Phạm Công Tắc

Phạm Công Tắc (1890–1959) was a leader in the establishment and development of the Caodaism religion, founded in 1926. He was the leader of the Tây Ninh branch, the dominant branch of Caodaism in southern Vietnam.

Personal life
Phạm Công Tắc was born on June 21, 1890 (i.e., May 5 of year of the Tiger) in Binh Lap village, Chau Thanh district, Tan An province (now in Tan An city, Long An province). He is the seventh child in a family of eight children.

His father is Mr. Pham Cong Thien, a colonial government official, born in An Hoa village, Trảng Bàng district, Tây Ninh province. His mother is La Thi Duong, from An Hoa village. In 1896, he started attending primary school in Tan An, where his father worked, but then his father quit his job and brought the whole family back to his hometown. He was baptized at Tay Ninh church in 1900. Two years later, his father died. In 1906, Phạm Công Tắc continued to study at Chasseloup-Laubat School in Saigon. In 1907, he passed the Citadel degree.

Social activities
During high school, Phạm Công Tắc actively participated in the Đông Du movement in Saigon led by two Mr. Gilbert Tran Chanh Chieu and Duong Khac Ninh. In 1908, he was prepared to be sent abroad by Minh Tan Association, an organization that initiated the Dong Du movement; it was revealed that he couldn't go. He dropped out of school.

Due to his general qualifications, Phạm Công Tắc is recognized as a merchant. During this time, he collaborated with newspapers. These are newspapers that promote national's spirit. After Mr. Gilbert Chieu was arrested, the publication was suspended, and he returned to his hometown.

In 1910, the family fell into poverty, so Phạm Công Tắc had to apply for a job at the Saigon Department of Commerce. After getting a job, he married Mrs. Nguyen Huong Many. They had 3 children together (1 son, 2 girls), but the son died early when he was four years old.

Phạm Công Tắc was first transferred to Cai Nhum (Vinh Long), Quy Nhon, then to Saigon, and finally to Nam Vang (Phnom Penh). During his time as a civil servant for the French colonial government, he held only a low-level position as secretary of the Department of Commerce.

Building the Church
On February 21, 1926 (January 9 in the year of the Tiger), in a planchette writing session at Mr. Ky's house, planchette writing groups were invited to attend.

At a ceremony on April 17, 1926 (March 6 in the Year of the Tiger) at Tu Lam Tu, Phạm Công Tắc, along with Mr. Lê Văn Trung, Cao Quỳnh Cư and Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hieu, received the standard promotion. He was converted into a religious uniform to confer Mr. Ngo Van Chieu. However, Mr. Chieu refused and returned the money to sew the costume. Since then, he has not participated in any activities. From April 22 to 26, 1926, during planchette writing meetings, key believers were ordained to high positions to form the church.

From these first dignitaries, the church gradually developed into 6 Ouija boards in Cochinchina. On September 29, 1926 (August 23 in the year of the Tiger), he and 246 followers set up a sheet of martyrdom. In the Declaration of Enlightenment sent to the Governor of Cochinchina Le Pol on October 7, 1926 (i.e., September 1), his name ranked 18th among 28 fellow believers who signed the declaration. Then the followers was divided into 3 groups to go to Cochinchina in Luc province.

In 1927, the French colonial government moved him to Nam Vang. Here, as a Colonel, he recruited a number of believers and formed the Overseas Missionary Service. In May 1932, the French National Assembly approved Cao Đài followers throughout Indochina.

Religious life
In 1925, Tắc and two colleagues (Cao Quỳnh Cư and Cao Hoài Sang) tried to contact spiritual entities. Using table-tapping, they supposedly got messages: from their deceased relatives first, then from saints, and then from God. Caodaism believes that on 25 April 1926, eighteen mediums, including Tắc, were chosen by God to spread his teachings and carry out his instructions. Tắc wrote the Cao Đài Religious Constitution and scriptures currently worshipped by Caodaiists. He was promoted to Hộ Pháp, one of the top-ranking posts of the clergy.

In 1927, Tắc was transferred to Cambodia by the colonial government; he then establish the Cao Đài Foreign Missions.

After acting Pope Lê Văn Trung's death, he became the religious head and established a number of other religious organs.

Tắc gave the order to begin the construction of the Tây Ninh Holy See and later officiated the inauguration. Other buildings and houses were set up under his supervision, including the Temple of Intuition, the Temple of Enlightenment, Long Hoa Market, the Temple of Acknowledgement, and the Temple of the Goddess. Others were planned, such as the Temple of Thousands of Dharma, the Main Entrance Avenue, and Cao Đài University, which have not been started as of 2007.

