Complete and detailed prayer to the Four Palaces and Ten Thousand Spirits.
The prayer to the Four Realms, or the Four Realms of Myriad Spirits in Vietnamese Mother Goddess worship, expresses the people's reverence for the deities of the four realms: Heaven, Earth, Water, and Mountains.
The Four Palaces Council belief system not only reflects the spiritual life of the Vietnamese people but is also an important part of the nation's intangible cultural heritage.
Below are two versions of the Four Palaces prayer text: one full version for mediums and shamans, and a shorter version for devotees and disciples who do not attend the ceremony regularly.
A concise prayer text for the Four Palaces (Tứ Phủ) for devotees and disciples.
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
- I bow to the nine directions of heaven, I bow to the ten directions of earth, I bow to all the Buddhas of the ten directions, all the Buddhas of the ten directions.
- I bow before all the Buddhas, immortals, and saints.
- I bow before: ........... (Name of the patron saint of the temple. For example, at the Co Chin temple, we pray: I bow before the most sacred Co Chin).
My disciple's name is:............. age:..........
Residing at:.................................
Today (no need to specify the date), we come here with incense, flowers, fruits, and offerings (remember to name what you are offering – naming an offering without one is considered sinful; note that offerings should not be placed in the Buddha's shrine) to express our gratitude to the deities and saints for their blessings and protection throughout this time. Thanks to their care and guidance, our work (if any specific request has been successfully fulfilled, please explain) has been smooth and successful. We express our sincere gratitude and thanks to all of you.
Today, we come here with all sincerity to ask for your blessings and protection in the following matters: (Specify the matters you wish to address, any difficulties you may encounter, and possibly how you plan to resolve them).
Once again, on behalf of our family, we humbly ask you to extend your helping hand to us. We express our deepest gratitude to (name of the patron saint of the temple) and all the deities and saints.
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
Complete prayer text for the Four Palaces
I recite "Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật" (Homage to Amitabha Buddha)!
I recite "Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật" (Homage to Amitabha Buddha)!
I recite "Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật" (Homage to Amitabha Buddha)!
- I bow to the nine directions of Heaven, I bow to the ten directions of Earth, I bow to the ten directions of all Buddhas, all the Buddhas of the ten directions,
- Namo Shakyamuni Buddha.
- Namo Amitabha Buddha, the Guiding Teacher.
- Namo Maitreya Buddha, the Buddha of the Future.
- Namo Great Compassionate Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva.
I bow before all the Great Bodhisattvas, all the Virtuous and Holy Monks, all the Dharma Protectors, Deities, and Benevolent Bodhisattvas.
- I bow before the Three Divine Fathers, the Thirty-Three Heavenly Lords, the Heavenly King Indra, the Holy Emperor Jade Majesty.
I bow before the Supreme Heavenly Emperor, the Golden Decree Jade Emperor, the Mysterious Palace Great Emperor, Your Majesty the Jade Palace.
I bow before the Heavenly Mother Buddha.
I bow before the Venerable Father King of the Eight Seas and Dongting Lake, the Dragon King of the Water Kingdom.
- I bow before the Three Holy Mothers:
I bow before the First Heavenly Mother.
I pray to the Second Mother Goddess of the Upper Mountains.
I pray to the Third Mother of the Underworld.
I pray to the Fourth Imperial Envoy
I bow before the Council of the Four Pillars of the Imperial Court.
I pray to the Assembly of the Three Realms, the Assembly of the Four Realms, the Assembly of All Spirits, and the Council of Immortals and Saints of the Eastern Realm.
- I bow before Tran Trieu Hien Thanh Nhan Vu Hung Dao Dai Vuong.
I bow before the Trần Dynasty's revered King, Queen Mother, and Queen Consort.
Princes of the Tran Dynasty: Royal Brothers, Royal Daughters, Royal Sons, Royal Sons-in-law, Royal Daughters, Royal Grandsons.
I bow before all the civil and military officials and ministers of the Tran Dynasty.
I bow before the Three Courts of Divination Lords - the Council of Divination Lords, the Healing Lords, the Man Lords, and the Muong Lords.
I pray to the First Lord of the Western Heaven.
Lord of the Second Moon Lake
Lord of the Third Forest
Fairy Goddess of Thac Bo
I pray to the Five Directions of the Local Deity, Vu Quan Bach Hoa - the Five Directions Goddess.
