Seventh Full Moon Prayer: Vu Lan Filial Piety & Zhongyuan Festival

Q: Should we offer a vegetarian tray or a savory meat meal on the Ancestral Altar for the Seventh Full Moon?

On the Buddha Altar , offerings must be 100% pure vegetarian (flowers, fruit, pure water, sweet soup or vegetarian dishes). On the Household Deity and Ancestral Altar , either choice is valid: many families today choose to offer a pure vegetarian feast on the Ancestral Altar as well during the Seventh Month to avoid taking life and dedicate wholesome Vu Lan merit to their Grandparents, while families preserving traditional customs may offer a warm, modest savory meal (boiled chicken, gac sticky rice, bamboo-shoot soup).

Q: Is it acceptable to perform only the indoor Buddhist and Ancestral offerings without setting up an outdoor wandering-souls table?

Yes, it is completely acceptable and violates no taboo. Honoring the Three Jewels, Household Deities and Ancestors indoors is the core filial duty of the household. The outdoor wandering-souls rite is a voluntary act of compassionate charity ; families living in high-rise apartments or without an outdoor yard need only perform the indoor Vu Lan and Ancestral rites with a sincere heart.

Q: If both of our parents are still living and healthy, should we still recite the Vu Lan Seventh Full Moon Prayer?

Yes, it is deeply meaningful and auspicious. The Vu Lan Filial Piety Festival embraces two parallel prayers: praying for living parents to enjoy long life, health and peace , and praying for Seven and Nine Generations of departed ancestors to ascend to the Pure Land . All three scrolls on this page explicitly include blessings for living parents alongside gratitude to departed forebears.

IPersonalize Your Scroll, Select Ritual Date and Read Prayer

Tradition-Specific Sub-page of Ancestor Veneration (52 ritual prayers in this tradition)

Ancestor Veneration Pillar & Prayers ›

Quick-switch Ceremony (81 Rites across 10 Categories):

All 81 Rites ›

1. Select Solar Date (Auto-converts to Lunar Date, Sexagenary Cycle & Auspicious Hours)

Pick the actual solar date on which your household performs the rite

Ceremony Date (Solar Calendar)

Quick presets for Year-End and Lunar New Year 2027

Select an Auspicious Hour to insert into the prayer (optional)

2. Officiant and Household Details (Live Scroll Personalization)

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Liturgical pronoun

Full name of chief officiant (Petitioner)

Solar birth year Enter solar birth year to auto-calculate Sexagenary stem-branch and lunar age

Paternal ancestral surname

Maternal ancestral surname (optional)

Household or ceremony address

Co-attending household members (optional)

3. Choose Prayer Variant, Enter Altar Mode or Print A4 Scroll

Recited first at the home Buddha altar (or facing the Three Jewels in the open sky) on the morning or midday of the Seventh Full Moon: honoring Great Filial Bodhisattva Maudgalyayana, praying for living parents' longevity and dedicating merit for the Nine Generations of Forebears to be reborn in the Pure Land.

HALL OF MYRIAD PATHS · TRADITIONAL RITUAL SCROLL

Seventh Full Moon Prayer: Buddhist Vu Lan Filial Piety Offering, Household Deities & Nine-Generation Ancestral Liturgy for the Zhongyuan Festival

1. Buddhist Vu Lan Filial Piety Scroll (Recited at the Home Buddha Altar)

Namo Amitabha Buddha! (Three recitations, accompanied by three reverent bows)

Namo Original Teacher Shakyamuni Buddha! Namo Amitabha Buddha of the Western Pure Land! Namo Great Filial Maudgalyayana Bodhisattva! Namo Great Compassionate Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva! Namo Great Vow Earth Store King Bodhisattva, together with all Buddhas, Mahasattvas and Noble Sangha across the Ten Directions.

Today is ……………………, during the Seventh Full Moon season of Vu Lan Filial Piety in the ………… Year.

