Tuesday, February 9 – We visited two different temples today in this south Houston suburb of Stafford, Texas. The first was the Cao Dai Temple. (This link is to an excellent article about the Temple.)
Caodaism is a religion created and practiced in Vietnam in the early 20th Century. Caodaism explains the origin of God in a universal way, introduces the concept of oneness in all living beings, recognizes religious traditions and philosophies of many world belief systems, from Far East to Far West, and reveals the massive connected structure that links mankind and all living beings to One Creator. Those concepts are the foundation for Caodaism to promote religious tolerance between world religions. This religion does not stand in opposition to any faith. All major religious figures are respected and revered in Cao Dai, including Jesus Christ.
The Temple is a multi-story yellow temple, along with an adjacent pond and community hall, was compeleted in 2015 at a cost of more than $2 million and is the largest of its kind outside of Vietnam.
The outer columns are colorful and decorative. 
Before entering the Temple and out of respect, we removed your shoes before entering.
We were met inside by a very nice docent who explained the meaning of many of the sculptures and the building design. He welcomed us to the Temple and encouraged us to return frequently and possibly to attend a service.
The inside is gorgeous. Everything in the interior has meaning.
The altar with the Holy See or Divine Eye, which represents God, is the centerpiece.
Looking down into the Inner Hall.
We've passed this Temple on our way to the gym each morning and have been wanting to stop for a tour. We were free to walk throughout the Temple, and photos are also permitted. We found our visit very informative and learned a great deal about this Vietnamese religion.
What a wonderful visit. If you visit Houston, please do not miss this Temple. Our visit was very educational. We will tell you about the other temple we visited today in our next post.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!
Very unique architecture that sure is colorful!
ReplyDeleteThat is very interesting:)
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that there is a religion that recognizes and embraces the beliefs of other religion while there are others in this world that believe if you don't totally believe in their religion you are considered to be an Infidel. I prefer the one that embraces other beliefs.
ReplyDeleteBe Safe and Enjoy!
It's about time.
What a beautiful building, and right near Houston.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great visit to the Temple. One of my favorite classes in college was Religions of the World that I found so very interesting. I would have enjoyed touring this Temple and hearing about the religion. I love all the brightness...so uplifting! Glad you stopped so you could share with us:)
ReplyDeleteSo colorful! I think I'd like this kind of place... a place that accepts all beliefs.
ReplyDeletenice. .. we enjoy visiting churches, temples, shrines, etc. in our travels. . .
ReplyDeleteI find this one reminiscent of American Indian worship and rituals. . .there's ultimately one God, Creator of the Universe. . .we each worship Him in our own way. . .I find other cultures fascinating. . .
Good to see you haven't lost your touch.
ReplyDeleteInteresting ... will have to check it out when we're in Houston in March.
ReplyDelete