Definition

1. Verb (Buddhist terminology):
   • To pass away / to die: A respectful and euphemistic term used by Vietnamese Buddhists to refer to the death of a person, particularly a devout Buddhist. It implies the soul departing to be in the presence of the Buddha.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cụ ông đã chầu Phật vào sáng nay, hưởng thọ 95 tuổi. (The elderly gentleman passed away this morning, at the age of 95.)
  • Sau một thời gian dài bệnh nặng, bà ấy đã thanh thản chầu Phật. (After a long period of serious illness, she peacefully passed away.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is used almost exclusively in obituaries, formal announcements, or respectful conversation within a Buddhist cultural context. It carries a connotation of peace, spiritual merit, and a positive rebirth.

Variants and Related Words

• Quy Tây (v): Another Buddhist euphemism for dying, meaning "to return to the Western Paradise" of Amitabha Buddha.
• Từ trần (v): A common, formal Vietnamese term for "to pass away," used in wider contexts beyond Buddhism.
• Lâm chung (v): To be in the final moments of life, to be dying.

Synonyms

• To pass away: A gentle, formal synonym for "to die."
• To depart this life: A euphemistic phrase for death.

Related Idioms

• Về cõi Phật: To return to the Buddha's realm. This phrase is conceptually identical and often used interchangeably with "chầu Phật."
  • Nghe tin ông cụ đã về cõi Phật. (We heard the news that the old man has returned to the Buddha's realm.)