Chapter 3 The second part discusses rituals

This part is Confucius' discussion about rituals, mainly before Confucius left the state of Lu.During this period, Confucius highly respected the rituals of the Zhou Dynasty, and advocated the functions of rituals to be omnipotent.In the later period, although Confucius knew that it was impossible to realize the rule of law he advocated, he still regarded Zhouli as a kind of beautiful ideal and spiritual sustenance. What is Zhouli?Zhou Li is actually the system of the Zhou Dynasty. The systems in various aspects are mainly the official system and the rituals of sacrifice and funeral, but not only that, but a fairly complete system covering almost the entire social life. According to legend, it was formulated by the Duke of Zhou in the early Zhou Dynasty.The early Zhou Dynasty was governed according to the rules of Zhou Rites.In the Spring and Autumn Period, the rituals of Zhou were gradually disobeyed, and the world fell into disorder.

The State of Lu was the fiefdom of Boqin, the eldest son of the Duke of Zhou, and a model country of Zhou Rites. The use of Zhou Rites here was almost comparable to that of the Zhou royal family.Therefore, the State of Lu has always been a must-go country for all countries to learn Zhou Rites.However, even so, in the Spring and Autumn Period, the Lu people no longer paid attention to the rules left by their ancestors. Confucius understood Zhou Li, loved Zhou Li, advocated Zhou Li, and wanted to restore Zhou Li.It is ridiculous that the rulers of later generations also advocated Confucius and claimed to respect Confucius, but they never mentioned the Zhou rituals advocated by Confucius. It can be seen that those who respect Confucius as a saint are just Ye Gong who loves dragons, and even has ulterior motives.

The Master said: "It is not as good as the death of the Xias to have a king in the barbarians." Confucius said: "Even if Yi Di has a monarch, it is not as good as the Central Plains without a monarch." Confucius believed that with Zhou Li, there would be standardized management.Therefore, even if the countries in the Central Plains do not have a monarch, the country can still operate in an orderly manner according to the norms of Zhou Rites.However, the surrounding Yidi countries lack rules, and even if there is a monarch, the management is messy.Therefore, who is Huaxia and who is Yidi depends on its level of cultural development.

Historically, the original rulers looked down on the surrounding ethnic minorities. This is the theoretical basis. In the Zhou Dynasty, the countries in the Central Plains called themselves Zhuxia, which was the representative of advanced culture, and they were surrounded by uncivilized peoples.Di in the north, Yi in the east, Man in the south, and Rong in the west.The hidden line of Confucius' passage is: The fundamental difference between the Central Plains and the surrounding barbarians is that we have the rituals of Zhou. Thirty years in Hedong, forty years in Hexi.Later things turned out to be just the opposite. The Western devils did not have an emperor, but they were much stronger than our Qing Empire.

The Master said: "A gentleman has nothing to fight for. He must also shoot! When he bows, he goes up, and when he goes down, he drinks. The fight is also a gentleman." Confucius said: "A gentleman has nothing to compete with others. If there is, it is an archery competition. In the competition, first bow to each other and then go on the court. After shooting, bow to each other and then retreat, and then go up to the court Drink. This is the battle between gentlemen." Confucius said it was the "original" Zhou etiquette. In fact, even wars in the early Spring and Autumn Period were "gentleman's wars", and etiquette was also required on the battlefield.In the third part of my book "Speaking of Spring and Autumn", there are many such plots. When the Jin army wants to capture the king of Qi, they must first toast the king of Qi and present jade, and invite the king of Qi to go to Jin.However, in the vast majority of cases, Zhou Li was destroyed, especially on the battlefield, such famous battles as Cao GUI's all-out efforts, the battle of Jin Chu, Chengpu, etc., in fact, military thinking broke through the restrictions of Zhou Li.With the frequent wars, Zhou Li must be abandoned.By the time of Confucius, no one would pay attention to Zhou Li during the war.Therefore, what Confucius said is just a kind of behind closed doors, which is too far from reality.

The so-called non-dispute, in most cases, is open and secret, which has become a very prominent phenomenon of intrigue in Chinese culture.Therefore, although a gentleman must be humble, he must fight for what should be fought openly, so as to avoid internal friction and reduce conspiracy.Confucius' words have no positive practical significance. The Master said: "Shooting is not based on the skin, and the strength is different. It is an ancient way." Confucius said: "The competition of archery is not about penetrating the target, because each person's strength is different. It has been like this since ancient times."

