This is a translation of a ritual guide from the "Hall of Collected treasures" 聚寶樓, Ju bao lou almanac, published in Guangdong.廣東省江門土産進出口有限公司出品 .
This ritual guide provides a fairly detailed overview of aspects of Chinese ritual culture. The guide in its original form is 16 pages long, each page split into two rows, one above the other
In the following translation, these breaks have been noted; the top row will be called A, and the bottom row, row B. So, [2A] refers to the top row of page 2 etc.
To make this translation more useable, I have split it into three parts, viz:
1) Making wishes and thanking the gods <This one>
2) Rituals of the new year
3) Worshipping specific gods.
[1a]【祈福習俗指要】
The basics of praying for fortune祈福:
中國是一個民族衆多、文化淵遠、地域廣闊的國家，不同的地方 ，不同的民族 ，有着不同的風俗民情，尤其是作爲最受中國人重視的春節前后，民俗吉祥文化更是异彩紛呈，
China is a vast multi-ethnic country with a deep past. Different ethnicities and different places have different customs and practises. The various customs are varied and curious, especially those surrounding the Spring Festival, the festival most important to the Chinese.
而且各地的祈福習俗大同小异，例如年尾大掃除、臘月二十三謝灶、年初一接財神，而香港人則有拜黄大仙、車公等，經商或希望得財的人便會待觀音借庫日向觀音借財帛 。這里 [1b]便以歲尾年初的一些習俗爲主，指 要一二 ，供信衆 備考，以保祈福功德完滿。
In turn, the customs of praying for fortune are more or less the same everywhere—for example cleaning the house at the end of the year, thanking the stove on the 23rd day of the 12th month, welcoming in the God of Wealth on the first day of the year. Hong Kongers pray to Wong Tai Sin, Che Kung whilst tradesmen or those who hope for wealth would borrow money from Guan Yin. Here, we shall focus on the customs practised near the end or beginning of a year. We shall explain them completely to the satisfaction of those believers who wish to have a year of complete and assured fortune,
【許願】Making Wishes
何爲許願？ What is meant by “making wishes”
許願就是人們向自己所崇拜的神佛祈求實現自己的願望，并承諾如願望得以實現便以何種方式給予回報。關鍵是持誠心、存善意、信承諾、無疑無貪， 祈願的内容要合乎情理，要利人利己，否則願望是難以實現的。
“Making wishes” refers to people praying to gods or buddhas for their wishes to be fulfilled, and also encompasses the ways in which the worshipper comes to repay his gratitidue once the wish has been fulfilled. It is crucial that the supplicant must be honest, have good intentions, to fulfil his promise 信承諾, approach with neither doubt or greed. When petitioning for a wish to be fulfilled, the wish must be clear, and either benefit oneself or someone else; else the wish will be hard to materialize.
【許願的時機】The time for fulfilling wishes,
一般來説許願應擇吉日而行。祈福許願的吉日在《聚寳樓》通勝中有十分准確的指南，只有在吉日祈福許願，願望得償的可能性便大得多。
By and large, prayers for making wishes should be made on an auspicious date, Dates for fulfilling wishes and praying for fortune can be found in the Ju Bao Lou (i.e Hall of Collected Treaures) almanac, which is an excellent guide. Fulfilling wishes on an auspicious day would alone greatly increase the likelihood of their successful fulfilment.
人們一般都喜[2a]歡在年 初許願，這樣可以保一年的平安，也可以有更多的時間來實現願望。當然，年中或其他日子也可以許願，特别是遇有意外事件，家人有疾病，生意 上遇到挫折時，均可即時許願。
People usually prefer to make wishes at the start of the year; that way they can ensure a safe year ahead; this also gives more time for the wish to be fulfilled. Of course, wishes can also be fulfilled at other times of the year; this is especially so if there is an emergency, such as an illness in the family, or sudden reversal of fortunes in business; all these things justify making wishes at that moment.
【許願時要注意些什么？】 What should be noted when making wishes?
