Full prayer text for Lễ Hồi Sinh (lễ Hồi linh)

Lễ Hồi linh (rite of bringing back the spirit). After the burial, when the portrait or spirit tablet is brought from the grave back home

  • Used across Vietnam
  • Folk practice

Culture and belief A record of custom.

What this prayer says

Full prayer text in the Lễ Hồi sinh (rite of bringing back the spirit, also called lễ Hồi linh), recited when the portrait and spirit tablet of the deceased are brought home from the grave to be installed after burial. The tín chủ (the person making the offering) together with the descendants respectfully report to the Buddhas, Thành hoàng (village tutelary deity), Táo quân (Kitchen Gods), the deities, Thổ địa (Earth God) and ancestors, asking that the spirit tablet be seated, the soul be settled, and praying for peace for the family.

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

Fill in before the rite

Your name and address appear in the prayer below and are kept on this device only.

Your regional custom

Showing the version used across Vietnam.

7 more blanks

How it differs from the common version

A longer version, in present-day wording, ending with "Cẩn cáo!"; it states the full name and age of the deceased and the place of burial, and reports the bringing of the portrait and spirit tablet home for morning and evening incense and smoke.

The common version: Lễ Hồi Linh (bringing the portrait or spirit tablet from the grave back)

Offerings and how the rite is done

Offerings, steps and things to avoid for Lễ Hồi linh (rite of bringing back the spirit)

Other texts for Lễ Hồi linh (rite of bringing back the spirit)

Collected text. The dotted italic words are blanks for you to fill in.

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

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