This sentence is closely related to the previous sentence, which means that a gentleman pays attention to etiquette, not strength.Talk about skills, not brute force. In fact, what Confucius said was just a legend in the Spring and Autumn Period. In that year, Jin Zhaogong and Qi Jinggong held a pot throwing competition, which was also a dispute between gentlemen according to the rules.But everyone held back their energy and almost caused an international dispute.Besides, isn't the cockfight between Jisun's family and Li's family in the state of Lu also unscrupulous?The result was a family vendetta.

Chinese players can play table tennis and badminton, but not tennis.The technology is good, but the strength is not good. The Master said: "Xia Li, I can describe it, but Qi is not enough to collect it; Yin Li, I can describe it, Song Dynasty is not enough to collect it. The literature is insufficient, so if it is sufficient, then I can collect it." Confucius said: "I can tell the rites of the Xia Dynasty, but Qi State is not enough to prove it; I can tell the rites of the Yin Dynasty, but the State of Song is not enough to prove it. This is due to the lack of written materials. If there are enough written materials, I can get confirmation."

Confucius was very interested in Zhou Li, so he was also very interested in Xia Li and Shang Li, but most of them were heard or deduced, and could not be verified.Confucius once asked the king of Qi State about Xia Li, because Qi State was a descendant of Xia Dynasty, and Confucius went to Qi State for investigation, and found that Qi State itself did not retain many Xia Li; I went to Song State, a descendant of the Shang Dynasty, to investigate, and also found that there were not many Shang rituals left.From this, Confucius thought that he might be the number one expert in Xiali and Shangli in the world.

The strong culture survives and the weak culture perishes.We can talk about ancient Egyptian culture, but we can’t see it in Egypt; we can talk about Babylonian culture, but we can’t see it in Iraq; we can talk about ancient Indian culture, but we can’t see much in India; Spring and Autumn Culture We can talk, but there is not much we can see. The Master said: "Zhou was supervised by the second generation. I am so melancholy! I follow Zhou." Confucius said: "The etiquette system of the Zhou Dynasty was borrowed from the Xia and Shang generations. How rich and colorful it is. I follow the Zhou etiquette."

