It was a Tet eve in 1984, when a one-day trip to Tay Ninh was arranged for a group of Russian oil experts from Vung Tau, including the author - still Moscow University undergraduate student, who worked at Vietsovpetro joint venture as an interpreter. Tay Ninh Holy See really proved a fascinating scene! Even for unprepared curiosity seekers a huge complex of temples - with a visible sign of a new religion, an eye surrounded by sunrays - looked amazing. The icon of “Three Saints” - Victor Hugo, Sun Yat Sen and a Vietnamese poet-prophet Nguyen Binh Khiem - near the entrance into the main temple clearly showed that the visitors faced an unparalleled religious phenomenon.

Even the strangers felt some relief inside Den Thanh - the trips occurred in the baking heat of Tay Ninh, but inside the main temple - where the marble floor glitters like water and there is no glass in the windows - the heat somewhat miraculously subsided. Unlike fellow Russians, the author knew something about Caodaism, but it was rather a vague notion mainly derived from Graham Greene’s ‘The Quiet American’ - Caodaism was a religious synthesis ... missionaries had been dispatched to Los Angeles ... the secrets of the Great Pyramid. A guide at Toa Thanh explained that Caodaism was the “The Great Way of the Third Era of Salvation” - Dai Dao Tam Ky Pho Do - or the highest form of religious experience, because the faithful could have direct communication with deities via mediumism. Caodaism was said to be a synthesis of all great teachings of the past. The main object of veneration in the temple, Can Khon globe with the image of Celestial Eye surrounded by 3,072 stars, reflected global ambitions. The guide spoke in Vietnamese, but unfortunately the explanation - through Russian translation - sounded almost incomprehensible, in fact only the author could understand what the guide wanted to say.

Russian oilmen - like other curiosity seekers - seemed hardly interested in Caodaism, but for the author - with a background of Vietnamese studies, including reading ancient Buddhist texts such as Thien Uyen Tap Anh and Khoa Hu Luc (the author was fascinated with Oriental culture, notably Buddhism since high-school years), explanations seemed somewhat incomplete.

Otherwise, the books on Caodaism - and on Southern Vietnam in general - were virtually inaccessible in Moscow. In early 1980s the system of so called “spetskhrans” - special archives or luu tru dac biet - existed in the state-run libraries: all the books and periodicals perceived “anti-Soviet” by the authorities were held in the special archives, and anybody wishing to read them must obtain a special permission.

However, despite the limitations the author managed to read something on Southern Vietnam, including writing of Bernard Fall. He and other Westerners observed unique character of Caodaist pantheon, including among others Jeanne d’Arc and Leon Tolstoi, Napoleon and Marcus Aurelius, Shakespeare and Thomas Jefferson. The most important spirits are Cao Dai, Buddha Shakyamuni, Chinese poet Li Bo and Victor Hugo.

However, the initial reading provided few keys. The search at the book stalls near Ben Thanh market ensued, and the author found some books on Caodaism. The most important, the Canonical Scripture of Caodaism, Thanh Ngon, was acquired by the author. That reading opened totally new perspective of Caodaism - being an unprecedented spiritual phenomenon, though deeply rooted in the Great Tam Giao tradition of the East. Furthermore, sources said the initial Caodaist proselyting was extremely successful: hundreds of thousand of adepts were recruited in the first few years. Obviously, the Caodaists were able to attract a mass following due to its strong organization. It was becoming clear that among the paddy fields of Mekong Delta a new religion emerged some seven decades ago.

However, it was also clear that Caodaism was yet to be adequately studied, let alone understood - notably in Russia. The author - with his background of long-standing interest in Tam Giao tradition - was fascinated by the unparallel spirit of tolerance of Caodaism and decided to commence studying the new religion. It should be pointed out that during the Soviet era religious studies were not encouraged in the former USSR - the discipline of religious studies simply did not exist officially at academic centers.

However, Vasily Kryukov, prominent academician and expert in China’s ancient history, accepted to guide the author’s research of Caodaism as post-graduate - not full-time - studies at the Institute of Anthropology in Moscow. Then Gorbachev’s liberalization made it easier to go ahead with religious studies.