Buddhist disciple ………… ………………………………, currently residing at: ………….

Each autumn as the seventh-month moon grows full and the monastic Sangha concludes its three-month summer retreat on the Pravarna Day, the Vu Lan Bon festival reminds every disciple to engrave upon the heart the Four Heavy Graces, foremost among them the boundless grace of birth and upbringing bestowed by our parents and the Nine Generations of Forebears.

Following the shining example of Great Filial Maudgalyayana Bodhisattva, today our household ………… maintains a pure mind free from taking life, reverently preparing fragrant agarwood incense, fresh lotus blossoms, five seasonal fruits, clear water, lotus tea and a spotless vegetarian feast to offer before the Three Jewels of the Ten Directions.

Relying upon the limitless compassion of the Buddhas and the pure virtue of the monastic assembly, ………… wholeheartedly pray that our living grandparents and parents may enjoy peace of body and mind, freedom from illness, long life, and steadfast wisdom under the protection of the Dharma.

Furthermore, ………… dedicate all wholesome merits cultivated during this Vu Lan season to our Nine Generations and Seven Grades of Ancestors, parents across many lifetimes, and all paternal and maternal spirits of …………, praying that they may receive Amitabha Buddha's illuminating light, dissolve all karmic hindrances, and ascend to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

Disciple ………… bows in one-pointed gratitude before the Three Jewels!

Namo Great Filial Maudgalyayana Bodhisattva, Mahasattva! Namo Amitabha Buddha! (Three recitations, accompanied by three prostrations)

IIIInteractive 3D Altar, Layout Diagram and Ritual Protocol

Drag to rotate 360° · Click numbered pins 1 to 7 or cards below to inspect each offering

Rendering crimson-and-gold 3D ritual altar…

Essential spatial rule for the Seventh Full Moon: Both the Buddha Altar and the Household Deity & Ancestral Altar are arranged INDOORS in the main sanctuary (following East-Vase West-Fruit: fresh lotus vase on the officiant's right, early-autumn five-fruit platter on the officiant's left, incense bowl at the center, and the vegetarian or savory meal tray on the front offering table). By contrast, the wandering-souls compassion offering (thin rice porridge, salt and rice, popcorn, boiled sweet potatoes) must be placed OUTDOORS in the front yard or outside the threshold, never brought inside or placed on the ancestral altar.

Central Sanctuary, Nine-Generation Ancestral Tablet (or Buddha Statue) & A4 Vu Lan ScrollAnchored at the rear center of the upper altar; rest the printed A4 Seventh Full Moon scroll on the reading stand.

Pair of Taiji Altar Lamps or Bronze Candlesticks (Left & Right)Kindled at both rear corners of the altar, symbolizing the light of filial virtue and wisdom.

Central Deity & Ancestral Incense Bowl (Light 3 or 5 Agarwood Sticks)Spiritual focal point uniting descendants' filial prayers during the Vu Lan season.

Vase of Fresh Lotus, White Tuberose or Golden Chrysanthemums (East Vase, Officiant Right)Positioned on the right side from the officiant's view, offering pure autumn fragrance.

Early-Autumn Five-Fruit Platter: Longan, Pomelo, Persimmon, Bananas & Dragon Fruit (West Fruit, Left)Positioned on the left side from the officiant's view, balancing East Vase and West Fruit.

Row of 3 or 5 Pure Water Cups, Fresh Lotus Tea & Betel-Areca PlateAligned neatly in front of the incense bowl to honor the Three Jewels, Deities and Forebears.

Vu Lan & Zhongyuan Tray: Pure Vegetarian Feast, Gac Sticky Rice & Lotus Sweet Soup (or Ancestral Meal)Arranged with dignity on the front indoor offering table; officiate during daytime hours from Mao to Wei.

