A
Summary of Cao-Dai Rituals
Contents.* Method of Worshipping and Making Offerings.
* Methods of bowing and making prostrations before God's altar .
* Worshipping - major and minor temple ceremonies .
* Periods of Vegetarianism .
* Details for Last Rites and Services for the Dead .
* Placing the Body in the Coffin .
* Asking for Salvation of the Soul .
* Ceremony for Mourning Dress .
* Ceremony for the Procession of the Coffin .
* Ceremony for Interment of the Coffin .
* The Nine Nine-Day Periods / Làm Tuần Cửu.
* The Small Ceremony in the Middle of Mourning Period / Tiểu Tường.
* The Great Ceremony in the End of Mourning Period / Đại Tường.
* Ceremony to Offer Prayers for Souls not in the Religion .
Method of Worshipping and Making Offerings
God's Altar In establishing an
altar to the Supreme Being one must choose a location that is pure. The best
position for such a shrine is in the middle of the house, high on the wall with
a curtain to draw across. The altar requires:
3. Fruit for Offering
4. Flowers for Offering
5. Tea (placed on the right side
representing yin)
6., 7., and 8, Three glasses of
wine
9. Pure water (placed on the left
side representing yang)
10. 12 Two candles
11. Incense burner.
Tinh, Khí, Thần are the three
treasures of Geniis, Saints, Immortals and Buddhas.
For mouse hours (11:00pm-1:00am ) and horse hours (11:00am
- 1:00pm ) offerings are made with wine. For cat hours (5:00am
- 7:00am ) and rooster hours (5:00pm - 7:00pm ) offerings are made of
tea.
When worshipping and making offerings
to the Divine Master, five incense sticks must be burnt. These must be arranged
in two lines. Three sticks making the line closer to the Divine Eye Án Tam-Tài
, two sticks further out Tượng Ngũ-Khí.
Hộ-Pháp Altar
2 . Fruit
3 . Flowers
4 . Tea
5 , 6, 7 Three glasses of wine
8 . Water
9 . Incense burner
10 , 11, Two candles.
The Hộ-Pháp altar is only installed
in temples. Whenever daily ceremonies are held worshippers should light and
burn three incense sticks at this altar.
Methods of making prostrations before altars
Hands are brought together in the
following manner.
- Nam-mô Cao-Đài Tiên-Ông Đại-Bồ-Tát
Ma-Ha-Tát (God the Father) (a small bow of the head occurs at the end of each
formulae)
- Nam-mô Quan-Thế-Âm Bồ-Tát
Ma-Ha-Tát (Godess of Mercy/Kuan Yin)
- Nam-Mô Lý Đại Tiên-Trưởng kiêm
Giáo-Tông Đại-Đạo Tam-Kỳ Phổ-Độ (Great Chief Immortal Li - Spiritual Pope of
the Third Amnesty)
- Nam-mô Hiệp-Thiên Đại-Đế
Quan-Thánh Đế-Quân (Xie Tian Da Di Guan Sheng Di Jun/Kuan Kung/Kwan Ti)
- Nam-mô Chư Phật, Chư Tiên, Chư
Thánh, Chư Thần (Buddhas, Immortals, Saints, and Superior Spirits).
Each time one makes prostrations to
the Supreme Being, one should do as follows.
With each prostration you should
bring your head close to the ground four times (a slow nod). Altogether from
three prostrations there are twelve slow nods. (One should remember that during
every slow nod one must quietly recite Nam-mô Cao-Đài Tiên-Ông Đại-Bồ-Tát
Ma-Ha-Tát.
When one makes prostrations for the
Buddhas and Immortals one should make three prostrations and with each
prostration three "slow nods" should be made, making altogether nine.
During prostrations the hands must
be placed on the ground with the fingers spread out with the thumbs crossing
each other.
Method of Worshipping
the Divine Mother at a Holy Mother temple
When attending a ceremony to
worship the Divine Mother one also holds the hands in the Bắt Ấn-Tý position.
Three deep bows are then made. The worshipper then kneels. The hands are then
brought to the forehead and the following words are quietly recited;
- Nam-mô Diêu-Trì Kim-Mẫu Vô-Cực
Thiên-Tôn (Holy Mother) (a small bow of the head occurs at the end of each
formulae)
- Nam-mô Cửu-Vị Tiên-Nương (The
nine female Buddhas)
- Nam-mô Bạch-Vân-Động Chư-Thánh
(The Saints of the White Lodge).
