The spirit tablet in the ancestral altar space from confucian perspective

Abstract

In various folk belief systems, ancestor worship is a form of traditional worship that holds the utmost importance and widespread significance in East Asian cultures in general, and in our country specifically. Through historical developments, the rituals of ancestor worship in our country today, while incorporating elements of various religious beliefs, still strongly reflect the Confucian ideals of filial piety. This influence on thought leads to dominance in the regulations of rituals and the arrangement of ancestral altars. In the traditional ancestral altar space, there are numerous sacred objects serving the practice of ritual worship. But among them, there is one item that always occupies the most grave and discreet position, considered the most sacred object: the Spirit Tablet. The Spirit Tablet has a long history and embodies the Confucian worldview and cosmology.