信衆們都喜歡年 初到廟宇許願 ，皆因此時廟宇香火鼎盛，許願更爲靈驗之故。其實在家中向常年供奉的神佛許願也無不可。
Believers prefer to go to make wishes at the start of the year; this is because at this time, the incense-fire in the temple is especially great, and thus the wish-fulfilling power is especially effective. In turn, making wishes before the gods in the house throughout the year should not be neglected too
而向哪一位神祗許願 ，則因個人習俗和廟宇所供 奉之神佛不同而有不同的選擇，關鍵是一定要是自己崇拜的神祗。例如信仰觀世音菩薩，則可向觀世音菩 薩許願 ，信仰吕祖，便可向吕祖 許願。 一般來説，比較流行的有佛、觀世音菩薩、黄大仙、車公、財神、關帝、吕祖等。
As for which god should you pray to, different people are accustomed to praying to different gods; there are also different gods at different temples. What is most important, is that the god prayed to should be the one that you do indeed worship. For example, if you believe in Guanyin, you should pray to guanyin to fulfil wishes; if you believe in Ancestor Lu, you can also pray to him. In general, the more popular deities are Buddhas, Guanyin, Wong Dai Sin, Che gong, the god of wealth, lord Guan and Ancestor Lu
有些善 信會在年初一往名寺名廟供奉第一炷香， [2b]如黄大仙廟、觀音寺等。很多人在年初一凌晨争相供第一炷香 ，供香后立即許願，據聞會特别靈驗。
Some believers would [try to ] be the first to place incense at the start of the year in a famous temple, such as Wong Dai Sin’s or Guanyin’s temple. Many people would gather at daybreak at the temples, and rush in to be the first to offer incense. They would offer wishes immediately after. Custom states [making wishes] at this tome would be particularly efficacious.
許願的儀式則可根據自身條件可隆重可簡單，一般人只須去到寺廟向神佛祈禱許願，事前帶備香燭、金銀衣紙、齋菜或 其他供品便可。
The ceremony for making wishes can be simple or complex, depending on the need. On average, most would just go to the temple and pray, bringing candles, joss paper, paper clothes, vegetarian food or other such offerings.
要特别留意金銀衣紙 ，天 神要用 大光寳、壽金、長禄馬 、圓 禄馬、百解符、轉運盤貴人符等。拜觀音加觀音經、觀音衣全套 。男天神加龍衣龍帽，女天神加鳳冠鳳衣。還應注意的是向佛、觀音許願，切不可敬供金猪三牲 、酒類等葷品，否則會有褻瀆之罪。
Of particular note should be the joss paper involved; gods of heaven should use “Great Brilliant Treasure”, “Longevity gold”, “Long rank horse”, “Complete rank horse”, “Amulet to resolve a hundred calamities”, “Luck-turning plates” and “Noble Person Amulets. If Praying to guanyin, add to this the Guanyin Sutra and Guanyin clothes as a set. For male deities, add Dragon robes and a dragon hat; for female deities add phoenix-robes and a phoenix hat. Note that when making wishes towards buddhas or Guanyin, on no account should one offer “Golden Pigs” , The Three sacrifices or wine as offerings, as this is blasphemy!
Note: This is because Buddhism abhors the taking of life.
還神 Giving Thanks
【什么樣的人需要還神？】Who should give thanks?
還神就是承諾當初許願時自己應諾的回報。因此 ，凡是在年初 許願的人便需要還神，或平日遇上 灾厄而逢凶化吉，或偶得意外之喜，也需要還神。
Thanking the gods the fulfilment of the supplicant’s end of the promise when they initially made a wish. As such, thosw eho have made wishes at the beginning of the year must give thanks, as well as those who on ordinary days, have had calamities averted, or else suddenly encountered good luck, should also give thanks.
[3a]一般來講在哪里、向哪位神佛許願，便應在哪里、向哪位神佛還神。年初歲末到廟宇許願還神者衆多，也可選擇在家中向所供奉的神佛還神。
In general, the where, and to which god should the thanks be given to, depends on where, and to which god the wish was made. As many suppliants would give thanks at the temples at the end of the year, one can also choose to perform the ceremony before the gods enshrined in one’s own house.
