1. A Representation of the Divine Eye
The flowers represent tinh (jing/the body/the material), wine represents khí (or qi/vital essence), tea represents thần (shen/the spirit).
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.
1. Worshipping image utilising the ideogram Khí
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.
The left hand should bắt Ấn-Tý (bring the tip of the thumb to the lowest joint of the ring finger) then the fingers should close over the thumb. Then the right hand is wrapped around the left hand, the thumb of the right hand is placed between the thumb and the index finger of the left hand.
The two hands are held in this position before the body and brought to the forehead, three deep bows are then made, and then the adept kneels. After kneeling one brings one's hands to one's forehead and recites quietly, Nam-mô Phật (Venerations to the Buddha) the hands are then moved over the right shoulder reciting, Nam-mô Pháp (Venerations to the Dharma) then the hands are moved over the left shoulder and the adept recites, Nam-mô Tăng (Venerations to the community). Then the hands are brought to the middle of the chest while the worshipper quietly recites;
- 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.
- 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).
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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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:
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. 6. The chief mourner and family mourners. 7. Then women 8. Then men.
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)
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.Tiểu-Tường / Ceremony of Minor Beauty 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 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.
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;
A-Di-Đà Phật độ chúng dân, . . . . . The most essential thing is that the entire mourning family must keep to a vegetarian diet during the time that the coffin rests in the house. This is vital to the praying for the salvation of the soul.
 
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