Petition for the Offering Rite at Giving Up a Son to Have His Head Shaved捨子削髮齋踈
三身應供。亘人天所共歸依。四姓出家。由父母先割慈愛。盍弘願海。同種善根。伏念某。偶落因緣。一從婚䆠。雖自少傾翹於內敎。固無路洒掃於梵門。徒思出世之方。莫識息機之漸。身旣爲冠帶之束。若此勞生。子則是骨肉所分。可令代已。捨予愛息。就彼戒壇。鬚逐剪刀而煙雲空。肩披新衲而山水出。一參第子。永誓多生。仍張四事之熏科。姑露一心之精懇。伏願仁風廣扇。慧蔭旁加。邦基如山。固而不搖。王業若瓜。綿而可久。次願先亡父母。親受大悲之別。出六聚輪。得成正覺之身。遊一眞界。凡沈苦海。共倚慈航。
He who receives offerings in his three bodies is the one to whom men and heaven alike take refuge, and whoever leaves his household, from whatever family, does so because his parents first cut off their love. How should we not widen the sea of vows and plant a good root together?
Prostrate I consider: So-and-so fell by chance into these conditions and once followed the way of marriage and office. Though from childhood I inclined my heart to the Buddha's teaching, truly I had no way to sprinkle and sweep at the temple gate. Vainly I thought only of the means of escaping the world, and did not know the order of resting from the use of the mind.
My body is already bound by cap and sash, and so I live thus in toil; but my son is bone and flesh divided from me, and he may well stand in my place. I give up the child I love and send him forward to those steps. His whiskers fall away after the shears and are empty as smoke and cloud; he puts the new patched robe upon his shoulders and goes off to the mountains and waters. Once become a disciple, he vows it long through many lives. Therefore I have set out an incense-burning assembly of the four offerings, to show for a moment the sincere entreaty of a single heart.
Prostrate, I pray that the wind of benevolence blow abroad and the shade of wisdom be added everywhere; that the foundation of the state be like a mountain, firm and unshaken, and the royal work be like a melon vine, running on and able to last long.
Next I pray that my parents who have gone before may receive in person the prophecy of the greatly compassionate Buddha, and, escaping the wheel of the six paths, accomplish the body of right awakening and roam unchangingly in the world of truth. And let all who are sunk in the sea of suffering lean together upon the boat of compassion.