- I bow before the Five Royal Officials, the First Supreme Heavenly Official, the Second Supervisory Official, the Third Underworld Official, the Fourth Imperial Envoy, and the Fifth Patrol Official.
I bow before the Venerable Official Điều Thất.
- I respectfully invite the Four Palaces Goddesses:
First Heavenly Court
Second Goddess of the Upper Mountains, Dong Cuong
Third Court of the Water Palace
The Fourth Imperial Envoy
Chầu Năm Suối Lân
Lady of the Six Palaces
Chầu Bảy Tiên La
General Bat Nan Dong Nhung
Chau Cuu Song Son
Chau Muoi Dong Mo
I bow before the Council of Little Goddesses - I bow before the Little Goddess of the Upper Mountains, the Ruler of the Northern Le Dynasty
- I respectfully invite the Four Palaces Holy Emperors and the Ten Imperial Officials: Imperial Official of the District, Imperial Official of the Two Trieu Tuong Palace, Imperial Official of the Water Palace, Imperial Official of the Five Palaces, Imperial Official of the Sixth Palace, Imperial Official of the Seventh Palace of Bao Ha, Imperial Official of the Eighth Palace, Imperial Official of the Ninth Palace, and Imperial Official of the Tenth Palace.
I bow before the 36 Mountain Villas, the Eight Generals, and the Twelve Immortal Maidens.
- I bow before the Four Palaces Holy Maidens
I respectfully bow before the First Goddess of Heaven - the Head Goddess of Dùm Temple.
I bow before the Goddess of the Upper Mountains.
I bow to the Goddess Thoai, I pray to Goddess Tu Y La, Goddess Nam Suoi Lan, Goddess Sau Luc Cung, Goddess Bay Tan La, Goddess Tam Doi Che, Goddess Chin Song Son, Goddess Muoi Dong Mo, the Council of Little Goddesses, I bow to the Goddess of the Upper Mountains, Goddess Thoai, I bow to the Goddess of the Temple (the temple), I bow to the Four Palaces of Holy Boys above the Mountains and below the Water.
I bow to the First Heavenly Lord, the Second Heavenly Lord of the Upper Mountains, the Third Heavenly Lord of the Waters, the Fourth Heavenly Lord of Long Thanh, I bow to the Young Heavenly Lord, the Young Lord of the Upper Mountains, the Lord of the District of Phu Day, the Lord of Doi Ngang Pho Cat. I bow to the young Lord of the Temple (Ban Dien).
- I bow before the Council of Five Palaces, the Two Officials of the Green Snake and White Snake, the Mountain God, the Local Guardian Spirit, and the Five Tiger Generals.
- I respectfully invite all the Lords of the Court, the Guardian Deities of the Temples and Shrines, the Local Guardian Spirits, and all the Earth Deities residing in this land.
- My disciple's name is:............. age:..........
Residing at:.................................
Today is an auspicious day and time, in this year and month. Today is the... day of:... month:... year:...
(Offer whatever you wish for, or follow the instructions below)
Core …………..
Your disciple, with one heart and one mind, following one path, with unwavering devotion and sincere devotion, day and night, I offer incense, flowers, lamps, tea, fruit, and food (bringing them here to report and bowing down in reverence). Above, I present my petition to Heaven; below, I offer my respects to the Dragon Palace and the Water Realm, along with my family, to the temple of the Three and Four Realms of ............... (name of temple) sacred shrine.
May the Father above bless us, the Mother below show compassion, may the light of heaven and the torch of the sea illuminate our path, protecting and blessing our nation for peace and prosperity, with favorable weather, and sheltering our family throughout the three summer months and nine winter months, protecting us from calamities and misfortunes. May we be safe and sound from the beginning to the middle, and from the middle to the end of the year, with our homes prosperous and peaceful, may we achieve fame and fortune, and receive wealth and blessings... With sincere hearts, we humbly ask the Buddhas, Saints, Lords, and Deities to bear witness!!!
- We respectfully invoke the assembly of the Six Palaces of Ancestors of the family lineage..... originally from....., the Ancestral Maidens and Valiant Generals, the young boys and girls of the family, and all the ancestral spirits of the lineage who serve the Buddha and Saints at the Three and Four Palaces of the Divine Court, presenting their petitions to the Golden Throne in Heaven and the Underworld in the Water Palace, so that their descendants may be united in heart and mind, following one path, and that all their requests may be granted, and all their wishes fulfilled…!