Real-world reference photographs of traditional altars and offering trays

Open-license documentary photographs via Wikimedia Commons (click any photo for source file)

Pure vegetarian offering tray for Full Moon and New Moon rites. Modest household vegetarian offering featuring mung-bean sticky rice, leaf-wrapped cakes, plant-based savory dishes, dragon fruit and ripe bananas, a lit oil lamp and fresh flowers. — **Pure vegetarian offering tray for Full Moon and New Moon rites.** Modest household vegetarian offering featuring mung-bean sticky rice, leaf-wrapped cakes, plant-based savory dishes, dragon fruit and ripe bananas, a lit oil lamp and fresh flowers.
Photograph: Phuong Huy · License: Public domain · Source: Wikimedia Commons

Modern Vietnamese apartment ancestral altar with lower offering table. Clean contemporary Vietnamese apartment setup pairing an elevated wooden ancestral altar with a dedicated lower front cabinet pulled out to hold ceremonial meal trays. — **Modern Vietnamese apartment ancestral altar with lower offering table.** Clean contemporary Vietnamese apartment setup pairing an elevated wooden ancestral altar with a dedicated lower front cabinet pulled out to hold ceremonial meal trays.
Photograph: Mienatys · License: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source: Wikimedia Commons

Step-by-step ceremonial sequence before the altar

To observe the Seventh Full Moon in harmony with both Buddhist teaching and classical Vietnamese ancestral etiquette without confusing the separate rites, follow these seven steps:

Step 1
Select an auspicious day between the 10th and the 15th of the 7th Lunar Month
Indoor Buddhist and Ancestral offerings may be held on the exact Full Moon day (Monday, August 16, 2027) or earlier over the weekend between the 10th and 14th of the 7th Lunar Month.
Step 2
Cleanse the indoor altars and prepare fresh, pure offerings
Wipe the altar surfaces with a clean towel, refresh the water in the lotus vase, and cook a warm vegetarian feast (or traditional ancestral meal) using untouched ingredients.
Step 3
Rite One: Present vegetarian offerings and recite Variant 1 at the Buddha Altar during daytime
In the morning or at midday (Mao, Chen, Si or Wu Hour), offer fresh flowers, fruit, pure water and vegetarian dishes on the Buddha altar, light 3 incense sticks, and recite Variant 1 (Buddhist Vu Lan Filial Piety Scroll).
Step 4
Rite Two: Present offerings and recite Variant 2 at the Household Deity & Ancestral Altar
Continuing during bright daytime hours, set the offering tray before the Household Deity and Ancestral altar, light 3 or 5 incense sticks, and recite Variant 2 (or Variant 3) to invite the Nine Generations of Forebears.
Step 5
Wait until two-thirds of the incense burns down, burn the scroll and share the family meal indoors
Once two-thirds of the indoor incense has burned, bow three times in thanksgiving, burn the A4 ancestral scroll cleanly, and lower the tray for the family reunion meal.
Step 6
Rite Three (Optional): Perform the outdoor wandering-souls compassion offering in late afternoon
If the household also observes the charity offering for forsaken spirits, wait until late afternoon or early evening (Shen or You Hour, 16:30 to 19:00), set a separate table outside the front gate, and recite the dedicated Outdoor Wandering Souls Prayer.
Step 7
Practice living filial piety toward parents and perform charitable deeds
Beyond altar incense, dedicate time to caring for living parents and grandparents, eating vegetarian meals, releasing life responsibly, or supporting charity in the name of your family lineage.

IVThe Convergence of Buddhist Vu Lan Bon and the Zhongyuan Festival in Vietnamese Culture

In the spiritual heart of Vietnamese culture, the Full Moon of the Seventh Lunar Month represents a remarkable convergence of two great traditions: the Buddhist Vu Lan Bon Festival of Filial Piety and the classical Zhongyuan Earth-Official Forgiveness of Sins, both woven seamlessly into Vietnam's indigenous ethic of When drinking water, remember its source.

