EXPLANATION OF THE WORLD AND HUMAN BEINGS IN THE FUNERAL RITUALS OF CAO DAI RELIGION

Nguyễn Hữu Thụ, Nguyễn Quang Vinh

Abstract

Abstract: Funeral rites are one of the important rituals of ethnic groups. They not only reflect the religious life, beliefs, and cultural practices of the living toward the deceased but also express the community's philosophy of human existence. Cao Dai is a homegrown Vietnamese religion founded in 1926 in the Southern region of Vietnam. It is one of the major religions in Vietnam, playing a significant role in the cultural, economic, and socio-political life of the country. This article seeks to explore the philosophy of human life — the views on the world and human beings — as expressed in the funeral rituals of the Cao Dai religion.

Keywords: Philosophy of human life; Cao Dai religion; Cao Dai funeral rituals.