Note: The bringing of the hands to
the head and over the right and left shoulders is not performed, and the
invocations ''Nam-mô Phật'', ''Nam-mô Pháp'', ''Nam-mô Tăng'' are not made.
Each time you prostrate to the
Divine Mother one should do as follows, with each prostration you should bring
your head close to the ground three times (the "slow nod").
Altogether from three prostrations there are nine slow nods. (One should
remember that during every slow nod one must quietly recite Nam-mô Diêu-Trì
Kim-Mẫu Vô-Cực Thiên-Tôn . Three prostrations are made, each prostration has
three "slow nods" making nine in total).
Worshipping
Major and minor ceremonies at Temples
Major and minor ceremonies at Temples
At the temple major ceremonies are
only held on significant anniversaries or the first and fifteenth day of the
lunar month. Other ceremonies are thus called "minor" ceremonies.
For every major ceremony the
Lôi-Âm-Cổ (or Drum of Thunder) and the Bạch-Ngọc-Chung (Great Jade Bell) are
operated. This is done in three divisions, each division has twelve parts, each
part comprises twelves strokes. The Ngọc Hoàng Sấm is operated with music and ritual
servants.
During minor ceremonies, the Drum
of Thunder is not operated, only the bell is rung.
Before the ceremony the first bell
is rung using invocations of three sentences each, at the end of each
invocation the great bell is rung once.
When people enter the ceremony the
great bell is rung once more using invocations of three sentences each, at the
end of each invocation the great bell is struck once.
When the ceremony finishes, using
invocations of three sentences each, at the end of each invocation the great
bell is struck once. A bow is then made for the completion of the ceremony.
In the homes of each believer,
before preparing for daily worship before the home altar, one should strike the
gong three times. When the worshipping is finished one must again strike the
gong three times with no invocation.
Periods of Vegetarianism
After one's initiation into the
religion one must practise vegetarianism. Initially the adept must practise
vegetarianism 6 days each month. This increases to 10 days per month with the
hope that one will practise vegetarianism full time.
When practising dietary control for
six days each month, a vegetarian diet must be followed on the 1st, 8th, 14th,
15th, 23rd, 30th days of the lunar month. When a lunar month contains only 29
days then vegetarianism must be practised on the 29th day in lieu of the 30th.
When practising dietary control for
ten days each month, a vegetarian diet must be followed on the 1st, 8th, 14th,
15th, 18th, 23rd, 24th, 28th, 29th, 30th days of the lunar month. When a lunar
month contains only 29 days, the 27th day must be a vegetarian day in lieu of
the 30th.
Whoever practises vegetarianism for
10 days or more each lunar month is permitted a special privilege. When they
die (representatives from) the Sacerdotal Council come to perform "The
Mystery of Deliverance" / phép xác as the words of the Divine Master
promise. Whoever can practice vegetarianism for 10 days or more each lunar
month will receive access to the "precious and secret dharma" in their
practising of the Dao.
Details for Last Rites and Services for the Dead
When someone is dying or just dead,
one must organise ceremonies for praying to the Divine Master before chanting
for the dead or dying, whether or not it is close to daily prayer times. Only
after this ceremony is completed, whilst remaining calm and of pure heart
praying to the Divine Master, can one then chant the Kinh Cầu Hồn (prayers for
instructing the dying soul) for the believer.
The ceremony leader comes takes a
place at the head of the dying or dead person. If a choir group of teenage
girls (boys) can be assembled, they should form lines either side of the body
from the leader on.
The leader of the ceremony stands
directly in front of the head of the dying or dead person and, with serious
concentration, calls to the dying or dead person, "I follow the
order of the Supreme Being to come and pray for you my co-believer (note:
when praying for dignitaries one should call the holy name or "elder
brother"/"elder sister"). Be light of soul and rise
towards the paradise of extreme joy. Contemplate and listen and pray to the
Supreme Being to bless you."
The Prayers for guiding the dying
person (at the point of death) / Kinh Cầu-Hồn Khi Hấp-Hối is then chanted three
times. When the chanting is complete, one must bow and recite the name of the
Divine Master three times.
If the dying person has just taken
their last breath, the Prayers for the dead / Kinh Khi Đã Chết Rồi is chanted
three times.
Placing the Body in the Coffin
The ritual here is the same for the
praying for the recently departed. Firstly a ceremony must be organized and
prayers to the Divine Master offered. One then brings oneself to the place
where the dead has been laid-out. The Prayers for Placing The Body In The
Coffin / Kinh Tẩn-Liểm is then chanted three times. After this, the chief mourner
prostrates him or herself before the soul of the dead, this prostration must
take place before the body is placed into the coffin.