Within Buddhism, according to the Ullambana Sutra (Vu Lan Bon Kinh), the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is the Pravarna Day (Ngay Tu Tu) concluding the three-month monastic summer retreat. In ancient India, after attaining Arhatship, Venerable Maudgalyayana (Muc Kien Lien) used his divine eye to behold his deceased mother, Lady Thanh De, suffering starvation in the realm of hungry ghosts due to past greed and miserliness; when he offered her a bowl of rice, the food burst into flames at her lips. Heartbroken, he implored Shakyamuni Buddha for help. The Buddha taught him that no single person's spiritual power could dissolve heavy karma alone; rather, on the Full Moon of the Seventh Month (15/7) when the Sangha of the ten directions completes its purified retreat, he should offer vegetarian food and robes to the monastic assembly so their united spiritual radiance would liberate Seven Generations of deceased parents and bless living parents with longevity.

According to the tradition

Alongside the Ullambana scripture, the classical Three-Prime calendar (Upper Prime on the First Full Moon, Middle Prime on the Seventh Full Moon, Lower Prime on the Tenth Full Moon) honors the fifteenth day of the seventh month as the sacred assembly of the Zhongyuan First-Rank Earth Official of Forgiveness, who examines mortal records and grants amnesty for departed spirits to visit their descendants. Fusing these two streams on Vietnamese soil, our ancestors elevated the Seventh Full Moon into a National Season of Filial Gratitude and Compassion: looking upward to honor the Three Jewels and Nine Generations of Ancestors indoors, while looking outward to share porridge and kindness with forsaken souls outdoors.

VThe Standard Three-Rite Sequence on the Seventh Full Moon and Spatial Separation

To avoid any confusion between indoor ancestral veneration and outdoor charity offerings during the Seventh Full Moon, households should follow the clear hierarchy from highest to lowest and from indoors to outdoors summarized below:

Distinguishing the 3 independent rites observed during the Seventh Lunar Full Moon in Vietnamese households.
Rite Order	Proper Space & Timing	Offerings & Liturgical Scroll
1. Buddhist Offering (Vu Lan Bon)	At the highest indoor Buddha Altar · Daytime (Mao, Chen, Si or Wu Hour).	Strictly pure vegetarian: fresh lotus flowers, five fruits, pure water, lotus tea & vegetarian tray · Recite Variant 1 on this page.
2. Household Deities & Ancestors (Zhongyuan)	At the indoor Deity & Ancestral Altar · Daytime (immediately following the Buddhist rite).	Incense, flowers, five fruits, betel-areca, vegetarian feast or traditional savory meal · Recite Variant 2 or Variant 3 on this page.
3. Outdoor Wandering Souls Charity Rite	Strictly OUTDOORS in the yard or outside the front gate · Late afternoon/evening (Shen or You Hour, 16:30-19:00).	Thin white rice porridge, salt & rice, boiled potatoes, popcorn (no meat dishes) · See dedicated guide: Outdoor Wandering Souls Prayer.

VIDates and Auspicious Hours for the Seventh Full Moon in the Dinh Mui Year (August 2027)

According to the historical record

In the perpetual calendar for the Dinh Mui Year 2027, the exact Full Moon of the Seventh Lunar Month (15/7) falls on Monday, August 16, 2027 (Dinh Mao Day, Mau Than Month, Dinh Mui Year). On Monday, August 16, 2027, the best daytime Auspicious Hours for indoor Buddhist and Ancestral offerings are: Mao Hour (05:00 to 07:00, Jade Hall Auspicious Hour), Wu Hour (11:00 to 13:00, Life-Guardian Auspicious Hour) and Wei Hour (13:00 to 15:00, Azure Dragon Auspicious Hour); while the prime evening window for the outdoor wandering-souls rite is the You Hour (17:00 to 19:00, Golden Coffer Auspicious Hour).

