By Venerable Master Hsing Yun
Oh great, compassionate Buddha!
Today we gather in front of you in mourning,
To pray for your deceased disciple ___________ .
Today we pray not only that the deceased be reborn in the Pure Land,
But also that the surviving family members
Restrain their grief and accept this change.
There must be a great deal of wistful longing and emotional attachment between them;
There must be a lot of hesitancy about and hope for the future;
Thus we pray to you, Buddha,
With you great, compassionate power,
To bring reconciliation to their emotional attachment
And to give them the support to be liberated and at ease.
Oh great, compassionate Buddha!
You once taught us that,
"All things born must die,
All unions made must separate!"
And that, "Whatever we acquire we cannot take with us;
Only our karma never leave us!"
The surviving family members must realize:
That the coming and going of life passes in endless succession;
That the flame of life will never cease;
That the change from life to death is like changing residence; And
That the master of the life is still the same.
If in birth, life has not yet been born,
What is there to celebrate and rejoice?
If in death, life has not yet ended,
What is there to be sad and anguished about?
It is most important:
That we bring the light of virtue to illuminate the world;
That we do our best to shelter all beings.
Oh great, compassionate Buddha!
During this lifetime your disciple _____________
Was the pillar of the family and supported it
With his/her diligent sweat;
Was a powerful force in society and contributed to it
With his/her precious blood and tears.
What he/she offered in life has nurtured fragrant flowers
And borne fruit for his/her family and friends,
And created beautiful memories for this world.
Oh great, compassionate Buddha!
We pray for your support and protection:
Please wipe away the tears of the family
With your gentle-breeze-like compassion;
Please illuminate the true meaning of life
With your warm-sun-like wisdom.
May everyone remember the good counsel of the deceased disciple ______________ ;
May everyone praise the kindness and merits of the deceased disciple _______________ ;
May the brilliance of his/her life continue into the future;
May the garden of his/her life proliferate endlessly.
Now, we would like to urge the deceased disciple _____________ :
Your connection with this world has ended,
Your responsibility in this life has been completed,
Amitabha Buddha is here to receive and lead you,
You should be reborn in the Pure Land at this moment,
Or take a vow to come back again.
Your family will be cared for
By all Buddhas and all bodhisattvas,
Your relatives will be protected and supported
By the Triple Gem and Dharma guardians.
Oh great, compassionate Buddha!
We sincerely pray to you,
May the deceased and his/her bereaved family find comfort,
May the deceased and his/her bereaved family find refuge.
Oh great, compassionate Buddha,
Please accept our sincerest prayer!
Oh great, compassionate Buddha,
Please accept our sincerest prayer!
Namo Shakyamuni Buddha.