Tắc was also a missionary; he gave speeches on the Holy Never Pathway and esoteric practice which were shorthanded by stenographers and published in 1970.

Vietnam religious figure from 1940s to 1950s
Establishment of Phuoc Thien Agency – On December 10, 1938, he and Pope Ly Thai Bach issued Decree No. 48/PT to establish the Phuoc Thien agency with 12 dignitaries called the Divine Twelve.

In 1941, Vietnamese rebellions against French colonists broke out. French rulers imprisoned those who challenged their power. Hộ Pháp Phạm Công Tắc and at least four other Cao Đài dignitaries were sent into exile in Madagascar. During this period, French soldiers seized the Tây Ninh Holy See and the other religious offices, temporarily prohibiting all religious activities. The Cao Đài Armed Forces were founded by General Trần Quang Vinh in southern Vietnam so as to protect Cao Đài believers as well as to overthrow the French government with Japanese military aid. However, the Japanese Armed Forces were defeated in 1945 and withdrew. The Vietnamese people return to Vietnam.

In 1946, faced with the threat of the communist-led Việt Minh in the south, the French decided to bring back Hộ Pháp Phạm Công Tắc from exile and to ask for his cooperation. Phạm Công Tắc agreed, but not all Cao Đài leaders followed his lead. A treaty was signed between General Trần Quang Vinh and the French colonists on 9 June 1946. From then on, Hộ Pháp Phạm Công Tắc resumed his post as leader of the Tây Ninh branch of the Cao Đài.

Build 3 Palaces 3 Caves – He also built the 3 Palaces and 3 Caves.

In 1947, he built Tri Hue Cung – Thien Hy cave, as a sanctuary for women and completed it on January 22, 1951.

On December 29, 1954, he issued Instruction No. 285/VP-HP, building Tri Giac palace – Dia Linh, as a retreat for both men and women.

On November 23, 1954, he personally went to Ba Den mountain to set up a place to build a private room named Van Phap Cung – Nhon Hoa Dong, used as a net room for men. In March 1955, construction officially started.

Store Long Hoa Market – From 1947 onward, the Viet Minh's war of independence against the French army causes Cao Đài followers to flock to Tay Ninh Holy Land. In November 12, Nham Thin year (December 28, 1952), he started construction of Long Hoa market according to his location. This was renamed Long Hoa Trade Center. The market is located in Hòa Thành town, about 1 km from Tây Ninh Holy See.

He is also a monk.

In 1954, Vietnamese Head of State Bảo Đại asked Hộ Pháp Phạm Công Tắc to be one of the advisors for the Vietnamese delegates in Geneva, Switzerland. He went to Paris and tried to prevent Vietnam from being partitioned. His persuasion failed. After that, he paid visits to Taiwanese and South Korean leaders. In 1955, General Nguyễn Thành Phương, unofficially instigated by Ngô Đình Nhu, surrounded Tây Ninh Holy See, demanding an internal purification; this was actually a raid on those who opposed Ngô Đình Diệm's regime. Hộ Pháp Phạm Công Tắc fled the country, seeking political asylum in Cambodia. He lived there until his death in 1959. It was he who started the construction of the Holy See in 1936 and held the inauguration ceremony of the Tây Ninh Holy See in 1955.

To date, these facilities have not yet commenced construction. Among these can be mentioned Van Phap Palace, the official Temple of the Mother Buddha; Trihui Palace airport. He founded the first Pure House of Cao Đài religion, Tri Hue Cung.

He held the power of the Supreme Being: General Laws of Associations; Internal Law of Nhon Sanh Association; Internal Law of the Church; in 03 Van Linh Association. Especially, the Law of the Year of the Tiger "1938" established the four pillars of Cao Đài religious administration: Administrative, Phuoc Thien, Pho Te and Toa Dao.

The religious practice "like vegetarianism – practicing benevolence" was brought in.

Books
Phạm Công Tắc was the author of many books on Cao Đài, including:


 * How to practice Caodaism, under the pen-name Ai Dan (1928)
 * A Visit to Heaven (1927)
 * The Third Method of Practicing Caodaism (1947)
 * Breviaries for secular activities

Esoterism
It is believed that Hộ Pháp Phạm Công Tắc was taught how to practice esoterism by God.