Because the 15th Lunar Day in 2027 falls on a Monday, working families may hold their main ancestral reunion feast earlier between the 10th and 14th of the Seventh Lunar Month, especially on: Thursday, August 12, 2027 (11th Lunar Day, Quy Hoi Day, Balance Officer), Friday, August 13, 2027 (12th Lunar Day, Giap Ty Day, Establish Stability Officer), or Sunday, August 15, 2027 (14th Lunar Day, Binh Dan Day). Even when the main feast is held over the weekend, on the morning of Monday, August 16, 2027, the householder should refresh the water cups, offer fresh fruit and light 3 sticks of incense on the altar.

VIIThe Rose-Pinning Ceremony and Practicing Living Filial Merit Instead of Burning Votive Paper

Introduced in the 1960s by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, the Rose-Pinning Ceremony (Bong Hong Cai Ao) has become a cherished humanistic symbol of Vietnamese Vu Lan: those blessed to still have living parents pin a red rose over their heart as a reminder to cherish and care for them every day; those whose parents have passed away wear a pure white rose in noble remembrance; and monastics wear a yellow rose symbolizing universal liberation.

According to the tradition

True to the Ullambana Sutra and authentic ancestral ethics, filial devotion in the Seventh Month is never measured by burning mountains of paper mansions, paper cars or underworld banknotes. Buddhist scriptures contain no custom of burning votive paper; what truly nourishes departed ancestors is the pure mind and wholesome merit of their descendants. Rather than spending money on smoke and ash, families are encouraged to channel those resources into medical care and thoughtful gifts for living parents, preparing pure vegetarian meals, supporting underprivileged children, or practicing responsible life release, dedicating that living merit through Variants 1 and 2.

VIIIFive Essential Taboos and Etiquette Rules for Indoor Seventh Full Moon Offerings

A common misunderstanding

Five essential guidelines to ensure a dignified and peaceful Seventh Full Moon observance:

First, never place wandering-souls offerings (porridge, popcorn, salt and rice) on the indoor Ancestral Altar. The indoor sanctuary belongs exclusively to the Buddhas, Household Deities and Nine Generations of Ancestors; all charity offerings for wandering spirits must remain outside the threshold and be distributed outdoors afterward.

Second, avoid performing the indoor Ancestral offering late at night. Complete both the Buddhist and Ancestral offerings during daytime hours (ideally before 15:00) when household Yang energy is bright and clear.

Third, never recite prayers summoning wandering ghosts while standing before the indoor family altar. Indoors, recite only Variants 1, 2 or 3 on this page dedicated to the Three Jewels, Household Deities and Clan Ancestors.

Fourth, never stick chopsticks vertically into rice bowls on the Ancestral Altar. Always lay new chopsticks horizontally across the rim of the rice bowl or on porcelain rests.

Fifth, cast aside superstitious fear of the Seventh Month as an unlucky 'ghost month'. For filial children and upright households, the Seventh Lunar Month is the Golden Season of Filial Gratitude and Compassion, bringing deep spiritual peace.

?Quick Questions

What date should we perform the Seventh Full Moon offering in 2027, and must it be done before the 15th Lunar Day?

While folk custom allows families to hold their ancestral feast anytime from the 10th to the 15th of the Seventh Lunar Month to accommodate work schedules, the exact Full Moon Day (15th of the 7th Month, Monday, August 16, 2027) remains the spiritual pinnacle of both Buddhist Vu Lan (the monastic Pravarna Day) and the Zhongyuan Festival. You may comfortably hold your offering on August 12, 13, or Sunday, August 15, 2027, or on the morning and midday of Monday, August 16, 2027.

Should we offer a vegetarian tray or a savory meat meal on the Ancestral Altar for the Seventh Full Moon?

