The Meaning of Ancestor Sacrifice

祭祖

【Writer: Lee Eng Kew】

Once, when Ku Hung-Ming was bowing to his ancestors, a foreigner asked: "Do your ancestors eat the rice on the sacrificial table when you do that?" He retorted, "Do your ancestors smell the flowers when you place them on their graves?"

Some Chinese Christians not only oppose ancestor worship but also denigrate it as worthless, claiming that their unfilial behaviour in life necessitates this form of worship as a means of atonement. Alternatively, they claim that filial piety is only relevant in life and that the significance of offerings after death is negligible. These individuals disparage our revered tradition of ancestor worship by claiming that those who do not engage in this practice are filial and those who do are unfilial to their elders. There are many unfilial people among those who do not worship their ancestors, and there are many filial people among those who do. It is unfortunate that the act of ancestor worship is used as a means of belittling others and exalting oneself.

Filial piety is not only about devotion during life and sacrifice after death; more importantly, it is about obeying one's will. No matter what religion you believe in, if your elders and ancestors did not believe in it, you must worship them with traditional rituals, not with your religious rites. So, how can those who disrespect their ancestors and force them to accept their religious rituals be called filial?

Our traditional funeral rites, including ancestor worship rituals, follow the rules of ancient Chinese tradition. Why is ancestor worship necessary? To understand it, we will learn the meaning of ancestor worship from ancient Confucian literature.

According to the Rites of Zhou, Chapter 2, Office of Earth and Minister of Education and Social Welfare, the rite of worship is the first of the so-called twelve kinds of education. Through the ritual of ancestor worship, people are educated not to forget their ancestors and to show filial piety towards the elders.

The following extracts are taken from the Book of Rites, Chapter 24, The Meaning of Sacrifice, and have been translated into simplified script.

“On the day of the sacrifice, when he entered the temple room, he may have faintly perceived his deceased parents beside their spirit tablets; when he left the room, he must have perceived his parents' voice. His deep love towards his parents ensures their everlasting existence in the heart; the immense sincerity of the parents ensures the everlasting visibility of their image. How could he disrespect his parents when the vivid and indelible image and living example of the parents were engraved in his mind?”

“In terms of filial respect, a gentleman is expected to demonstrate two key behaviours towards his parents. Firstly, he is expected to support them in their lifetime, and secondly, to pay tribute to them after their death. It is further expected that he will strive to ensure that he will not bring shame to them in his lifetime. The so-called gentleman is expected to engage in lifelong mourning, that is, to commemorate the anniversary of his parents' death by meeting on the day of their passing each year.”

“It is only a saint who is capable of offering sacrifices to God in a sincere manner, and only a filial son who can offer sacrifices to his deceased parents. The term 'sacrifice' in Chinese signifies the act of aspiring, returning, and offering with sincerity. It is only through this sincere approach that sacrifices can be made to the gods, and only then can the gods accept these offerings.”

“It is the fundamental sentiment of filial piety to hope that the gods will accept the sacrifice.”

The following are the simplified extracts from the Book of Rites, Chapter 25, A Summary Account of Sacrifices.

“It is asserted that there is no more urgent means of governing the populace than through rites. There are five sets of rites, namely the auspicious rites, the congratulatory rites, the hospitality rites, the military rites and the inauspicious rites. It is further asserted that none is more important than the auspicious rites.”

“Thus, when the virtuous man makes sacrifices, he can express his honesty and loyalty. With reference to the season, he can introduce offerings that are fresh and clean. Furthermore, he does not request blessings or assistance from the spirits, nor does he implore them to bestow any form of welfare. This constitutes the essence of filial piety.”

“Confucius asserted that individuals should honour their parents during their lifetime by adhering to the stipulated rites, ensuring their burial according to the established traditions, and offering sacrifices by the prescribed customs.”

“Confucius said, ‘A filial son serves his parents by living with all the respect he can muster, by making daily offerings with all the sincerity and pleasure, providing support and care during times of illness, deceased, attending to the funeral and burials, and by performing the sacrifices with the deepest reverence. These five aspects must all be achieved and done well before one can be called a filial son who serves his parents.’”


As previously discussed, Confucian tradition emphasises filial piety during one's lifetime and the need to worship one's elders after death. Moreover, it is believed that ancestors must be sacrificed on every anniversary and worshipped with sincerity and respect. It is only in this manner that the concept of filial piety can be truly ascribed. Conversely, failure to demonstrate filial piety in life and yet offer sacrifices after death results in the individual being undeserving of the designation “filial”. Conversely, if an individual exhibits filial behaviour during life but refrains from offering sacrifices after death, such a person cannot be regarded as filial.

The practice of ancestor worship is often criticised. The Book of Rites, Chapter 4, Tan Gong II explains as follows:

It is clear that the practice of offering food before the burial of the deceased, or the provision of food during subsequent festivities, is a ritual that has been observed since ancient times. This tradition of offering food to the deceased as a means of honouring their memory has not changed. The purpose of this ritual is to ensure that individuals continue to "care for the dead as they care for the living" and that the deceased are not neglected.

Hence, the criticism levelled at the rites does not relate to any defect in the rites themselves.

Instead, it can be argued that ancestor sacrifice encourages people to honour and care for their ancestors, and that those who criticise the ritual do so from the standpoint of their own limited and rigid beliefs.

We Chinese have a lifelong tradition of filial piety. As well as supporting and honouring our elders during our lifetime, we also have a ritual to pay homage to them after their death. These "sacrificial rites" reflect a cultural emphasis on ritual practices that distinguishes the Chinese from other populations. The belief system includes a conception of deceased ancestors as loving their descendants both before and after birth, and then caring for them in the afterlife. The belief system does not include the commission of any act that might humiliate or dishonour ancestors. While we are alive, we should strive to make them proud, thereby ensuring their acceptance upon our demise.

Our filial piety and respect for our elders are throughout our lives, and our love for our children and grandchildren is important in life and death, which is the Confucian way of rites, benevolence and filial piety. Through ritual we learn to be filial to our elders, and through ritual we learn to love our children and grandchildren.

Ancestor worship is regarded as a sacred act of filial piety. It is widely considered improper to ask the ancestors for blessings or financial gain. However, in times of great disaster, it is considered appropriate to request their assistance. Conversely, it is auspicious to offer incense and engage in ancestor worship in the event of favourable circumstances, such as the well-being of children and grandchildren, successful marriage, or the attainment of official status. 

Ancestor worship can be regarded as a form of education that aims to inculcate a sense of remembrance for ancestors and perpetuate filial piety in children and grandchildren. 

The ritual of ancestor worship is of significance in ensuring that the veneration of elders is not taken lightly. Did the ancestors come to enjoy the offerings? Did they receive the paper money we burnt for them? These are secondary to the educational significance of the practice.

#万富 #继承传统


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