However, it was clear that more trips to Tay Ninh were needed to go ahead with the Caodaist studies - thus the author joined TASS news agency in 1985, bearing in mind possible assignments in Vietnam. Another opportunity to stay and work in Vietnam ensued in 1987, when the author was assigned in Hanoi as a news reporter.

Most of the Caodaist congregations are in the South, with few small groups in central Vietnam and virtually none in the North. Unfortunately, the author mainly stayed in Hanoi, though managing occasionally to visit the South.

In early 1988 came an opportunity of a self-drive tour throughout Vietnam with a fellow journalist from the former Czechoslovakia. Needless to say the author convinced him to visit Tay Ninh - it was just 1.5-hour drive from Saigon. Local authorities arranged a meeting with Phoi Su Vo Van Phep for us - we were impressed that despite the presence of local officials he tried to speak his mind, telling us that many Caodaist martyrs had made an ultimate sacrifice (Tu Dao).

However, the author learned that the archives of Toa Thanh Tay Ninh were inaccessible in the South, thus the search in Hanoi ensued. It included research at the archives of Ban Ton Giao Chinh Phu - technically, it was closed for foreigners, let alone news reporter. However, the author managed to convince officials and read a number of confidential files, including reports (bao cao) of central and provincial authorities on the policies versus Caodaism from 1975 till late 1980s. It should be pointed out that few years later - in early 1990s - these archives were no longer accessible.

Thus - step by step - the author managed to acquire seemingly sufficient database on Caodaism, including the Canonical Scriptures of Caodaism, the books and publications of Caodaist authors, interviews with some Caodaists, writings of Western observers as well as some relevant Hanoi’s documents.

These sources proved instrumental in completing the author’s dissertation on Caodaist history. “Candidate of historical science” dissertation (luan an Tien Si Su Hoc) was completed in 1991 - just few months before the Soviet collapse. The idea of the thesis was to shed more light on Caodaism for Russian academic circles, to show that Dao Cao Dai was not a “sect” as some observers wrote, but a new religious movement. In summer 1991 the author also stayed in Hanoi, going ahead with acquiring new sources on Caodaism. The main stimulus was not only to reach any practical result - like completing dissertation or a book - but to acquire deeper insight and better knowledge of Caodaism. Then another stay in Vietnam ensued - the author lived in Hanoi between 1993 and 1997, again as a news reporter. This time working conditions proved more flexible - the author undertook three more trips to Toa Thanh Tay Ninh. During this longish stay in Vietnam the author’s files on Caodaism in English reached a size of a book of some 400 pages - though it still needs further research to complete the study in book format.

Fellow experts in Vietnamese studies at the Moscow University shared the author’s interest in Caodaism - this is how a weekly class on the history of Caodaism were launched in the University’s oldest building from February 1999 on. It is an irony that now studies on the history of Caodaism - the religion which has suffered from Communist persecution - are going ahead just 200 meters from the Kremlin, once the center of the world Communism.

Caodaist doctrine shows that no one can fault the people of Southern Vietnam for failing to think transcendental. Furthermore, Caodaist religion, possessing high spirit of tolerance, seems to appeal not only to the Vietnamese people, but also to the people of different cultural background and probably to the whole mankind. Obviously, Caodaist history is far from over and Dao Cao Dai will persist into the future - to play a role on the world stage.

Xin phép kết thúc bằng tiếng Việt. Trong vòng nữa thế kỷ, nhất là sau năm 1975, Đạo Cao Đài cần phải đương đầu với nhiều khó khăn thử thách đau đớn – và những khó khăn đó, nhất là ở quốc nội, có thể chưa kết thúc. Nhưng sớm hoặc muộn Đạo Cao Đài sẽ gia nhập với Đại Đồng toàn cầu – đúng theo tiên tri: “Hiệp làm mối Đại Đồng thì chẳng những thuận lòng Trời, mà nhân loại đang gội nhuần ân huệ.” (Thánh Ngôn, Mùng 1, Tháng 2, 1927).