On the Buddha Altar, offerings must be 100% pure vegetarian (flowers, fruit, pure water, sweet soup or vegetarian dishes). On the Household Deity and Ancestral Altar, either choice is valid: many families today choose to offer a pure vegetarian feast on the Ancestral Altar as well during the Seventh Month to avoid taking life and dedicate wholesome Vu Lan merit to their Grandparents, while families preserving traditional customs may offer a warm, modest savory meal (boiled chicken, gac sticky rice, bamboo-shoot soup).

Is it acceptable to perform only the indoor Buddhist and Ancestral offerings without setting up an outdoor wandering-souls table?

Yes, it is completely acceptable and violates no taboo. Honoring the Three Jewels, Household Deities and Ancestors indoors is the core filial duty of the household. The outdoor wandering-souls rite is a voluntary act of compassionate charity; families living in high-rise apartments or without an outdoor yard need only perform the indoor Vu Lan and Ancestral rites with a sincere heart.

Which indoor altar should we pray at first on the Seventh Full Moon, and which scroll should we read?

If your home has both a Buddha Altar and an Ancestral Altar, the proper sequence is: (1) Light incense and recite Variant 1 at the Buddha Altar first; (2) Next, light incense and recite Variant 2 at the Household Deity and Ancestral Altar. If your home has only a Household Deity and Ancestral Altar, recite Variant 2 (or recite Variant 1 facing the sky in reverence to the Three Jewels, followed by Variant 2 at the altar).

If both of our parents are still living and healthy, should we still recite the Vu Lan Seventh Full Moon Prayer?

Yes, it is deeply meaningful and auspicious. The Vu Lan Filial Piety Festival embraces two parallel prayers: praying for living parents to enjoy long life, health and peace, and praying for Seven and Nine Generations of departed ancestors to ascend to the Pure Land. All three scrolls on this page explicitly include blessings for living parents alongside gratitude to departed forebears.

Compiled, textually collated and diagrammed by Master Ưng Khiêm and UK MASTER ACADEMY. Last updated: 31 October 2026. Sources: Collated from the Ullambana Sutra (Buddha Speaks the Ullambana Sutra), Classical Vietnamese Liturgical Manuals, Tho Mai Gia Le, Viet Nam Phong Tuc, and UK Master Academy household ritual standards.

Seventh Full Moon Prayer: Buddhist Vu Lan Filial Piety Offering, Household Deities & Nine-Generation Ancestral Liturgy for the Zhongyuan Festival

IPersonalize Your Scroll, Select Ritual Date and Read Prayer

1. Select Solar Date (Auto-converts to Lunar Date, Sexagenary Cycle & Auspicious Hours)

2. Officiant and Household Details (Live Scroll Personalization)

3. Choose Prayer Variant, Enter Altar Mode or Print A4 Scroll

Seventh Full Moon Prayer: Buddhist Vu Lan Filial Piety Offering, Household Deities & Nine-Generation Ancestral Liturgy for the Zhongyuan Festival

IICeremonial Offerings and Preparation Checklist

Group 1: Agarwood Incense, Altar Lamps, Vu Lan Lotus Blossoms & Early-Autumn Five Fruits

Group 2: Pure Vu Lan Vegetarian Feast (or Traditional Savory Ancestral Meal)

Group 3: Printed A4 Vu Lan & Zhongyuan Scroll and Safe Burner

IIIInteractive 3D Altar, Layout Diagram and Ritual Protocol

Real-world reference photographs of traditional altars and offering trays

Step-by-step ceremonial sequence before the altar

IVThe Convergence of Buddhist Vu Lan Bon and the Zhongyuan Festival in Vietnamese Culture

VThe Standard Three-Rite Sequence on the Seventh Full Moon and Spatial Separation

VIDates and Auspicious Hours for the Seventh Full Moon in the Dinh Mui Year (August 2027)

VIIThe Rose-Pinning Ceremony and Practicing Living Filial Merit Instead of Burning Votive Paper

VIIIFive Essential Taboos and Etiquette Rules for Indoor Seventh Full Moon Offerings

?Quick Questions

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