Preserving the sacred light

Outside , the sound of laughter was loud; relatives and villagers came to celebrate and witness the sacred moment of maturity of the two brothers. Everyone wore traditional costumes, their faces radiant, respectfully following each sacred ritual.

The initiation ceremony lasts one day and one night with many rituals, of which the lamp-granting ritual is one of the central parts.

As the lamp-granting ceremony began, each lamp was lit, illuminating the faces of the recipients. Mr. Dung and Mr. Tuan's eyes lit up with emotion.

The lamp granting ceremony took place solemnly.

Mr. Tuan shared that his family used to live in village 3, Quang Phu commune, until 1975 when the whole family moved to Dong Nai province to start a business. Although he is 43 years old, he has just received his first ordination, following the order of seniority in his family. “When I heard the news that I was to receive the ceremony, I was overjoyed and immediately arranged my work to return to the ancestral temple. I felt nervous and excited beyond description. Sitting in front of the altar, I felt the gods and ancestors witnessing my sincerity. The light from the sacred lamp not only illuminated my path, but also reminded me to live a life worthy of my family and people. After the ceremony, I will have a Buddhist name, the right to worship my ancestors, contribute opinions to community affairs and be protected by the gods,” Mr. Tuan expressed.

In the spiritual life of the Dao people, the coming-of-age ceremony not only marks maturity but also affirms the virtue, intelligence and position of each man in the community.

As for Mr. Dung, this was his second ordination. Although he was no longer bewildered, he was still filled with joy. After the ceremony, he was qualified to become a shaman, performing religious rituals of the community, including the ordination ceremony.

According to Mr. Tang Duc Huong in village 5, Quang Phu commune, who has been involved in the ordination ceremony for more than 30 years, in the spiritual life of the Dao people, the ordination ceremony not only marks maturity but also affirms the virtue, intelligence and position of each man in the community. The ordination ceremony includes many levels of lamps: at the first level, the person is given 3 lamps, marking maturity; level 7 lamps is for shamans who have undergone training, and 12 lamps is the highest level, symbolizing intelligence, morality and prestige. However, currently, the Dao Thanh Phan people in Dak Lak rarely hold the 12-lamp ordination ceremony because there are almost no qualified masters to perform the ceremony at this level.

The content of the prayers all have the same purpose, the meaning of respecting the origin, maintaining human morality and nurturing the belief in goodness. In the hearts of the Dao people, the Cap Sac ceremony is a unique cultural feature, a source of pride in cultural beliefs.

After more than half a century of living on the red basalt land, the Dao Thanh Phan community in Quang Phu commune still preserves the ordination ceremony as a way to affirm their identity, preserve traditions and roots in their second homeland.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202511/gin-giu-anh-sang-den-thieng-2060062/