Văn tế thập loại chúng sinh (Nguyễn Du)

Cúng cô hồn (offering to wandering spirits). Seventh lunar month, from the 2nd to the full moon; in the South, offerings are also made on the 2nd and 16th of each month

  • Used across Vietnam
  • Buddhist
  • Sacrificial oration

Culture and belief A record of custom.

What this prayer says

The Văn tế thập loại chúng sinh (sacrificial oration for the ten classes of sentient beings) by Nguyễn Du, used in the tháng Bảy cúng cô hồn (offering to wandering spirits) ceremony, recounts the suffering of ten classes of wandering spirits without refuge and prays to the Buddha in compassion to save them from suffering and grant them deliverance. It is read during the whole ceremony, after the chẩn tế (offering to the dead) altar is set up.

The prayer below is kept in Vietnamese, the language it is read aloud in during the rite.

Fill in before the rite

The prayer below is ready to read.

Your regional custom

Showing the version used across Vietnam.

Other texts for Cúng cô hồn (offering to wandering spirits)

The wording is kept exactly as published by the source. The dotted italic words are blanks for you to fill in.

Sources

  • Văn tế thập loại chúng sinh, Nguyễn Du (vi.wikisource.org)
  • 17 bài văn tế thập loại cô hồn dành cho chẩn tế (phatgiao.org.vn)

Part of the open dataset Vietnamese offering prayers (văn cúng), licensed CC BY 4.0.

More prayer textsDeath anniversaries, Tết, the home, business, life-cycle rites and regional rites.