo Van Chieu was taught by a being who called himself Cao Đài Tiên Ông. When he asked for a form to worship, he was shown a great eye in the sky. That is the origin of the Divine Eye. Dan tri reported in 2010 that he was ordained on Phu Quoc on 8 February 1921.
Ngo Van Chieu was born on 28 February 1878 and died on 18 April 1932, the 13th day of the third lunar month. In 1926, as the religion prepared for its public founding, he declined the office of Pope. According to English Wikipedia, he disagreed with open proselytizing and wished to keep practice esoteric. Le Van Trung became acting Pope instead.
From then on he and a number of disciples followed their own way. According to Nhip Cau Giao Ly, after his death his body lay for three days at the Thao Lu retreat in Can Tho before burial in a stupa. The Long Chau Holy See was built in 1956 in Tan Phu Thanh commune, Chau Thanh district, former Can Tho province.
- 1921Divine Eye on Phu QuocIn the faith's account, Ngo Van Chieu receives the symbol of worship.
- 1926Declines the papacyHe chooses the inward path over public mission.
- 1932Death of Ngo Van ChieuOn 18 April. His body lies in state at Thao Lu.
- 1956Long Chau Holy SeeBuilt at Tan Phu Thanh, Chau Thanh, former Can Tho.
- 1996Long Chau recognizedThe Chieu Minh Long Chau Church gains legal status.
- 2010Tam Thanh Vo Vi recognizedThe school is recognized on 26 April.
IIITeachings and Distinctive Features
Chieu Minh also worships the Supreme Being through the Divine Eye. The Divine Eye is a left eye inside a circle, not in a triangle. No source has been found describing a design specific to this lineage.
What sets it apart is method. The lineage stresses individual inner cultivation in the vô vi way: meditation, refining essence, energy and spirit, and reforming oneself from within. Practitioners keep a lifelong vegetarian diet. The lineage does not build a large clerical hierarchy like the public churches.
English Wikipedia describes Chieu Minh as the esoteric branch, which still admits only a limited number of committed adepts. An overview on Nghien cuu lich su notes its focus on inner cultivation along alchemical lines. According to Dan tri in 2010, the Tam Thanh Vo Vi school emphasizes moral cultivation through the three refuges and five precepts.
Following the inward path does not place Chieu Minh outside Cao Dai. It worships the same Supreme Being, uses the same Divine Eye and regards Ngo Van Chieu as the opener of the whole religion. The difference lies in method and organization, not in the object of worship.
IVPractice, Ritual and Daily Life
Chieu Minh religious life is far quieter than the great festivals of Tay Ninh. Practice centres on meditation, the precepts, lifelong vegetarianism and study of the master's teachings. Each year its centres commemorate the death of Ngo Van Chieu on the 13th day of the third lunar month. Nhip Cau Giao Ly notes that since 2009 religious affairs officials and local authorities have acknowledged and supported these annual commemorations.
The Tam Thanh Vo Vi school has held a ceremony marking one hundred years since the founding of Cao Dai in Vietnam, attended by Deputy Head Nguyen Anh Chuc of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, according to the Committee's news site.
VOrganization and Distribution
| Organization | Seat | Recognized | Sourced size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cao Dai Chieu Minh Long Chau Church | Long Chau Holy See, Chau Thanh, former Can Tho | 1996 | 16 temples (Nhip Cau Giao Ly) |
| Cao Dai Chieu Minh Tam Thanh Vo Vi school | Thánh Đức Tổ Đình, Hung Loi ward, Ninh Kieu, Can Tho | 26 April 2010 | About 6,000 followers, 8 centres (Dan tri, 2010) |
At its recognition in 2010, the Tam Thanh Vo Vi school had a central council of 36 members led by Huynh Thi Tin, born in 1932, according to Dan tri. The Long Chau church is a member of the Cao Dai inter-church liaison.
VIToday
Today the Chieu Minh lineage lives on through two organizations recognized fourteen years apart. Both are in Can Tho, home to the Thao Lu retreat and other sites linked to Ngo Van Chieu. Beyond them, many people practise the inward path at home, for whom there are no statistics.
The lineage is much smaller than the public churches. That fits its own principle of selecting practitioners rather than opening its doors wide.
