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RELIGION
Ancestor Worship in China
Essay by George Eng, Hunter High School
While some believe that China has no real religion and the Chinese people have a void to fill, I believe there is no void. The Chinese people are generally too pragmatic for religions, and they already have a form of religion ‑ ancestor worship. If that is considered a religion, then yes, China does have a religion To many, however, it doesn't really count.
Some people don't really know what Chinese ancestor worship is, so I'll try to explain it two ways. One, from secondary sources, and two, by personal experiences, and myself, for I am an active ancestor worshipper, if not a particularly heavy or rigid one.
Ancestor Worship is generally any variety of religious beliefs and practices concerned with the spirits of dead persons regarded as relatives, some of whom may be mythical. However, the core of ancestor worship is the belief in the continuing existence of the dead and in a close relation between the living and the dead (who continue to influence the affairs of the living). Beliefs in a surviving element in a person, even in the afterlife, such as a soul, have been held in almost all societies. Some people fear these spirits (e.g. ghosts), while others revere and love them. Most of the time, it is thought that these spirits help the living unless they aren't properly appeased or propitiated. Ancestors are worshiped in very elaborate rites. They were usually people of importance during their lifetime. Either they were parents, clan leaders, or members of another family, Ancestor worship in China celebrates both the male and female and has strong ties to familial piety. It is the children's duty, particularly the sons, to revere and care for their parents as they enter the afterlife.
There are many ways my family worships our ancestors. In the home there are pictures of the deceased parents. Before every meal, the food is normally put right under them and then taken down to eat. It shows that we are giving them food to feed them in the afterlife. Most general needs of the deceased are fulfilled. We also go to the graveyard twice a year where our family is buried. It starts very early in the morning, around 7 am, and we travel to Chinatown to buy food. We buy roasted pork, whole soy sauce chickens, baked pig, sugar gelatin, and an assortment of buns. Sometimes we buy other stuff, but that is just for fun. We also buy flowers and plants to plant when we arrive at the graveyard. We then travel to the graveyard and start a fire. In the fire we throw fake paper money, hell bank notes, and all sorts of things that we think our ancestors will need in the afterlife. We burn incense and light candles. We also take out all the food we bought, and lay it out in front of all the gravestones. It is to show our respect, and to feed the dead. Actually, all the food and items we use during the entire ceremony must undergo the bi, or kowtow. Every member of the family must kowtow without anything in their hands. Then all the items to be used must be held in the hands of a family member and undergo the kowtow. Then the item is used. We need to do this for everybody, so we travel to many places in the cemetery. This normally takes up the entire morning and some of the afternoon. Other people, who are a little more rigid in their practice, also burn incense on a more daily basis and pray to their ancestors for help and guidance.
Many people believe that the Chinese lack a religion. However, I think that it all depends on your definition. For me, ancestor worship is a daily event. Every dinner must undergo proper ritual, much like Christian grace. So, China does have a religion in a way - ancestor worship. I believe that any void that the Chinese populace may have, can and will be filled by ancestor worship.
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Visiting the Temples
From the Journal of Sarah Maniscalco, Leon Goldstein HS at Kingsborough.
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Photos by David Wellner, Poly Prep Country Day School
The Hanging Monastery in Datong
The Giant Buddha at Yungang Grottoes
