Tết Đoan Ngọ Prayer (5th of the 5th Month)

Namo Amitābha Buddha! Namo Amitābha Buddha! Namo Amitābha Buddha! - I bow to the nine directions of Heaven, the ten directions of all Buddhas, the Buddhas of the ten directions. - I respectfully bow to August Heaven and Sovereign Earth and all the venerable deities. - I respectfully bow to the local Tutelary Deity, the Earth Deity of this place, the household Kitchen Gods, and all the venerable deities. - I respectfully bow to the ancestors, departed forefathers and foremothers, and all the spirits (if parents are still living, replace with "the ancestors"). The faithful (we) are: ………… Residing at: ………………………….. Today is Tết Đoan Ngọ. We arrange incense and lamps, prepare offerings, lanterns, tea, and fruit, presented before the altar. We respectfully invite the local Tutelary Great Kings, the Earth Deity of this place, the household Kitchen Gods, the Five-Direction Long Mạch Wealth Deity. We humbly ask the venerable ones to descend before the altar, bear witness to our sincerity, and partake of these offerings. We respectfully invite the High Ancestors and Ancestresses, all the spirits of the lineage on both paternal and maternal sides of the family ....................., humbly asking the venerable ones to have compassion on the descendants, bear witness to our sincere heart, and partake of these offerings. We also respectfully invite the spirits of former and latter occupants of this house and land to come together before the altar, gather and partake, sheltering us with bodily peace and personal safety. May the four seasons hold no misfortune; may the eight solar terms bring peace and prosperity. We offer modest gifts with sincere hearts; before the altar we humbly bow and ask to be sheltered and supported. Namo Amitābha Buddha! Namo Amitābha Buddha! Namo Amitābha Buddha!