Cầu siêu for the spirit of a fetus
Also called: Cúng vong thai nhi, Cầu siêu vong nhi, Cầu siêu bé đỏ, Sám hối thai nhi
- Funeral and mourning rites
Culture and belief A record of custom.
According to the ritual as instructed by the pagoda, parents and relatives perform the ceremony at home and then attend the ceremony at the pagoda to repent and dedicate merit to the spirit of the fetus. The offering is simple, with milk or rice water; the main readings are the prayer text inviting the spirit and the text of repentance for the fetus.
At a glance
- When it is held
- At home: 3 to 7 days before the ceremony at the pagoda; at the pagoda: according to each pagoda's schedule (one pagoda on the 19th day of the sixth lunar month and on the 14th and 30th days of the lunar month; Tây Thiên during the Vu Lan season)
- For whom
- The spirit of a fetus and of a child who died shortly after birth; the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are respectfully invoked to witness
Each family and each region may do it differently.
The offering tray
Region:
Nationwide
Buddhist, Indoor offering
- When
- Perform the ceremony at home for 7 days, at least 3 days, before the cầu siêu ceremony for the spirit of the fetus at the pagoda (one pagoda holds it on the 19th day of the sixth lunar month every year and on the 14th, 30th or 29th day of each lunar month)
- Where the offerings are set
- Before the Buddha altar, the milk offered for the fetus is placed on the ancestors' altar; if the house has no Buddha altar, it is done before the ancestors' altar; if there is no altar, it is placed on a table
- Who makes the offering
- The parents and relatives of the fetus
| Offering | Quantity | Vegetarian or not | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | |||
| Flowers and fruit | as desired | Vegetarian | |
| Tea, rice wine, water | |||
| Fresh milk or rice water | as desired | Vegetarian | Required. Offered for the fetus |
North
Đại Bảo tháp Mandala Tây Thiên, Tam Đảo, Vĩnh Phúc, Buddhist
- When
- Vu Lan season, seventh lunar month: the nuns devote a whole day to setting up an altar for cầu siêu for fetuses before the ceremony of Phả độ gia tiên
- Where the offerings are set
- The altar at Đại Bảo tháp Mandala Tây Thiên
- Who makes the offering
- The nuns of Tây Thiên; parents and relatives of the fetuses and children who died early, including men
| Offering | Notes |
|---|---|
| Objects | |
| Slips of paper bearing the names of the fetuses to be prayed for | Many slips bearing the same name are Đỏ |
| Incense, lamps, candles | |
| Candles | |
Steps of the rite
Used across Vietnam, Buddhist, Indoor offering
- Nguyện hương
- Prayer text: address the Buddha, state one's name, invite the spirit of the fetus to come and cultivate and to attend the cầu siêu ceremony
- Chanting praise of the Buddha, chanting praise of the Dharma
- Sutra chanting, one text per session, reading four texts in sequence and then starting again
- Read the text of repentance for the fetus (if the child died within the first week after birth, this part is not read)
- Offering food if there are offerings: announce the offering, recite the mantras of transforming food and transforming water, and the universal offering
- Phục nguyện, dedication of merit, three refuges
- Bạch hạ lễ
Northern Vietnam, Đại Bảo tháp Mandala Tây Thiên, Tam Đảo, Vĩnh Phúc, Buddhist
- Participants write the name of the fetus on the cầu siêu slip
- Together with the nuns, chant the text "Sám hối với thai nhi" at the altar
- Listen to Dharma teaching, pray for the spirit of the fetus
What is avoided
- According to Buddhist guidance, there are no taboos on the offerings
Communities and regions
Sources
- Cầu siêu cho 'bé đỏ', nét đẹp mùa Vu Lan (tienphong.vn)
- Lễ Phả độ gia tiên, Vu lan báo hiếu (baophapluat.vn)
Part of the open datasets Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.
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