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Ceremony of sending the ashes and inscribing the hương linh (spirit of the deceased) into the pagoda

Culture and belief A record of custom.

About this rite: when it is held and for whom

Also called: Gửi vong lên chùa, Ký linh, Thờ vong ở chùa, Gửi linh cốt, Thỉnh tro cốt về chùa

The family brings the urn of ashes and the portrait of the deceased to the pagoda for the pagoda to worship, and relatives come to make offerings on occasions; the spirit brought to the pagoda is called hương linh (spirit of the deceased). This has become more common as cremation gradually replaces burial. No prayer text or spoken address for this ceremony has been found in the sources consulted.

When
After the funeral, usually right after cremation
For whom
The hương linh (spirit of the deceased) is sent to take refuge in the door of the Buddha

Offerings and how the rite is done

As commonly practised and recorded by the sources. Each family and each region may do it differently.

Used across Vietnam, Buddhist

When
After the funeral, especially after cremation
Where the offerings are set
The place in the pagoda where the linh cốt (remains) and hương linh (spirits of the deceased) are worshipped
Who makes the offering
The family of the deceased; the pagoda receives them for worship

Offerings

Offering
Urn of ashes
Linh ảnh (di ảnh) of the deceased (portrait of the deceased)

Steps

  1. The family brings the spirit, sends the urn of ashes and the portrait to the pagoda; the spirit brought to the pagoda is called hương linh (spirit of the deceased)
  2. The pagoda receives them for worship
  3. Relatives come to the pagoda to make offerings and visit when conditions allow

Red River Delta, Hà Nội, Buddhist

When
After cremation

Steps

  1. By tradition, people in Hà Nội and the northern delta buried twice: hung táng (first burial), then after three to five years cải táng (reburial)
  2. In recent years many households have chosen cremation, the deceased is buried only once, and there is the added option of sending the ashes to a pagoda

Mekong Delta, Tân An, Long An, Thủ Thừa, Long An, Buddhist

When
Right after cremation is finished
Where the offerings are set
Pagoda, tịnh xá (Buddhist retreat); the urn of ashes is placed in a solemn place below the Buddha altar, or invited back home
Who makes the offering
The Buddhist family together with the monks

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Urn holding the ashesRequired

Steps

  1. The monks chant sutras to pray for the deceased before the body is taken for cremation
  2. After cremation, the ashes are collected into the urn
  3. The family performs the ceremony to invite the ashes to the pagoda or back home, with sutra chanting and prayers for the deceased

Sources

  • Báo hiếu không chỉ thể hiện với người đã khuất (sggp.org.vn)
  • Gửi tro cốt vào chùa: Sự thay đổi trong quan niệm mai táng của Phật tử ở Hà Nội hiện nay, Nghiên cứu Tôn giáo tập 224 số 8 năm 2022 (vjol.info.vn)
  • Dương Thị Kim Hoa, Nghi lễ tang ma của Phật tử ở tỉnh Long An hiện nay, Tạp chí Dân tộc học và Tôn giáo học số 2 (07) năm 2026 (vjol.info.vn)

Part of the open dataset Types of Vietnamese offering rites and Vietnamese offering procedures, licensed CC BY 4.0.

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