Daily chanting and bowing of Hòa Hảo Buddhist followers

Mekong Delta, Hòa Hảo Buddhism

When

Daily chanting and bowing at home; vegetarian on the 14th, 15th, 29th, 30th (in a short month, the 29th and the 1st); three days of spring, vegetarian and offering vegetarian food on the 29th, 30th and the 1st

Where the offerings are set

Indoors: altar of Ông Bà, Buddha altar (plain wooden plank, no statues or images); in the courtyard: bàn Thông Thiên

Who makes the offering

Followers are lay practitioners, they perform the chanting and bowing themselves

Offerings

Steps

1. Altar of Ông Bà: hold incense, bow three times, kneel with palms together raised to the forehead and make four vows, plant the incense, stand with palms together at the chest and continue reciting, bow four times
2. Buddha altar: hold incense, bow three times, kneel and recite the Quy Y text, plant the incense, bow four times or stand and recite the Tây Phương ngũ nguyện, bow four times then bow three times with three recitations
3. Bàn Thông Thiên: pray in four directions, at the main direction recite the Quy Y text, at the other three directions recite the Tây Phương ngũ nguyện, bow four times in each direction
4. After the offering, one may sit and recite the Buddha's name
5. When working in the fields and the offering time arrives, face west and pray then bow in four directions; when away from home, pray and visualize in the mind

Things to avoid

• In offering to Buddha, besides cold water, flowers and incense, no other dishes are offered
• Do not create more images; paper images should be burned
• On the 3rd day of Tết, when visiting, do not kill animals for offerings, only use flowers
• Do not bow to the living, except grandparents and parents; to others, only bow with hands clasped