From the analysis of various aspects, the Xia Dynasty emphasized animal husbandry, and the etiquette was relatively simple.The Shang Dynasty emphasized commerce and paid special attention to credit.The Zhou Dynasty emphasized agriculture, and the etiquette was more complicated, but it borrowed more from the etiquette system of the Shang Dynasty. Confucius grew up in the state of Lu and knew the rituals of Zhou very well.After returning to the ancestral country of Song, he was naturally not used to the pedantic and conservative business rituals.In China at that time, the Song Dynasty was a backward and beaten country, and Shangli naturally belonged to a backward culture.At that time, the most advanced countries were Jin and Qi. The etiquette systems of these two countries were the integration of Zhou and Xia and the integration of Zhou and Shang. It can be seen that Zhou etiquette may not be an advanced culture. However, Confucius, who preached and followed Zhouli all his life, would not be able to protect himself when he was dying.Before he died, Confucius said to Zigong: "The people of the Xia Dynasty had their funerals on the east steps, the people of the Zhou Dynasty had their funerals on the west steps, and the people of the Shang Dynasty had their funerals between the two pillars. I dreamed yesterday that I was buried between the two pillars. See Come on, I still have to follow the rules of the Shang Dynasty." In this way, the last thing Confucius did in his life did not follow the Zhou rituals, but followed the Shang rituals. The system of Xia and Shang applies to Xia and Shang, just as the system of Zhou Dynasty applies to Zhou Dynasty.But times are changing, and the system of the Zhou Dynasty is no longer applicable to the Spring and Autumn Period.Confucius studied the institutional changes of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties, but he did not realize the inevitability of these changes, and he did not realize that the Zhou Dynasty’s system also needed to be changed. Different stages of human development, of course, need different systems; different countries and cultures, of course, need different systems.For a country, it is the right way to learn from the most advanced culture and learn from the system of the most advanced country instead of sticking to the old ways. The Master said: "I don't want to observe the truth that comes from the infusion." Confucius said: "I don't want to watch the ritual of offering wine since the first time I offered wine." Juli is a great ceremony for the monarch to offer sacrifices to heaven or ancestors, and irrigation is to offer wine to ancestors.After that, sacrifices are made according to the order of the ancestors.Why didn't Confucius look at Guan after he saw it?Because Confucius did not want to watch the following ceremony.Why don't you want to watch it?Kong Anguo said that it was because the order of the sacrifices was wrong, and Duke Xi of Lu was brought forward, which is recorded in "Spring and Autumn".According to He Xin's textual research, it is said that after the irrigation, there will be a scene of intercourse between men and women, which Confucius believes is not in line with Zhou etiquette.On this point, it is more reasonable to adopt Kong Anguo's argument. At this time, the state of Lu was in a state of disrepair, and it was indeed a mess. It was normal for Confucius to look down on it.The most fundamental reason for the collapse of rites and music is probably the decline of the office, which cannot afford to support civil servants, resulting in the loss of a large number of talents, and the rest are just dawdling.Therefore, Guanzi's words are still true: the warehouse is real and the etiquette is known.When the country is poor, there is little etiquette to talk about. When having dinner with friends, leave as soon as possible after the first toast, otherwise you may risk drunk driving.Even if you're not drunk, your friend might be drunk.No matter who gets caught, you are responsible. Or ask Xuan's theory.The master said: "I don't know, but I know that the speaker is known to the world, and it is as good as showing it to everyone!" Pointing to his palm. Someone asked Confucius about the rules for holding a sacrifice.Confucius said: "I don't know. Those who know this kind of regulation will manage the affairs of the world as easily as putting this thing here!" (Speaking while speaking) Pointing to his palm. Confucius believed that in Lu State's sacrificing ceremony, the names were reversed, which is not worth seeing.So when someone asked him about the regulations on the festival, he deliberately said he didn't know.But then he said, whoever understands the principle of offering sacrifices will know how to rule the world.That is to say, whoever understands the rules of the festival can restore the chaotic "rites". Once the big principles are mastered, the rest of the problems are often solved. Sacrifice as if there is a sacrifice to God as if there is a god.Confucius said: "If I don't offer sacrifices, it's like not offering sacrifices." Worshiping ancestors is like the ancestors are really in front of you, and offering sacrifices to gods is like the gods are really in front of you.Confucius said: "If I don't personally participate in the sacrifice, it is the same as not having a sacrifice." Confucius did not mention ghosts and gods too much, for example, he said: "Respect ghosts and gods and keep them at a distance." Therefore, in this chapter, when he said offering sacrifices to ancestors and ghosts and gods, it was as if ancestors and ghosts and gods were really in front of him, not that ghosts and gods were real. instead, it emphasizes that those who participate in the sacrifice should