The Odes to the 2016 UK Ancestral Remembrance Ceremony

No matter how long a river is, it can be traced back to its origin.
No matter how tall a tree is, it has roots.
The union of “Yin” and “Yang” that are in harmony gives rise to everything.
We owe our lives to our parents for our birth and their nurturing.
Among all the virtues in humanity, filial piety is the foundation of them all.

Words cannot describe our gratitude to our parents and ancestors for bestowing their kindness and merits upon us.

A baby lamb will kneel on its fore legs when suckling from its mother; a young crow will feed its mother in return when her feathers have shed.

Forgetting one’s roots and failing to pass on one’s culture is a serious betrayal of human nature and morality.

Since ancient times, the Chinese race has been a race that never forgets its roots; their deceased parents and ancestors are revered in the same manner as if they were still alive today.

If we treat our parents’ funerals and ancestral remembrance services with sincerity and respect, society will naturally return to goodness.

If we can strictly adhere to moral principles,the “Way” will naturally appear, and our innately pure self-nature will return.

We should always maintain a heart of benevolence and humility, and reflect on everything we do so as to enhance our virtues, and act as a role model to truly influence and transform people to goodness.

The practicality of Chinese characters and Classical Chinese has transcended time and space, and can still be used to benefit mankind today.

Chinese civilization is rich in wisdom, which is perfect and complete, shining brightly and impartially like the sun and moon, and standing magnificently like the Kun Lun Mountains.

Regrettably, for two centuries now the Chinese people have gone astray and discarded the traditional culture of ancient sages. Therefore, they are being increasingly overwhelmed by deviant thoughts and wordsday by day.

The world has generally neglected the education of morality and ethics.This has consequently led to numerous crises causing people to live in fear and despair every day.

Fortunately, there are insightful people who are willing to selflessly shoulder the responsibility to relentlessly persuade those who are in delusion and suffering to return to the right path.

Those who are virtuous are bound to have followers and will not be isolated; and the goodness that people yearn for is in line with nature.

The British people have a broad mind like the vastness of the universe.They have brought the traditional culture of Chinese sages to the West and intend to adopt the model of traditional Chinese education.

The British and Chinese people are like long-acquainted friends who share common goals and values, and harbouraffection for each other.

In fact, the teachings of Western and Chinese sages are of the same origin despite their differences in forms and the way they are expressed; they can co-exist without any conflict.

Let’s work in collaboration to revive the sages’ education – which will certainly have a positive impact on society’s ethos; consequently, leading to realization of world peace and harmony.

Hence, with our most sincere and reverent heart, we hereby offer our reverence to all the divine powers of heaven and earth, and respectfully request the ancestors of all races to attest to our sincerity.

We earnestly request all the divine powers of heaven and earth, and the ancestors of all races to bless us. We hereby respectfully pay our tributeto the ancestors of all races and wish they would come here to accept our adoration.