ancestral veneration

  • The Analects – Chapter 10.13

    When the ruler granted cooked food, Confucius would always straighten his mat and taste it first as a sign of respect. When granted raw meat, he would cook it and first offer it to his ancestors. When granted a live animal, he would raise it alive. When dining with the ruler, as soon as…

  • Mencius – Chapter 8.13 Honoring the dead defines true humanity

    Mencius said: “Caring for one’s parents while they are alive is not enough to be considered a truly great matter; only properly honoring them in death – through sincere mourning, respectful burial, and ongoing remembrance – constitutes a great matter indeed.”

  • The Ullambana Festival and Journey to the West

    The Ullambana Festival(also known as the Feast of the Ullambana Bowl), a traditional Buddhist ceremony, originated during the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan, and is observed annually on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.