Lễ phóng sinh (animal release ceremony)

  • Cầu an, giải hạn (prayers for peace, rites to ward off misfortune)
  • 7 prayer texts
  • Offerings and steps

Culture and belief A record of custom.

About this rite: when it is held and for whom

Also called: Phóng sanh, Thả cá chép, Thả chim, thả cá

Phóng sinh is releasing animals that are being kept captive and are about to be killed back to their living places. The pagoda guides this practice as an act of compassion for animals, together with words addressed to the Buddha, taking refuge for the animal, and dedication of merit. The custom of releasing carp on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month also has its own prayer text.

When
All year round; many households do it on the full moon of the first lunar month, the full moon of the seventh lunar month, and the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month
For whom
Chư Phật (the Buddhas) and Bồ Tát (Bodhisattvas) as witnesses; the vow is spoken to the animals being released

Ritual for phóng sinh at home (addressing the Buddha, dedication of merit, three refuges, words recited when releasing)

  • Used across Vietnam
  • Buddhist

What this prayer says

Prayer text in the home release-of-living-beings rite, addressed to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and the assembled sages to seek their witness and blessing for saving the lives of sentient beings; the person making the offering gives their name, dharma name and address, names the species being released, dedicates the merit and recites words to form a karmic connection with the Dharma when releasing them.

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.

3 more blanks

(Chắp tay, để các con vật phía trước, tâm hướng tới chư Phật bạch lễ)

2. Hồi Hướng (Tùy duyên có hoặc không dùng pháp khí)

3. Tam Tự Quy

4. Khi Gia Đình Thả Phóng Sinh Thì Đọc

Thả xong đọc:

Other texts for Lễ phóng sinh (animal release ceremony)

Versions by region, by tradition and for each part of the rite.

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
All year round, without a fixed date; many households do it on the full moon of the first lunar month, the full moon of the seventh lunar month, and the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month
Where the offerings are set
Pray right at the place of purchase, at home, or at the release site; release in a quiet place suited to the animal
Who makes the offering
The person releasing the animals and their family

Offerings

OfferingNotes
Animals to be released (fish, birds, snails, crabs...)Required. placed on the ground, in front
incenseOptional

Steps

  1. Buy the animals, release them right away or bring them home to pray
  2. Place the animals in front, join palms and address the Buddha: state your name, tell of the animals, speak the dedication of merit
  3. Recite the dedication of merit, the three refuges
  4. When releasing, recite the vow for the animals; after releasing, chant the Buddha's name three times

Things to avoid

  • Do not release red-eared slider turtles
  • Do not order in advance, do not hire people to hunt wild birds for release (words of Thượng tọa Thích Thanh Phong in Báo Sài Gòn Giải Phóng)

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

Sources for the offerings and steps

  • Phóng sinh phải trí tuệ và đúng với chính pháp (sggp.org.vn)

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

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