International Journal of Cultic Studies Vol. 4, 2013 19
information. They probably have heard about
meditation and chakra opening since these ideas
are now popular in the Western world, and they
likely are impressed by the supposed scientific
proof of HUE’s claims. Moreover, the program
claims the advantage of opening students’
chakras in a 2-day seminar, a very short time
compared to what other training programs based
on meditation, such as Reiki, offer.
Religious Beliefs and Control of
Information
When he was alive, Master Dang opened
students’ chakras either in person or by
telephone or video conference. Then, just before
his death, he gave his permission to a select
group of students at the highest level of training
to do the same (Luong, M. T., 2007b, pp. 15–
16). Now instructors at that level who receive
the proper training are also granted this
permission but per Master Dang’s “instructions
when He was alive, the task of Opening Chakras
100% ...is still being done by the Master‘s
Soul” (Luong, M. T., 2007a, p. 3). The
capitalization of the pronoun and the noun to
refer to Mr. Dang and his soul, which became
common practice after his death, indicates a
level of respect that borders on deification. This
honor is justified by Mr. Dang‘s teachings, for
although he tells students in level 6 that they
should not believe in him the same way they
believe in Jesus and Buddha (Mayer, 2000, p. 5),
by level 18 he seems to suggest his being their
equal. This view is evident in Mr. Dang‘s
answer to the question of whether he is the
Messiah:
I have nothing to hide, the three are one
and one are [sic] three. You are like me
in the past. God has given me all the
work, because God and I are one, and I
teach you in the same way God has
taught me so you are like me ...I am the
manager and I give it to you, so you are
responsible too. That is why the three
are one and one are [sic] three. Man and
God are two, but now we are three: I am
the second and third are you. (as cited in
Mariani, 2007, p. 2, my translation)
It is difficult not to see here an allusion to the
Christian Trinity, with Mr. Dang occupying the
place of Jesus, and his followers that of the Holy
Spirit giving life to his Church. The idea is
reinforced by other teachings in this and
subsequent levels (19 and 20), where Mr. Dang
finally reveals that his soul comes from outer
space and has never before been on earth, unlike
that of Buddha and HUE students, which
reincarnated countless times (Luong, M. D.,
2007a, pp. 11–12, 68 Mariani, 2007, p. 3).
However, his soul has knowledge of all souls
and has been instructed by God to take care of
everyone that turns to him for help (Mariani,
2007, pp. 1, 3). Those who follow him complete
the journey to Enlightenment, and then God, the
Master and his followers become one (Luong,
M. D., 2007a, p. 125). Moreover, HUEFI
encourages students to visit St. Louis, Missouri,
“the birthplace of the teachings of Universal
Energy,” for it was from this location that
Master Dang began healing, teaching, and
traveling to other states in the United States and
to the rest of the world (Report, 2008). One is
hard pressed to see the difference between this
and any other religious pilgrimage. Not unlike
pilgrimages to Mecca, Santiago de Compostela,
and Jerusalem, during this pilgrimage to St.
Louis students are invited to meditate before the
“altar of mankind ancestor” dedicated to
remembering the “Invisible Beings who gave to
mankind the people in every country around the
world that made contributions to human
civilization” (Luong, M. D., 2007b, p. 39). In
this, as in many of such altars in HUE centers
around the world, photos of the Master are
situated between and/or above reverential icons
such as the Virgin Mary, the female Bodhisattva
Quan Yin, Buddha, Mohammed, and Jesus,
amid flowers and candles.5
HUESA also encourages students to visit and
meditate before its altar, and organizes collective
meditation sessions around both the Chinese
Lunar New Year and Master Dang’s birthday.
The “HUESA family” is invited to “face toward
5 Recently, HUEFI created a special lecture series around this topic
aptly named “Returning to the Roots” (Report, 2008). Known as
“The Roots of the Master” and “Implementation of Master’s
Vision,” the first two lectures of the series offer a comprehensive
overview of Mr. Dang’s life and work, and the history and
development of the school, as well as the “official” interpretation
of “Master’s precious phrases” (HUEFI, n.d., Lectures section,
para. 2).
information. They probably have heard about
meditation and chakra opening since these ideas
are now popular in the Western world, and they
likely are impressed by the supposed scientific
proof of HUE’s claims. Moreover, the program
claims the advantage of opening students’
chakras in a 2-day seminar, a very short time
compared to what other training programs based
on meditation, such as Reiki, offer.
