How does ancestor worship affect daily life in Vietnam?
The effect of ancestor worship upon Vietnamese society is profound. There are three main concepts: – regarding life as a small part of an infinitely greater whole embracing the entire race – a belief that the past and present exist simultaneously – a certitude that each individual’s behaviour in life has a direct impact upon the quality of the lives of his or her children and grandchildren Taken together, these convictions extend the concept of the family far beyond the sense in which the term is used in the West. A Vietnamese person is never ‘alone’ – his or her ‘family’ is always present. What is the future of ancestor worship in Vietnam? Whether ancestor worship will continue to be strong as the influence of scientific rationalism and social change accelerates, is an open question. In the past, the majority of individual family members lived within close geographical proximity. The turmoil in the years before and after the defeat of the US forces led to an exodus of hundreds of thou