Asking for Salvation of the Soul
When one performs ceremony for the
"Mystery of Deliverance" one must chant the following:
Đầu vọng bái Tây-Phương Phật-Tổ.
A-Di-Đà Phật độ chúng dân
. . . . .
(After this, the prayer Kinh Khi Đã
Chết Rồi / Prayers for the Dead is chanted )
"Ba
mươi sáu cõi Thiên-Tào,
Nhập trong
Bát-Quái mới vào Ngọc-Hư,
. . . . .
."
This formula is chanted three times
at the end of each one must bow the head.
Once this is done one must invoke
the name of the Divine Master three times. Then chant Di-Lạc Chơn-Kinh (The
True Sutra of Maitreya Buddha).
Households far away from a local
temple and unable to come to the ceremony of the Mystery of Deliverance,
establish an altar at the head of the dead person after the body is placed into
the coffin. The head of ceremonies then prays to the Divine Master (Candles and
incense must be organized correctly, but the prayers of the daily ceremony are
not carried out). The conductor of the ceremony must be a member of the
celestially appointed hierarchy or the religious head of the village or deputy.
There must also be a further two subordinates of that leader who hold candles
on either side of the dead in order to guide the soul of the dead towards the
front of altar of the Supreme Being. Before the altar at the local temple, an
area behind the position of the head of the ceremony must be left. It is in
this vacant area where the dead soul makes prostrations to the Divine Master
and listens to the chanting. Prayers must then
be conducted as noted above.
Ceremony for Mourning
Dress
One must first pray to the Divine
Master (as a daily ceremony). One must pray using a petition. The ceremony for
mourning dress is then carried out in the Confucian manner. Offerings are made
to the dead soul in both the morning and evening again in the Confucian manner.
Ceremony for the Procession of the Coffin
One must first pray to the Divine
Master. Then a ceremony is organised for the Cáo Từ Tổ (report to the
ancestors). When this ceremony is held on must chant the Prayers to Ancestor
who have Passed Away / Kinh Cầu Tổ-Phụ (Giọt máu mủ lưu truyền tại thế . . . )
three times. Then the Prayers to Call for Divine Help in the Face of Suffering
/ Kinh Cứu-Khổ is chanted three times. When this is finished one must invoke
the name of the Divine Master three times. What follows is the ceremony of
carrying the coffin to the hearse Prajna Paramitta Boat / Thuyền Bát Nhã. This
ceremony should be organised in the Confucian manner.
The burial team then enters and
bows to the coffin. When the coffin departs the female choir chant the Prayers
for the burial procession / Kinh Đưa Linh Cữu. This chanting continues until
the grave.
When the coffin begins its
progression the following order must be followed:
1 . A banner bearing the name Đại
Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ / The Third Great Universal Religious Amnesty
2 . If the dead was either a
believer or held the rank to student priest, the banner of the Thượng-Sanh
(Leader of the Temporal Realm) follows, if the dead was a priest or higher then
the banner of the Thượng-Phẩm (Leader of the Spiritual Realm) follows.
3 . The altar of the deceased comes
next.
4 . Then the choir, formed in two
lines, with men on the left and women on the right.
5 . The coffin itself.
5 . The coffin itself.
6 . The chief mourner and family
mourners.
7 . Then women
8 . Then men.
Ceremony for Interment
of the Coffin
When the coffin arrives at the
grave site, the leader of the ceremony and the choir stand at the head of the
grave and chant three times the prayer Kinh Hạ-Huyệt / Prayers for the
interment of the coffin. At the end of each prayer, the head must be bowed.
After the last bow is made, the Vãng-Sanh Thần-Chú /往生神咒 is invoked three times. When this is done the name of the Divine Master
is invoked three times.
The Nine Day Period(s) Ceremony / Làm Tuần Cửu
From the first nine-day period
after death to the ninth nine-day period ceremonies must be organized to offer
prayers to the Divine Master (praying as a minor ceremony). The three treasures
are offered and the petition is read but there is no ritual or music.
At the end of each ceremony the
funerary tablet of the dead (containing the name of the dead) is brought in
front of the altar of the Supreme Being. The prayer Kinh Khai-Cửu (Prayers for
the start of each requiem) is then chanted three times. At each nine day period
a different prayer (e.g. the prayer for the first period, then second period
and so forth) then follows each opening prayer depending on its sequence
between 1 and 9. At the end of these three sets, the name of the Divine Master
is invoked with three prostrations each containing four slow nods.