have pious emotions in their hearts.Sincerity leads to spirit, that's what it means. Nowadays, when people go to burn incense and worship Buddha, they are either seeking money or sex. They have no sincerity at all, so the gods are not willing to help you.If you go to burn incense and worship Buddha again, it is best to silently recite "May the Buddha and Bodhisattva live forever, and enjoy the incense forever". In this way, the gods will feel your sincerity and reward you with any luck, which may be enough for three lifetimes. If there is no ceremony, but no sincerity in the heart, it is better to have no ceremony.Engaging in so many competitions is not to show fairness, it is better not to engage in them. When the son entered the Taimiao, he asked about everything.Or said: "Who says the son of the Zou people knows the rituals? When he entered the Taimiao, he asked about everything." The son heard it and said, "It's the rituals." When Confucius arrived at the Taimiao, he asked about everything.Someone said: "Who says this person understands etiquette? When he arrives in the Taimiao, he has to ask others about everything." Confucius said after hearing this, "This is etiquette!" Confucius did not mean modesty. Confucius’ practice of Zhou rituals was basically about weddings and funerals. Places like the Taimiao were not something he could go to normally. His knowledge about this area was all hearsay.Therefore, after entering the Taimiao, it is not surprising that there are many things that you do not understand and you have to ask; in addition, it is not surprising that many things you know need to be further confirmed.Confucius believes that if you don't understand, you should ask, which is the embodiment of Zhou etiquette. Of course, this happened when Confucius was young, and it was the first time he entered the Taimiao.In the State of Lu, only scholars and above were eligible to enter the Taimiao, and only during festivals and so on. Ask if you don't understand, it's not easy to do. The Master said: "When you serve the king with courtesy, people think it is flattery." Confucius said: "I serve the monarch completely according to the rules of Zhou Ri, but others think it is flattery." This is what happened during the time when Confucius was an official.Throughout his life, Confucius required himself to serve the monarch strictly in accordance with the rites of Zhou, which was his political and ethical belief.But he was ridiculed by others, thinking that he was flattering the monarch.This shows that the relationship between the monarch and his ministers at that time has been destroyed, and not many people have paid attention to the etiquette of the monarch and his ministers.On the other hand, Confucius did have a little too much respect. Giving gifts to superiors is indeed flattery. The Master said: "Is it possible to make a country with courtesy? Why not? You can't make a country with courtesy. How about courtesy?" Confucius said: "If you can use the principle of comity to govern the country, then what is the difficulty? If you can't use the principle of comity to govern the country, how can you practice propriety?" Confucius believed that etiquette is the panacea for governing the country. If the ruler really wants to govern the country well, why can't he do it? The Master said: "Li Yun Li Yun, jade and silk cloud? Le Yun Le Yun, bells and drums cloud?" Confucius said: "Rites, rituals, are you just talking about ritual vessels like jade and silk? Music, music, are you talking about musical instruments like bells and drums?" Just as the rule of law is not just the letter of the law.Confucius is still emphasizing that Zhou Li should be implemented spiritually, not just on the surface. Appearances lacking connotation are meaningless, just like in the competition field, is it just a competition for gold medals?Is winning the gold medal the glory of the country?The gold medals obtained by taking doping, changing the age, handing over the ball, etc. are nothing more than magnifying the shame. The Master said: "Advanced in rites and music, you are a savage; backward in rites and music, you are a gentleman. If you use it, I will follow the advanced." Confucius said: "A person who first learns rites and music before becoming an official is a commoner; a person who first becomes an official and then learns rites and music is a gentleman. If you want to select talents, I suggest that you choose people who first learn rites and music." The above explanation seems to be a very unified explanation, not because this explanation is correct, but because no one can find the correct explanation, so they muddle along together.For this article, the author has not found the most reasonable explanation, so I can only reluctantly put the generally accepted explanation here, hoping that latecomers can have a more reasonable explanation. slightly The Master said: "Respectful but impolite will cause labor, prudence but impertinence will lead to embarrassment, courage but impertinence will lead to chaos, and straightforwardness will cause twisting. When a gentleman is loyal to his relatives, the people will thrive on benevolence; therefore, if the old is not left behind, the people will not steal." Confucius said: "If you are just respectful but don't know the propriety, you will feel tired (because you can't grasp the scale); if you are only cautious but don't know the propriety, you will be timid and cautious (because you don't know the propriety); if you are only brave and don't know the propriety, you will feel tired. In war, one will lose one's position (because it is difficult to advance and retreat); if one is straightforward but does not understand etiquette, one will speak harshly (because