ENGLISH DAILY PRAYER
 
INCENSE OFFERING
 
As the scented cinder smolders into flame,
So too the faith from which the Tao came.
As the winding wisp ascends into the sky
The wafting scent of heaven stirs my mind.
To the Superior Spirits, I respectfully pray:
May this gesture sway Their Eminence to stay 
If but a moment, should they deign to pass this way.
And at this time, as a disciple, I entreat
The Sky above and Earth beneath my feet.
May my heart immersed in hope be recognized
As that pure space of spirit highly prized.
May blessings rain on us a shower of love
As they make their calm descent from Up Above.
 
 
PRELUDE (OPENING PRAYER)
 
An ocean of suffering floods the horizon
Whence beams yet the sun
But thankfully, Lao Tse guides us
in service to humanity,
As the three great religions have also taught
Mainly to be benevolent of both character and deed.
Confucius has illuminated morality;
From The Buddha we've learned compassion;
The Way of Immortals urges us toward spirituality.
From one root spring three counterpart stems.
Once it is well-comprehended,
We shall purify self and pray:
 
 
PRAYER TO THE SUPREME BEING
 
Divine Emperor of the Great Net;
Glorious Supreme Being;
Creator of all beings;
Ruler of the Infinite;
Of Transcendent Golden Abode,
In the Magnificent White Pearl Palace;
At once manifest and unmanifest;
Giver of unspoken revelation;
Omniexistent;
Power of all Spirit;
Rider of the six dragons in infinite journey;
Having dispersed the cosmic ether to the four winds
in unlimited expanse, eternally;
The Throne of God is dominant
Above all things, of every disposition,
And all are rendered justice supreme
By the Great Scale Unfathomable;
Reigning over 36 heavens and 3,000 worlds above,
and 72 earths and 4 great dimensions below;
The Great Benefactor has reigned 
before time and beyond time,
Worshipped in every time by all. 
Now gathering all Creation into one family,
Is the Universe's Supreme Monarch,
The Master Above all Enlightened Beings.
As the Ultimate Tao is revealed in hushed wonder, 
The Universe shall stand 
transfixed and transformed to its reaches,
By igniting the spark which illumines all Mind,
The Almighty aids his creations forward.
Oh, how majestic, beneficent, supreme and holy is God;
A Creative Power so immense and sublime, 
The Supreme Ruler, Celestial Jade Master;
So just in blessing, so fair in mete. 
 
 

PRAYER IN HONOR OF BUDDHISM

 

Over primordial chaos reigned the Supreme Being;
A single breath the world's common source,
All within the Almighty's grasp.
The inextinguishable flame of intelligence
Illuminating across all 36 heavens.
The Dao flows as an irradiating stream,
Lighting the way for all beings,
Expressing the highest truth, 
Of non-action, and non-reaction.
In a single gust of wind (the "KHI" flow)
Emulating an edifice,
As beautiful as a rainbow
Supporting the horizon. 
Using the sword of wisdom 
As a way to cultivate TINH, KHI, THAN
The KHI flow opening the third Eye (Monad),
And subsequently the chakra Huyen Quan (Crown chakra)
Unites human essence to The Great Nil;
The sky, the earth, humanity,
All from this lofty Source.
We are blessed on our path toward Illumination
Thanks to immeasurable mercy, inestimable vow. (The great vow of the Buddha 
was to save ALL humanity, otherwise he will not go to Nirvana) 
Lord Buddha's sanctity is unbounded,
His compassion, unconditional.
From the original breath of life springs the Dao;
Nhien Dang Co Phat, (the name of the old time Buddha which means the everlasting light)
The Great Emptiness the pure Dao,
The Great Nil the true Teaching.
 
 

PRAYER IN HONOR OF TAOSIM
 
From the Primordial Breath
Arose Thai Thuong Dao Quan, (Predecessor to Lao Tse).
Of inestimable virtue was he,
And so his deeds.
Preceding the Thai Cuc (Monad)
was the Dao of Nil;
Within the Dao of the visible,
a transcendent element.
The Dao rides upon the original breath
In transforming into three WAYS of cultivation.
His virtues brighten the dimension of Nil,
And the Dao reigns over the saints.
On the 15th of the second lunar month,
He brought one incarnation to Earth;
One soul with a million miraculous transformations,
And from the East spread the purple clouds of saintliness
Which propagated the Tao.
Traveling West serving humanity,
Using supernatural power he created two figures,
Tat Vien and Dong Phuong Soc
Who taught meditation and metaphysics.
The Tao is eternal and primordial,
Predecessing mortal beings,
Earth and sky; it exists through time
As the Universe spins 
And the sun and moon shine.
The Dao encompasses everything
In this immense universe;
May all give benediction,
As we all have gained from the Dao.
Oh, Magnanamous One of great virtue,
Honorable as you are,
Oh, pre-existent one,
THAI THUONG DAO QUAN
Sublimely holding the Dao.
 
 

PRAYER IN HONOR OF CONFUCIANISM
 
In the cinnamon-scented tower
Above the Palace of Van Thi (Confucius)
Ninety-five incarnations
Sowing charmed poetic seeds.
Hundred thousand transformations
Manifested lightning quick,
And miraculous as a mountain of pheasants,
Always persevering
Expressing a mountain of goodwill
The goal to cultivate virtue,
Bringing honor to parents and Country.
Intuiting in dreams the way of service 
To one another.
Having compassion for the miserable,
Building humaneness and piety,
Becoming saintly through compassion,
Cultivating mind and honor.
Piety, virtue, faithfulness, compassion;
Even treasure to a king.
These are the attributes of Confucianism.
Confucius engendered prosperity
of the human spirit,
As a lord who lifts his people.
Through purification he gained his insights,
As well as sincerity and equanimity,
And was sainted therefore 
with deep wisdom and unbounded humanity.
 
 

FLOWER OFFERING
 

The light of god shines upon the temple gate.
bearing blooms of five colors we come to celebrate;
our brightly petaled homage his ray illuminates
as we pray celestial blessings bestow our sanctioned fate.
 
 

WINE OFFERING
 

Blessings illuminate the holy inner shrine;
in honor to god we offer fine wine.
gladly prostrating ourselves before the divine,
we pray for release of the sufferings of humankind.
 
 

TEA OFFERING
 

We come bringing tea to god's altar;
apricot in spring, chrysanthemum in fall,
hear our sincere, respectful call
upon merciful god to bless us all
The great way a light to pierce the pall,
may each living being your peace befall
 
 

THE FIVE VOWS
 

We pray that the wisdom of the great tao
Be widely spread on earth.
Shining the way to all creatures of nature's birth.
May all humanity be redeemed,
And our whole world know peace.
And may the places we meet to worship you
Be granted safety's lease.