Đạo Cao Đài: A Reinterpretation of Vietnamese Buddhism

This presentation will briefly discuss the changes in certain aspects of Vietnamese Buddhism as seen in the teachings of Đạo Cao Đài. In an attempt to find a new spiritual way of life in the specific socio-historical conditions of the early twentieth century (French colonization), Cao Đài followers, guided by spirits, adopted elements of Vietnamese Buddhism to develop their own philosophy of religious life, embracing the "Way of the Buddhas" as one of the five paths to salvation. Buddhist elements have been adopted and adapted to align with the teachings of religious unification and guide believers in a new socio-historical environment placing emphasis on spiritual cultivation leading to salvation defined as union with the Supreme Being Cao Đài. Thus, alongside Confucian and Daoist concepts, Buddhist ideas constitute one of the main pillars of Đạo Cao Đài teachings, which are rooted in the Vietnamese religious traditions.