Religious Service

Within the structures mentioned above, after becoming followers, disciples have many ways of serving which Religious Laws reserve for them. They may enter either the Cửu Trùng Ðài/ the Executive Body or the Hiệp Thiên Ðài/ the Legislative Body. According to Pháp Chánh Truyền (The Religious Constitution of Caodaism), disciples may be elected and hold a post if they can prove their capacity in terms of deeds, words and virtue. Nominations and promotions in the episcopal hierarchy are first submitted to the Popular Council/ Hội Nhơn Sanh. Then, they are submitted to the Sacerdotal Council/ Hội Thánh. They are also submitted to the High Council/ Thượng Hội, and finally must be approved by God or by the Spiritual Pope Li T'ai Pai (Đức Lý Giáo Tông). Almost all the positions in the Caodaist hierarchy can be replaced by election, except those titles directly appointed by God (Đức Cao-Đài) or Divine Authority through spiritism (cơ bút). The high dignitaries of the Legislative Body (Hiệp Thiên Ðài) such as Hộ-Pháp, Thượng-Phẩm, Thượng–Sanh, and the twelve Lords of the Zodiac (Thập Nhị Thời Quân) are directly appointed by God.

Under Hiệp Thiên Ðài/ Legislative Body, Phước Thiện/ the Charitable Organisation is another way of serving in Caodaism. That is the path of twelve divine ranks (Minh Đức, Tân Dân, Thính Thiện, Hành Thiện, Giáo Thiện, Chí Thiện, Đạo Nhơn, Chơn Nhơn, Hiền Nhơn, Thánh Nhơn, Tiên Tử, and Phật Tử). The total number of dignitaries in each rank of the Charitable Organisation is unlimited. A follower who has fulfilled his/ her duty for three years may be raised to the next rank. The Charitable Organisation is the major agency for social services. At the Holy See, the Charitable Organisation has responsibility for and supervision of a hospital, home for the elderly, an orphanage, a high school, musicians, acolytes and choristers. The Organisation's official representatives operate at the same levels as the Executive Body, and each local congregation has a "local charitable committee" (Bàn Cai Quản) whose responsibility is to care for the social needs of the local community. The local charitable committees with believers normally build Điện Thờ Phật Mẫu/ Holy Mother Temples for the dedication of worship of the Holy Mother (Universal Mother/ Đức Phật Mẫu).