A Summary of Cao-Dai Rituals

Updated 2012-05-01 13:51:21

• The flowers represent tinh (the body/the material), wine represents khi (or qi/vital essence), tea represents than (the spirit).

• Tinh, Khi, Than, are the three treasures of Geniis, Saints, Immortals and Buddhas.

1. A Representation of the Divine Eye
2. A light representing the Universal Monad
3. Fruit for Offering
4. Flowers for Offering
5. Tea (placed on the right side representing yin)
6. 7 and 8, Three glasses of wine
9. Pure water (placed on the left side representing yang)
10. 12 Two candles
11. Incense burner.
For mouse hours (11:00pm-1:00am) and horse hours (11:00am - 1:00pm) offerings are made with wine. For cat hours (5:00am - 7:00am) and rooster hours (5:00pm - 7:00pm) offerings are made of tea.

When worshipping and making offerings to the Divine Master, five incense sticks must be burnt. These must be arranged in two lines. Three sticks making the line closer to the Divine Eye (An Tam Tai), two sticks further out (Tuong Ngu Khi).

Ho Phap Altar

1. Worshipping image utilising the ideogram Khi
2. Fruit
3. Flowers
4. Tea
5. , 6,7 Three glasses of wine
8. Water
9. Incense burner
10, 11, Two candles.

The Ho Phap altar is only installed in temples. Whenever daily ceremonies are held worshippers should light and burn three incense sticks at this altar.

Methods of making prostrations before altars.

Hands are brought together in the following manner.

The left hand should "Bat An Ty" (bring the tip of the thumb to the lowest joint of the ring finger) then the fingers should close over the thumb. Then the right hand is wrapped around the left hand, the thumb of the right hand is placed between the thumb and the index finger of the left hand.

The two hands are held in this position before the body and brought to the forehead, three deep bows are then made, and then the adept kneels. After kneeling one brings one's hands to one's forehead and recites quietly, "Nam Mo Phat," (Venerations to the Buddha) the hands are then moved over the right shoulder reciting, "Nam Mo Phap," (Venerations to the Dharma) then the hands are moved over the left shoulder and the adept recites, "Nam Mo Tang" (Venerations to the community). Then the hands are brought to the middle of the chest while the worshipper quietly recites.

- Nam Mo Cao-Dai Tien -Ong Dai-Bo-Tat Ma-Ha-Tat (God the Father) (a small bow of the head occurs at the end of each formulae). 

- Nam Mo Quan- The- Am Bo-Tat Ma-Ha-Ta (Godess of Mercy/Kuan Yin). 

- Nam Mo Ly Dai Tien Truong Kiem Giao Tong Dai-Dao Tam-Ky Pho-Do (Great Chief Immortal Li - Spiritual Pope of the Third Amnesty). 

- Nam Mo Hiep-Thien Dai-De Quan-Thanh De-Quan (Xie Tian Da Di Guan Sheng Di Jun/Kuan Kung/Kwan Ti). 

- Nam Mo Chu Phat, Chu Tien, Chu Thanh, Chu Than (Buddhas, Immortals, Saints, and Superior Spirits).

Each time one makes prostrations to the Supreme Being, one should do as follows.  

With each prostration you should bring your head close to the ground four times (a slow nod). Altogether from three prostrations there are twelve slow nods. (One should remember that during every slow nod one must quietly recite Nam Mo Cao-Dai Tien -Ong Dai-Bo-Tat Ma-Ha-Tat. 

When one makes prostrations for the Buddhas and Immortals one should make three prostrations and with each prostration three "slow nods" should be made, making altogether nine.

During prostrations the hands must be placed on the ground with the fingers spread out with the thumbs crossing each other.  

Method of Worshipping the Divine Mother at a Holy Mother temple  

When attending a ceremony to worship the Divine Mother one also holds the hands in the Bat An Ty position. Three deep bows are then made. The worshipper then kneels. The hands are then brought to the forehead and the following words are quietly recited. 

- Nam Mo Dieu Tri Kim Mau vo cuc Thien Ton (Holy Mother) (a small bow of the head occurs at the end of each formulae). 

- Nam Mo Cuu Vi Tien Nuong (The nine female Buddhas). 

- Nam Mo Bach Van Dong Chu Thanh (The Saints of the White Lodge).

Note: The bringing of the hands to the head and over the right and left shoulders is not performed, and the invocations Nam mo Phat, nam mo Phap, nam mo Tang are not made. 

