Prayer text for phóng sinh at home ("Chúng sanh nay có bấy nhiêu")

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
  • Buddhist

Culture and belief A record of custom.

What this prayer says

Prayer text for the home release-of-living-beings rite, telling the released creatures to listen to the admonitions, repent past karma, seek the compassionate power of the Buddha and the protection of the Sangha to escape suffering, and then take refuge in the Three Jewels; recited during the release rite.

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

Fill in before the rite

The prayer below is ready to read.

Your regional custom

Showing the version used across Vietnam.

How it differs from the common version

The advice in lục bát verse is spoken to the animals about to be released, telling of the karmic cause that led them to be born as animals and then giving them refuge in Buddha, Dharma, Sangha; the releaser does not state their name; it ends with a 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.

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