Prayer for phóng sinh outdoors ("Hội đồng các đấng thiêng liêng")

Lễ phóng sinh (animal release ceremony). 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

  • Used across Vietnam
  • Folk practice

Culture and belief A record of custom.

What this prayer says

Prayer for releasing living beings outdoors, addressed to the Hội đồng các đấng thiêng liêng (Assembly of the sacred beings), the Buddhas, the Saints, the Heavens, the mandarins, the deities and the Water deities in charge of this place. The person making the offering states name, year of birth and address, asks them to witness the intention of buying living beings for release, prays that these beings may live and die by natural law, dedicates the merit and asks for protection in mindful practice.

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.

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How it differs from the common version

Short prose, addressing "Hội đồng các đấng thiêng liêng", the assembly of Buddhas, Saints, and Heavens; stating one's name, year of birth, place of residence, and telling of the animals bought; no chanting of the Buddha's name, no mantra.

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

Offerings and how the rite is done

Offerings, steps and things to avoid for Lễ phóng sinh (animal release ceremony)

Other texts for Lễ phóng sinh (animal release ceremony)

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

Sources

  • Văn khấn phóng sinh, bài khấn trước khi phóng sanh (hoatieu.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.