one cannot use words well). If the superiors treat their relatives favorably, benevolence will arise among the common people. If the gentleman does not abandon his old friends, the common people will not be indifferent to others." Anything, any virtue, requires rules or degrees, that is, etiquette.Only by mastering etiquette can virtue be truly manifested as virtue.It will be counterproductive to grasp the appearance and ignore the essence. However, if there is no etiquette at all, or if there is no proper etiquette for you to observe, it is also nonsense.Of course, what Confucius said is reasonable or true, but has Confucius ever thought about why people don’t pay attention to etiquette?Because the old rituals are no longer suitable for the new society. But as a ruler, the fact that the old rituals are not suitable for the new society should not be a reason for not observing the rituals.The ancestors formulated the rites, and they should be amended if necessary, so that the work of the ancestors will not be in vain.If you know that it is not applicable and do not change it, it is tantamount to completely abandoning the great cause of your ancestors. Confucius only emphasized obedience, but forgot to correct; he only emphasized recovery, but forgot to change.This is the biggest problem with Confucius.How can I wear old shoes when my feet grow up?But wouldn't it be best to create a new pair of shoes based on the size of the foot and the experience of wearing the old shoe, following the pattern of the old shoe? Therefore, the most fatal question in these words of Confucius is: Where is the ritual?Where is the ritual that everyone can follow?No. Where is today's gift?As a gift?A gift for government?Nowadays, I don’t know how to address or sign a letter. I really don’t know how to write other than “Sincerely, Salute” and “I wish you good health”. The Master said: "If you offer good gifts, the people will be easy to use." Confucius said: "If the ruler likes rituals, then the people will be easy to manage." The monarch restrains himself with etiquette, and the common people will also use etiquette to demand themselves.Lead by example, that's what it means. A good gift is the "ritual" of etiquette, not the "ritual" of gifts. The Master said: "According to the interests, there are many complaints." Confucius said: "Things done for the purpose of profit will most likely lead to resentment." Confucius meant that doing things should be based on propriety, rather than unprincipled pursuit of profit.For a ruler, competing with the people for profit is the greatest crime.What the ruler should do is to create a peaceful and fair environment for the common people so that the common people can benefit.When the people benefit, the country will naturally be harmonious; when the people are rich, the country will naturally be strong. Why are many policies complained and opposed by the people, because these policies are to take money out of the pockets of the people. Lin Fang asked about the book of etiquette.The Master said: "That's a great question! Rituals are more frugal than extravagance; funerals are more expensive than easy ones." Lin Fang asked what is the essence of etiquette.Confucius replied: "The question you asked is of great significance. As far as the general situation of etiquette is concerned, it is better to be frugal than extravagant; as far as funerals are concerned, it is better to be truly sad than to be well-organized in the ceremony." Lin Fang asked what is the essence of ritual, and Confucius replied: etiquette is just a form of expressing ritual, but it is not in the form at all but in the heart.We should not just stop at the superficial rituals, but more importantly, we must understand the essence of rituals from the heart and emotions, and meet the requirements of rituals. This question should be asked after Confucius returned from Weiguo for the first time. At first, Confucius paid attention to the ceremony of ritual, then he paid equal attention to ceremony and content, and later he paid more attention to the spiritual level. Behind many of the biggest and unprecedented successes in history is extravagance and waste.Confucius' words are very meaningful. The Master said: "Ma Mian is propriety; now it is pure and frugal, and I follow the crowd. I bow down, and I bow down; now I bow to the top, Tai Ye. Even though I am against the crowd, I follow the crowd." Confucius said: "A top hat made of linen conforms to the rules of etiquette. Now everyone is made of black silk, which is more economical than in the past. I agree with everyone's approach. (The minister sees the monarch) First of all, you must bow down in the hall. It is also in line with etiquette. Now everyone bows in the hall, which is an expression of arrogance. Although it is different from everyone's practice, I still advocate worshiping in the hall first." Confucius agreed with the practice of replacing the linen hat with a more frugal black silk hat, but opposed the practice of only kneeling in the hall when facing the king.This reminds people of "serving the king with courtesy, people think it is flattery", which is why the author thinks that Confucius is indeed a little too respectful to the king. Confucius' family was not well-off, so some frugality is acceptable.However, there is no cost to kneel down anyway, so we should stick to the original method. There's nothing wrong with going with the flow.Making yourself look special is actually not good for anyone. Zigong wanted to tell the sheep of Shuo.The Master said: "Give it! You love his sheep, and I love his gifts." Zigong proposed to get rid of the live sheep used for offering sacrifices to the ancestral temple on the first day of each