【還神時的供品有何講究？】What offerings should be prepared for Giving Thanks?
一般人在還神的時候應有 供品：
Most people, when giving thanks would use the following offerings:
一、 燒猪一只(普通家庭用鷄一 只)；
1) A whole roast pig (For ordinary families, a single chicken is enough)
二、 生果二十五個(普通家庭用五個亦 可)；
2) Fifteen fruits (For ordinary families, five fruits are sufficient)
三、 長壽香及檀香各三枝(普通家庭僅用檀香三 枝亦可)、紅燭 一對；
3) Three sticks each of Longevity incense, and Sandalwood incense (For ordinary families, 3 sticks of sandalwwod incense are sufficient), A pair of red candles
四、 金銀衣紙 一份；
4) Silver and gold joss paper, as well as clothes, one set
五、 酒和茶各 三大杯(普通家庭亦可用小杯)。
5) Wine and Tea, three large cups each ( For ordinary families, small cups are sufficient)
供品是還神者對神佛感恩的心意，根據自身條件 整備，并不在于貴賤多少，只要心到意到，一樣可以功德完滿。
Offerings show the thanks that one gives to the gods; this should be given according to one’s situation. Their value should not be measured according to their price; so long as the offering is sincere, the same obligation can be fulfilled.
而且要留心如果要還的屬于佛、菩薩(如藥師佛、如來佛、阿彌陀佛、大白傘蓋 佛母、 観世音菩薩、大勢至菩薩、文殊菩薩、普賢菩薩等)，[3b] 還神供品切不可用肉食，如魚猪鷄等，要以齋菜爲主。飲品不要用酒，只要茶或清水即可。
Note especially, that if thanks is to be given to the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas (eg Medicine King Buddha, Materiya Buddha, Amida Buddha, Sitatapatra, Guanyin, Mahāsthāmaprāpta, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, etc) on no account should the offerings include meat, such as fish, pork or chicken: Vegetarian foods must instead be used. Nor should wine be offered; offer instead tea or clear water
還神的金銀衣紙必須有大光寳、壽金，希望來年運氣順些 可加禄馬貴人、轉運盤等；如拜觀音菩薩則莫忘加一份觀音衣；拜黄大仙、車公、關帝或 太歲則勿忘添一份龍衣龍帽。
The Joss paper used when thanking the gods must inclide Great Brilliant Treasure, Longevity Gold, as a wish for smooth sailing and luck the next year; to this may be added, Rank-horse Noblemen, Luck-turning discs etc. When Praying to Guanyin, do not forget a set of Guanyin clothes; when praying to Wong Dai Sin, Che Gong Guan Di, or Taisui, do not add a set of Dragon clothes and a Dragon Cap.
[4a]【 還神的時日如何選擇？】How should the time and date for Thanking the Gods be selected?
不論許願或是還神，都應該選擇吉日子，《聚寳樓》通勝中便有十分准確的所需吉日。最宜天月 德或德合的日子來許願或還神。
No matter of it is making wishes or thanking the Gods, an auspicious date should be selected. The Ju Bao Lou almanac has an extremely accurate record of the auspicious dates; The best days to make wishes or give thanks are Heaven /Month Virtue, or Heaven /Month Virtue and Harmony days.
雖然多數信衆都喜歡在年尾還神，但其它時候也 一樣可以還神。還神實没有規限時間，例如 在觀音借庫時，得到所抽的金錢數額，便需要還神 ，又或 者家人有病而許願祈求家人平安渡過，實現了也要即時還神；例如今天有一親人入院動手術，曾向觀音祈求他手術平安，他經手術后而平安，便 可以立刻還神。
Although most people like to give thanks at the end of the year, thanks can be given at any other time. There is in truth no set time for thanking the gods.For example, when Borrowing from Guanyin’s coffers, once the expected profit is received, thanks should be given immediately. Alternately, If a person in the family is ill, and a wish is made for their recovery, thanks should be given as soon as they recover. For example, if today, a relative enters a hospital for a surgery, and their relatives pray for a safe operation, thanks can be given once they safely finish the operation.
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