Giỗ Đầu Prayer (Tiểu Tường)

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 the local Tutelary Deities and Great Sovereigns. - I respectfully bow to the Eastern Kitchen Sovereign of Destiny, Lord of the Kitchen Court. - I respectfully bow to the spirit-deities and Earth Deity overseeing this region. - I respectfully bow to the family ancestors, the High Ancestors of both paternal and maternal sides of the family ……………………………… The faithful (we) are: …………………………………………………………………… Residing at: ……………………………………………………………………………………. Today is the …………... day of the ………..….. month, year …………………………………… The main day of Giỗ Đầu of …………………………………………………………………… Through year and month we have come again to your remembrance day. Your boundless kindness was as great as Heaven and the seas; the meaning of your having given us birth and nurture we never forget. The more we remember the kindness of your founding our family, the more deeply we feel — but cannot adequately express. On this main anniversary, we and our whole family of descendants, with one heart, prepare offerings to present, lighting incense of devotion to express the depth of our sincerity. With sincere heart we respectfully invite ……………………………………………………………………… Who passed away on the …………. day of the ……………… month, year …………………………………………… With grave at: ………………………………………………………………………….. We humbly ask the spirit to descend in sacred power to the spirit-seat, bear witness to our sincerity, partake of these offerings, and shelter the descendants with peace and family prosperity. The faithful also respectfully invites the ancestors of both paternal and maternal sides, the High Ancestors and Ancestresses, the uncles and brothers, the aunts and all the spirits of the lineage to come together and partake. The faithful also invites the spirits of former and latter occupants of this land to come together and partake. We offer modest gifts with sincere hearts; we humbly ask to be sheltered and supported. Namo Amitābha Buddha! Namo Amitābha Buddha! Namo Amitābha Buddha!