“Honor thy Father and thy Mother”

Though we may have different religious beliefs, and spirituality, there are many ways, that folks remember those who have passed on, the contributions their existence has made to our lives, and the ongoing relationships that defies even death. 

Nearly every religious belief system on the planet has some guiding text to“Honor thy Father and thy Mother.”

“Honour thy father and thy mother” is one of the Ten Commandments in the Hebrew Bible. The commandment is generally regarded in Protestant and Jewish sources as the fifth in both the list in Exodus 20:1-21, and in Deuteronomy 5:1-23, though in Catholic counting this is the fourth commandment.[1]

“Show honor to your parents and pay homage to them. This will cause blessings to descend upon you from the clouds of the bounty of your Lord, the Exalted, the Great.”
Baha’i Faith
Baha’u’llah in the Family Life compilation, pp. 386-38

“Those who wish to be born in [the Pure Land] of Buddha… should act filially towards their parents and support them, and should serve and respect their teachers and elders.”
Buddhism
Meditation on Buddha Amitayus 27

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God  gives you.”
Christianity & Judaism
Exodus 20.12

“The gentleman works upon the trunk. When that is firmly set up, the Way grows. And surely proper  behavior towards parents and elder brothers is the trunk of Goodness.”
Confucianism
Analects 1.2

“Now filial piety is the root of all virtue, and the stem out of which grows all moral teaching… Our     bodies–to every hair and bit of skin–are received by us from our parents, and we must not presume  to injure or wound them: this is the beginning of filial piety. When we have established our character  by the practice of the filial course, so as to make our name famous in future ages, and thereby  glorify our parents: this is the end of filial piety. It commences with the service of parents; it proceeds  to the service of the ruler; it is completed by the establishment of [good] character.”
Confucianism
Confucianism. Classic on Filial Piety 1

“Do not neglect the works due to the gods and the fathers!  Let your mother be to you like unto a god! Let your father be to you like unto a god!”
Hinduism
aittiriyaka Upanishad 1.11.2

“Thy Lord has decreed… that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your lifetime, do not say to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say, “My Lord! bestow on them Thy mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.””
Islam
Qur’an 17.23

“One companion asked, “O Apostle of God! Who is the person worthiest of my consideration?” He replied, “Your mother.” He asked again, “And second to my mother?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The companion insisted, “And then?” The Messenger of God said, “After your mother, your father.””
Islam
Hadith of Bukhari and Muslim

“There are three partners in man, God, father, and mother. When a man honors his father and mother, God says, “I regard it as though I had dwelt among them and they had honored me.””
Judaism
Talmud, Kiddushin 30b

“Do not despise the breath of your fathers,
But draw it into your body.
That our roads may reach to where the life-giving road of our sun father comes out,
That, clasping one another tight,
Holding one another fast,
We may finish our roads together;
That this may be, I add to your breath now.
To this end:
May my father bless you with life;
May your road reach to Dawn Lake,
May your road be fulfilled.”
Native American Zuni Prayer

“Attend strictly to the commands of your parents and the instructions of your teachers. Serve your leader with diligence; be upright of heart; eschew falsehood; and be diligent in study; that you may conform to the wishes of the heavenly spirit.
Shinto
Oracle of Temmangu
Son, why do you quarrel with your father,
Due to him you have grown to this age?
It is a sin to argue with him.”
Sikhism
Adi Granth, Sarang, M.4, p. 1200

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