Prayers

Besides prayers which are chanted to glorify the Supreme Being, the Mother Buddha, Buddhas, Immortals, and Saints during regular rituals, Caodaists also recite other Spiritual Prayers (Kinh Thiên Đạo) such as:

• Matreiya Buddha Sutra / Di Lạc Chơn Kinh 

• Prayers for Repentance / Kinh Sám Hối

• Prayers for Self-correction / Giới Tâm Kinh

• Prayers for praising the work and virtue of the Divine Beings / Xưng Tụng Công Ðức Phật Tiên Thánh Thần 

• Prayers for the Baptism of the Soul / Kinh Tắm Thánh 

• Prayers for seeking forgiveness and for liberating the soul from bad karma / Kinh Giải Oan

• Prayers at and after the funeral: In the Cao Đài tradition, the mourning period extends 581 days from the death of a person. Ceremonies for the Repose of the Soul (for the ascension of the spirit, cầu siêu cho vong linh) are held during this period. There are 11 requiems held to pray and guide souls on their progress through the Heavens.

Meanwhile, Temporal Prayers (Kinh Thế Đạo) serve the following key purposes:

• Maintain moral purification during each daily activity and key events in a disciple’s life,

• Strengthen family and social bonds,

• Ease the pains of the disciples in times of trouble.