Each time you prostrate to the Divine Mother one should do as follows, with each prostration you should bring your head close to the ground three times (the "slow nod"). Altogether from three prostrations there are nine slow nods. (One should remember that during every slow nod one must quietly recite Nam Mo Dieu Tri Kim Mau Vo Cuc Thien Ton.) Three prostrations are made, each prostration has three "slow nods" making nine in total).

Worshipping Major and minor ceremonies at Temples  

At the temple major ceremonies are only held on significant anniversaries or the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. Other ceremonies are thus called "minor" ceremonies. 

For every major ceremony the Loi Am Co (or Drum of Thunder) and the Bach Ngoc Chung (Great Jade Bell) are operated. This is done in three divisions, each division has twelve parts, each part comprises twelves strokes. The Ngoc Hoang Sam is operated with music and ritual servants. 

During minor ceremonies, the Drum of Thunder is not operated, only the bell is rung.

A great Ceremony at Tay Ninh Holy See

A minor Ceremony at Sai Gon temple

Before the ceremony the first bell is rung using invocations of three sentences each, at the end of each invocation the great bell is rung once. 

When people enter the ceremony the great bell is rung once more using invocations of three sentences each, at the end of each invocation the great bell is struck once. 

When the ceremony finishes, using invocations of three sentences each, at the end of each invocation the great bell is struck once. A bow is then made for the completion of the ceremony. 

In the homes of each believer, before preparing for daily worship before the home altar, one should strike the gong three times. When the worshipping is finished one must again strike the gong three times with no invocation.  

Periods of Vegetarianism  

After one's initiation into the religion one must practise vegetarianism. Initially the adept must practise vegetarianism 6 days each month. This increases to 10 days per month with the hope that one will practise vegetarianism full time. 

When practising dietary control for six days each month, a vegetarian diet must be followed on the 1st, 8th, 14th, 15th, 23rd, 30th days of the lunar month. When a lunar month contains only 29 days then vegetarianism must be practised on the 29th day in lieu of the 30th. 

When practising dietary control for ten days each month, a vegetarian diet must be followed on the 1st, 8th, 14th, 15th, 18th, 23rd, 24th, 28th, 29th, 30th days of the lunar month. When a lunar month contains only 29 days, the 27th day must be a vegetarian day in lieu of the 30th. 

Whoever practises vegetarianism for 10 days or more each lunar month is permitted a special privilege. When they die (representatives from) the Sacerdotal Council come to perform "The Mystery of Deliverance" (phep xac) as the words of the Divine Master promise. Whoever can practice vegetarianism for 10 days or more each lunar month will receive access to the "precious and secret dharma" in their practising of the Dao. 

Details for Last Rites and Services for the Dead 

When someone is dying or just dead, one must organise ceremonies for praying to the Divine Master before chanting for the dead or dying, whether or not it is close to daily prayer times. Only after this ceremony is completed, whilst remaining calm and of pure heart praying to the Divine Master, can one then chant the prayers Kinh Cau Hon (prayers for instructing the dying soul) for the believer. 

The ceremony leader comes takes a place at the head of the dying or dead person. If a choir group of teenage girls (boys) can be assembled, they should form lines either side of the body from the leader on. 

The leader of the ceremony stands directly in front of the head of the dying or dead person and, with serious concentration, calls to the dying or dead person, "I follow the order of the Supreme Being to come and pray for you my co-believer (note: when praying for dignitaries one should call the holy name or "elder brother"/"elder sister"). Be light of soul and rise towards the paradise of extreme joy. Contemplate and listen and pray to the Supreme Being to bless you." 

The prayer Kinh Cau Hon Khi Hap Hoi is then chanted three times. When the chanting is complete, one must bow and recite the name of the Divine Master three times. 

If the dying person has just taken their last breath, the prayer Khi Da Chet Roi is chanted three times. 

Placing the Body in the Coffin  

The ritual here is the same for the praying for the recently departed. Firstly a ceremony must be organized and prayers to the Divine Master offered. One then brings oneself to the place where the dead has been laid-out. The prayer, "Placing The Body In The Coffin" (Kinh Tan Liem) is then chanted three times. After this, the chief mourner prostrates him or herself before the soul of the dead, this prostration must take place before the body is placed into the coffin. 

Asking for Salvation of the Soul  

When one performs ceremony for the "Mystery of Deliverance" one must chant the following: 

Dau vong bai Tay Phuong Phat To
A Di Da Phat do chung dan…

(After this, the prayer Kinh Khi Da Chet Roi [Prayers for the Dead] is chanted …) 

Ba muoi sau coi Thien Tao
Nhap trong Bat Quai moi vao Ngoc Hu… 

This formula is chanted three times at the end of each one must bow the head. 

