Traditional of the rites
The Traditional of the rites , Lijing or Li King (Chinese traditional: 禮經; Chinese simplified: 礼经; Pinyin: Lǐjīng) indicates one or more works allotted (S) to wise of the time Zhou (in particular the Duc of Zhou), compiled (S) and with accompanying notes (S) by the confucéens (immediate Confucius or its disciples according to the tradition), treating rites framing the social organization, administrative and policy of this dynasty. Under the Western Han, these texts having mainly disappeared, three works were reconstituted according to fragments, memories (recitations) and draftings apocryphal books: Zhouli (周禮), Yili (儀禮) and Liji (禮記). The term Lijing , which can indicate the unit, generally refers to the Liji or Livre of the rites .
Rites of Zhou
The Zhouli (周禮 Rites of Zhou) was known until the Tang under the name of Zhouguan (周官, civils servant of Zhou) because it is in fact a list of official functions divided into 6 categories which inspired the 6 ministries for the imperial administration. It would owe its survival in Liu Xian, prince de Hejian (河間王), relative of Wudi, active collector of old texts. It is with him that one would have brought the unit that chapter 6 was missing, for which an important reward was promised, but in vain. Like all the documents given by the prince to the emperor, it would have been filed in the imperial library and is left side until -9, year when Liu Xin (劉歆) resumed the work of bibliographer of its father Liu Xiang (劉向). Liu Xin, which allotted the drafting of it to the Duc of Zhou, replaced the chapter missing by another document on the public office missing since.The description of the Zhou administration appears more idealized than real there. Its editor Liu Xin was useful under Wang Mang, whose government, applicant to return at the golden age of first Zhou, was based on the treaties of rites allotted to this dynasty. The Zhouguan was thus as of Han Eastern suspected of being a forgery with the service of the usurper. Currently, rare which is those see there a document of the beginning of Zhou. The opinions are divided between a drafting towards the end of the Royaumes combatants (school of Xunzi in particular) including/understanding Han interpolations, and a manufacture of Liu Xin at the beginning of the Christian era. It was translated into French by Edouard Biot.
Ceremonial rites
The Yili (儀禮 ceremonial rites) is a descrition of the label and ritual follow-ups by the small aristocracy of Zhou at the time of the private events (marriages etc) and public. Like the Zhouli , it was allotted to the Duke of Zhou by certain Han commentators. It is the first of the books of rites to be reconstiué (towards -180) according to the memories of the well-read man Gao Tang who produced 17 chapters of them. Fragments confirming its version were also found at the end of IIe front century J.C in the ancestral residence of the family of Confucius. Regarded as an authentic document of before the Qin, it was known under Han like Ligujing (禮古經, traditional old of the rites). He was commented on by the specialists in the ritual literature Hou Cang (后倉), Dai Of (戴德) and Dai Sheng (戴聖), but only the version with accompanying notes by the bibliographer Liu Xiang reached us. Less abundant in contents and less studied by the well-read men than the Liji regarded traditionally as its development, it was given to the honor under the Song by Zhu Xi.
Deliver rites
The Liji (禮記) or Book of the rites , regarded by the well-read men confucéens as the development of the Yili , offers contents much more varied (anecdotes, speech, dialogs in addition to descriptions). Certain parts are found in the Xunzi and the Huainanzi. In the beginning made up of 131 chapters according to the dires of its first editor, the bibliographer Liu Xiang, it would come, like the authentic parts of the Zhouli , of the collection of old texts gathered under Han Wudi by prince de Hejian. Compilation was allotted by it to Confucius or its disciples. The large commentators of ritual Dai Of and Dai Sheng (uncle and nephew, or cousins according to Legge) produced each one of it a version condensed and with accompanying notes, the Dadai liji (Liji of large Dai) (大戴禮記) in 85 chapters and the Xiaodai liji (Liji of small Dai) (小戴禮記) in 46 chapters. The second version quickly was appreciated and the Dadai was lost after Tang. One nevertheless found 27 chapters of them. Dai Sheng or My Rong integrated into the Xiaodai three independent documents: the Yueling (月令) on the calendar, the Tangwei (堂位) on the official functions and the Yueji (乐记) on the music. Under the Song, the neoconfucianists extrairent two chapters of the Liji , the Invariable medium Zhongyong (中庸) and the Grande Study Daxue (大學) to make of them two of the four works of the gun confucéen. It was a long time the main object of studies and gloses, and it is generally him which one indicates under the name of Lijing . The essence of the work would date from the Kingdoms combatants.
See too
- Traditional Traditional Chinese
- Confucianism
- confucéens - presentation and translation of Legge
Zh-classical: 禮記