month.Confucius said: "Ci, you cherish that sheep, but I cherish that gift." According to the stipulations of the Zhou rituals, every autumn and winter, the emperor of Zhou would award the second year's almanac to the princes. The princes put the almanac in the ancestral temple, and came to the ancestral temple on the first day of each month according to the calendar regulations, and killed a live animal. The sheep sacrifice to the temple indicates the beginning of the monthly hearing.At that time, the monarch of Lu State no longer went to "tell Shuo" in person, and "telling Shuo" had become a formality.Therefore, Zigong proposed to get rid of "饩羊".Confucius was very dissatisfied with this, and criticized Zi Gong, which showed Confucius' position of maintaining the ritual system. This was the first time Confucius returned from the state of Wei to the state of Lu, and Zigong followed him.Zigong is a rich second generation, and he doesn't really value a sheep, but after hearing the above two sentences from Confucius, he thinks that Confucius really doesn't value rituals very much, so he proposes to cancel the sheep.Who knows that Confucius' frugality is only applicable to himself, and the sheep is not born by himself, so he opposes getting rid of the sheep. Basically, we can think of it this way: in the form of etiquette, Confucius can flexibly change his own standards, but he must strictly follow the standards of others.Hats have to be bought or made by oneself, so cheap ones can be used; but sheep are produced by the monarch, so they cannot be omitted. The sheep are brought to the people to eat, which is better than anything else. Ziyu, Master Lu, said: "You can know how to enjoy music: from the beginning, it is like it; from it, it is pure, it is like it, it is like it, it is like it, and it is completed." Confucius talked about the principles of playing music to the Lu State Music Officer, saying: "The principle of playing music can be known: start playing, all kinds of instruments play together, and the sound is beautiful; continue to unfold, melodious and melodious, with clear syllables, continuous, and finally complete." Although ritual and music are separate disciplines, music is more often the embodiment of ritual.To master ritual, one must master music.Whether Confucius' conclusion is correct or not, no one knows, maybe Grand Master Lu couldn't laugh or cry when he heard it. It is said that Confucius had studied music in Lu and Wei. With Confucius' character, he should have some attainments in music theory and appreciation, but the specific level of playing is beyond the test. I won't talk about purely technical things. Zi said Shao, "It is as beautiful as it is perfect."It is called Wu, "it is perfect, but it is not perfect." When talking about the music and dance "Shao", Confucius said: "The art form is extremely beautiful, and the content is also very good." When talking about the music and dance "Wu", he said: "The art form is beautiful, but the content is not good." Confucius talked about the evaluation of art here.He attaches great importance to the formal beauty of art, and pays more attention to the goodness of artistic content.This has obvious political standards, not just an entertainment issue. Confucius heard Shao music in the state of Qi, but he didn't know the taste of meat in March.This should have been a comment made in retrospect. Too bad no one has heard of it. The wife of the king of the state is called the wife of the king, the wife calls herself Xiaotong, the people of the state call it the wife of the king, all the other countries call it the widow Xiaojun, and the people of the foreign country call it the wife of the king. The king's wife, the king calls her Mrs., the wife calls herself Xiaotong, and the people of the country call her Mrs. Jun; This is the question about titles. Why is such a purely technical question recorded?There was generally some confusion on this issue at the time. The problem of appellation is small but big, because it will be used from time to time.Today, our appellation problem is unprecedentedly serious. For example, when we see a young woman, how should we address her?Comrade?Miss?Beauty?Miss?Nothing fits that well.For another example, what should I call a letter to an elder?How to sign?How many people know? Wang Sunjia asked, "It's better to be flattered by Zao (same as Zao) than flattering Ao. What does that mean?" The Master said, "Otherwise; if you are guilty of sin against Heaven, you have nothing to pray for." Wang Sunjia asked: "(People say) it is better to please the Kitchen God than to please the God of God. What does this mean?" Confucius said, "That is not the case. If you offend Heaven, there will be no place to pray." Ao, refers to the god in the southwest corner of the house; Zao, refers to the god who is in charge of cooking beside the stove.What Wang Sunjia meant was that the county magistrate was better off taking care of him now. The Ao God didn't care about anything and didn't care about him, but the Kitchen God was in charge of eating, so he couldn't offend him.Confucius told him that such an understanding was wrong. Although the God of God doesn't care about anything, the more he doesn't care about anything, the less he can offend him, because the more he does nothing, the more he reaches the sky.Offending the God of God is tantamount to offending the Heaven, so what's the use of pleasing the Kitchen God? Confucius said this to tell everyone not to only see personal interests, and not to despise God or ancestors just because they seem to have no connection with them. Even the Ao God and the Kitchen God cannot be offended. There are more and more gods, and it is almost impossible to worship them.