Each nine day period one must kneel
and chant the Di-Lặc Chơn-Kinh (The True Sutra of Maitreya Buddha) in front of
God's altar. At the end of each, one must invoke the name of the Buddhas and
make prostrations.
At the completion one must invoke
the name of the Divine Master with three prostrations, each prostration
consisting of four slow nods.
The more you chant the better.
Each time the Di-Lặc Chơn-Kinh
(Khai Kinh Kệ. Vô thượng thậm thâm vi diệu pháp . . . ) is chanted, there
should be between three and six people chanting; and doing do in harmony.
The Small Ceremony in the Middle of Mourning Period
(200 days)
Tiểu-Tường / Ceremony of
Minor Beauty
After calculating 200 days after
the end of the 9th nine-day period, a lesser mourning ceremony is held. The
ceremony is performed as a the nine-day ceremonies were organized. Thus it is a
minor ceremony to the Divine Master with the offering of the three treasures
and the burning of the petition but no ritual or music. The funerary tablet of
the dead is again brought in front of the altar to the Supreme Being where the
Prayers for the start of the requiems / Kinh Khai Tiểu-Tường (Đã quá chín tầng
Trời đến vị . . . ), then the Prayers of the tenth requiem / Kinh Tiểu-Tường
(Tịnh niệm phép Nhiên-Đăng tưởng tín. . . . ) is chanted. This is done three
times. At the end of these three sets, the name of the Divine Master is invoked
with three prostrations each containing four slow nods.
The Di-Lặc Chơn-Kinh is chanted.
The offering to the soul of the
dead must be done at the ancestor altar. Whether the offering is great or small
depends on the family, but the offering must be discussed with the ritual
officer.
The Great Ceremony in the End of Mourning Period (300
days)
Đại-Tường / Ceremony of
Major Beauty
After calculating 300 days from the
end of the lesser mourning period, a greater mourning ceremony is held. This
ceremony is performed as the lesser ceremony. Thus it is a minor ceremony to
the Divine Master with offerings of the three treasures and the burning of a
petition but no ritual or music. The funerary tablet of the dead is again
brought in front of the altar of the Supreme Being where the Prayers for the
start of the requiems / Kinh Khai Đại-Tường (Đã quá chín tầng Trời đến vị. . .
. ) is recited, then Prayers of the eleventh requiem / Kinh Đại Tường (Hỗn-Ngươn-Thiên
dưới quyền Giáo-chủ . . . ) is chanted. This is done three times. At the end of
these three sets, the name of the Divine Master is invoked with three
prostrations each containing four slow nods.
The Di-Lặc Chơn-Kinh is chanted.
Offerings to the soul of the dead
must be done at the ancestor altar. Whether the offering is great or small
depends on the family, but the offering must be discussed with the ritual
officer.
Đại Tường (Major Beauty) / Greater
Mourning Period is the ceremony to end the mourning period, that is the
ceremony to put off mourning clothes. There is an offering to the soul of the
dead. This is organized in the Confucian
manner.
Ceremony to Offer Prayers for Souls not in the
Religion
Those souls who did not enter the
religion, leaving aside distinctions of wealth, poverty or age, or even for
those who entered the religion but who left, for those who only recently
repented and found belief in the Supreme Being (these prayers are said). The
relatives of the dead with belief in the Supreme Being may come to invite those
in the faith to pray for the salvation of a soul. We should help the soul in
its quest for salvation. This is a merit that the children of the Supreme Being
can grant from the orthodox doctrine to save all souls. However the manner of
praying by the hierarchy and lower officers must proceed as following:
1. To pray for the salvation of the
soul if their house is near a temple, the ceremony should be held at that
temple.
2. If they live far from a local
temple, then the ceremony for the salvation of the soul should be held at the
house of a member of the hierarchy or lower officer near that place.
3. If the relatives of the dead
agree to enter the religion it is easier. The lower officer should organise a
ceremony to install a home altar to the Supreme Being, and allow them to attend
an initiation ceremony. After this, funeral
ceremonies can be organized.
4. To pray for the soul of the
dead, the ceremony is held at the house of the chief mourner. Only the Prayers
for the for the ascension of the spirit / Kinh Cầu-Siêu is chanted;
" Đầu
vọng bái Tây-Phương Phật-Tổ.
A-Di-Đà
Phật độ chúng dân,
. . . . ."
In the evening the co-believers and
the family of the dead must chant the True Sutra of Maitreya Buddha /Di-Lặc
Chơn-Kinh (Khai Kinh Kệ. Vô thượng thậm thâm vi diệu pháp ...) with a sincere
heart until the coffin is moved from the home to the grave.
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