Religious Beliefs and Control of
Information
When he was alive, Master Dang opened
students’ chakras either in person or by
telephone or video conference. Then, just before
his death, he gave his permission to a select
group of students at the highest level of training
to do the same (Luong, M. T., 2007b, pp. 15–
16). Now instructors at that level who receive
the proper training are also granted this
permission but per Master Dang’s “instructions
when He was alive, the task of Opening Chakras
100% ...is still being done by the Master‘s
Soul” (Luong, M. T., 2007a, p. 3). The
capitalization of the pronoun and the noun to
refer to Mr. Dang and his soul, which became
common practice after his death, indicates a
level of respect that borders on deification. This
honor is justified by Mr. Dang‘s teachings, for
although he tells students in level 6 that they
should not believe in him the same way they
believe in Jesus and Buddha (Mayer, 2000, p. 5),
by level 18 he seems to suggest his being their
equal. This view is evident in Mr. Dang‘s
answer to the question of whether he is the
Messiah:
I have nothing to hide, the three are one
and one are [sic] three. You are like me
in the past. God has given me all the
work, because God and I are one, and I
teach you in the same way God has
taught me so you are like me ...I am the
manager and I give it to you, so you are
responsible too. That is why the three
are one and one are [sic] three. Man and
God are two, but now we are three: I am
the second and third are you. (as cited in
Mariani, 2007, p. 2, my translation)
It is difficult not to see here an allusion to the
Christian Trinity, with Mr. Dang occupying the
place of Jesus, and his followers that of the Holy
Spirit giving life to his Church. The idea is
reinforced by other teachings in this and
subsequent levels (19 and 20), where Mr. Dang
finally reveals that his soul comes from outer
space and has never before been on earth, unlike
that of Buddha and HUE students, which
reincarnated countless times (Luong, M. D.,
2007a, pp. 11–12, 68 Mariani, 2007, p. 3).
However, his soul has knowledge of all souls
and has been instructed by God to take care of
everyone that turns to him for help (Mariani,
2007, pp. 1, 3). Those who follow him complete
the journey to Enlightenment, and then God, the
Master and his followers become one (Luong,
M. D., 2007a, p. 125). Moreover, HUEFI
encourages students to visit St. Louis, Missouri,
“the birthplace of the teachings of Universal
Energy,” for it was from this location that
Master Dang began healing, teaching, and
traveling to other states in the United States and
to the rest of the world (Report, 2008). One is
hard pressed to see the difference between this
and any other religious pilgrimage. Not unlike
pilgrimages to Mecca, Santiago de Compostela,
and Jerusalem, during this pilgrimage to St.
Louis students are invited to meditate before the
“altar of mankind ancestor” dedicated to
remembering the “Invisible Beings who gave to
mankind the people in every country around the
world that made contributions to human
civilization” (Luong, M. D., 2007b, p. 39). In
this, as in many of such altars in HUE centers
around the world, photos of the Master are
situated between and/or above reverential icons
such as the Virgin Mary, the female Bodhisattva
Quan Yin, Buddha, Mohammed, and Jesus,
amid flowers and candles.5
HUESA also encourages students to visit and
meditate before its altar, and organizes collective
meditation sessions around both the Chinese
Lunar New Year and Master Dang’s birthday.
The “HUESA family” is invited to “face toward
5 Recently, HUEFI created a special lecture series around this topic
aptly named “Returning to the Roots” (Report, 2008). Known as
“The Roots of the Master” and “Implementation of Master’s
Vision,” the first two lectures of the series offer a comprehensive
overview of Mr. Dang’s life and work, and the history and
development of the school, as well as the “official” interpretation
of “Master’s precious phrases” (HUEFI, n.d., Lectures section,
para. 2).