Once this is done one must invoke the name of the Divine Master three times. Then chant Di Lac Chon Kinh(The Sutra of Matreya Buddha). 

Households far away from a local temple and unable to come to the ceremony of the Mystery of Deliverance, establish an altar at the head of the dead person after the body is placed into the coffin. The head of ceremonies then prays to the Divine Master (Candles and incense must be organized correctly, but the prayers of the daily ceremony are not carried out). The conductor of the ceremony must be a member of the celestially appointed hierarchy or the religious head of the village or deputy. There must also be a further two subordinates of that leader who hold candles on either side of the dead in order to guide the soul of the dead towards the front of altar of the Supreme Being. Before the altar at the local temple, an area behind the position of the head of the ceremony must be left. It is in this vacant area where the dead soul makes prostrations to the Divine Master and listens to the chanting. Prayers must then be conducted as noted above. 

Ceremony for Mourning Dress  

One must first pray to the Divine Master (as a daily ceremony). One must pray using a petition. The ceremony for mourning dress is then carried out in the Confucian manner. Offerings are made to the dead soul in both the morning and evening again in the Confucian manner. 

Ceremony for the Procession of the Coffin  

One must first pray to the Divine Master. Then a ceremony is organised for the Cao Tu To (report to the ancestors). When this ceremony is held on must chant the prayer Kinh Cau To Phu three times. Then the prayer Kinh Cuu Kho is chanted three times. When this is finished one must invoke the name of the Divine Master three times. What follows is the ceremony of carrying the coffin to the hearse (Prajna Paramitta Boat / Thuyen Bat Nha). This ceremony should be organised in the Confucian manner. 

The burial team then enters and bows to the coffin. When the coffin departs the female choir chant the prayers Kinh Dua Linh Cuu (prayer for the burial procession). This chanting continues until the grave. 

When the coffin begins its progression the following order must be followed: 

1. A banner bearing the name Dai Dao Tam Ky Pho Do
2. If the dead was either a believer or held the rank to student priest, the banner of the Thuong Sanh follows, if the dead was a priest or higher then the banner of the Thuong Pham follows.
3. The altar of the deceased comes next.
4. Then the choir, formed in two lines, with men on the left and women on the right.
5. The coffin itself.
6. The chief mourner and family mourners.
7. Then women
8. Then men. 

Ceremony for Interment of the Coffin  

When the coffin arrives at the grave site, the leader of the ceremony and the choir stand at the head of the grave and chant three times the prayer Kinh Ha Huyet (Prayer for the interment of the coffin). At the end of each prayer, the head must be bowed. After the last bow is made, the Vang Sanh Than Chu is invoked three times. When this is done the name of the Divine Master is invoked three times.  

The Nine Day Periods / Lam Tuan Cuu  

From the first nine-day period after death to the ninth nine-day period ceremonies must be organized to offer prayers to the Divine Master (praying as a minor ceremony). The three treasures are offered and the petition is read but there is no ritual or music. 

At the end of each ceremony the funerary tablet of the dead (containing the name of the dead) is brought in front of the altar of the Supreme Being. The prayer Kinh Khai Cuu (prayers for the start of each requiem) is then chanted three times. At each nine day period a different prayer (e.g. the prayer for the first period, then second period and so forth…) then follows each opening prayer depending on its sequence between 1 and 9. At the end of these three sets, the name of the Divine Master is invoked with three prostrations each containing four slow nods. 

Each nine day period one must kneel and chant the Di Lac Chon Kinh in front of God's altar. At the end of each, one must invoke the name of the Buddhas and make prostrations. 

At the completion one must invoke the name of the Divine Master with three prostrations, each prostration consisting of four slow nods. 

The more you chant the better. 

Each time the Di Lac Chon Kinh is chanted, there should be between three and six people chanting; and doing do in harmony.

After calculating 200 days after the end of the 9th nine-day period, a lesser mourning ceremony is held. The ceremony is performed as a the nine-day ceremonies were organized. Thus it is a minor ceremony to the Divine Master with the offering of the three treasures and the burning of the petition but no ritual or music. The funerary tablet of the dead is again brought in front of the altar to the Supreme Being where the prayer Kinh Khai Tieu Tuong, then the Kinh Tieu Tuong is chanted. This is done three times. At the end of these three sets, the name of the Divine Master is invoked with three prostrations each containing four slow nods.   The Di Lac Chon Kinh is chanted.   The offering to the soul of the dead must be done at the ancestor altar. Whether the offering is great or small depends on the family, but the offering must be discussed with the ritual officer.

Lesser Mourning Period (200 days)