VIISymbol of the Branch
Divine Eye
VIIISub-branches
- Cao Dai Chieu Minh Long Chau Church
- Cao Dai Chieu Minh Tam Thanh Vo Vi school
IXOther Branches of Caodaism
Cao Dai Tay Ninh Holy SeeĐại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ Tòa Thánh Tây NinhThe largest church, centred on the Tay Ninh Holy See.
Cao Dai Ban Chinh DaoĐại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ, Hội Thánh Ban Chỉnh Đạo, Tòa thánh An HộiSeparated from Tay Ninh in 1934, based at An Hoi in Ben Tre.Uses the common symbol of the pathCao Dai Tien ThienTiên Thiên Đại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ, Hội thánh Cao Đài Tiên ThiênBased at Chau Minh in Ben Tre, founded 1937.Uses the common symbol of the pathCao Dai Missionary ChurchĐại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ, Hội Thánh Truyền Giáo Cao Đài, Trung Hưng Bửu TòaThe main Cao Dai church of central Vietnam, based in Da Nang since 1956.Uses the common symbol of the pathCao Dai Minh Chon DaoĐại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ, Hội Thánh Cao Đài Minh Chơn Đạo, Tòa thánh Ngọc SắcBased at Ngoc Sac in Ca Mau, rebuilt in 1954.Uses the common symbol of the pathCao Dai Cau Kho Tam QuanĐại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ, Hội Thánh Cao Đài Cầu Kho Tam QuanBased at Tam Quan in Binh Dinh, founded 1954.Uses the common symbol of the pathChieu Minh LineageChiếu Minh Vô Vi, Chiếu Minh Tam Thanh Vô ViThe lineage of Ngo Van Chieu, first recipient of the Divine Eye in 1921.Cao Dai Chon LyĐại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ, Hội thánh Cao Đài Chơn LýBased in My Tho, built around 1928 to 1931, one of the earliest branches.Uses the common symbol of the pathCao Dai Bach YBạch Y Liên Đoàn Chơn Lý, Tòa thánh Ngọc KinhAlso called Bach Y Lien Doan Chon Ly, based at Ngoc Kinh in Kien Giang since 1955.Uses the common symbol of the pathIndependent Cao Dai templesCao Đài Bảo Thủ Chơn Truyền, Cao Đài Pháp Chánh TruyềnTemples and followers outside the recognized churches, describing themselves as keepers of the original 1926 rule.Uses the common symbol of the pathXSources
The library cross-checks the sources below. Where they disagree, the page gives both.
- Dân trí, Công nhận Pháp môn Cao Đài Chiếu Minh Tam Thanh Vô Vi (26 tháng 4 năm 2010)
- Wikipedia, Ngô Văn Chiêu
- Wikipedia, Caodaism
- Nhịp Cầu Giáo Lý, Cao Đài Chiếu Minh Tam Thanh Vô Vi
- Nhịp Cầu Tam Giáo, Các Tòa Thánh Đạo Cao Đài
- Nghiên cứu lịch sử, Khái quát về Đạo Cao Đài (2023)
- Ban Tôn giáo Chính phủ, Phó Trưởng ban Nguyễn Ánh Chức dự Đại lễ 100 năm của Pháp môn Cao Đài Chiếu Minh Tam Thanh Vô Vi
?Quick Questions
Who was Ngo Van Chieu?
In the faith's account he was the first person taught by the Supreme Being and shown the Divine Eye, on Phu Quoc in 1921. He declined the papacy in 1926 and died in 1932.
How does Chieu Minh differ from Tay Ninh?
Both worship the Supreme Being through the Divine Eye. Chieu Minh stresses individual inner cultivation, lifelong vegetarianism and a minimal clergy rather than a large public church.
Which Chieu Minh groups are recognized?
The Cao Dai Chieu Minh Long Chau Church, recognized in 1996, and the Cao Dai Chieu Minh Tam Thanh Vo Vi school, recognized on 26 April 2010.
Is the Chieu Minh Divine Eye inside a triangle?
No. It is a left eye inside a circle, as throughout Cao Dai. The eye in a triangle is the Western Eye of Providence, a different symbol.