Chapter 9 The second section of the funeral ceremony

The memorial ceremony is a very important content in the ancient school etiquette system.The so-called Shi Dian means to display wine and eat it to pay homage to the ancestors and sages. Book of Rites·Wen Wangshizi").It is not only a ceremony of the ancient school, but also a system of the school.Those who worshiped were the Duke of Zhou in the Zhou Dynasty; after the Han Dynasty, Confucius was added, and they were respected as the first teacher and the first sage respectively with the Duke of Zhou; Talented disciples.When a school is first built, it is necessary to hold a memorial ceremony to show that it follows the teachings of the former teachers and sages, and educates the people with etiquette.After that, this ceremony will be held every spring and autumn or in spring, summer, autumn and winter to show that we always keep the teachings in mind, never forget our studies, study hard, and strive for success and fame.This is an etiquette system fixed in ancient Chinese and even modern schools.

A place for offering sacrifices should be set up during the release ceremony. Later generations often build Confucian temples (also known as Confucian temples, Confucius temples), erect Confucius statues, place ritual vessels and musical instruments, and hold sacrifices to Confucius here regularly every year.However, the initial memorial sites were set up with the schools, that is, the memorial ceremony was held in schools such as Taixue and Guozixue.To salute, use Tailao (the three animals of cattle, sheep and pigs are Tailao) to worship the ancestors and saints.At the beginning of the funeral ceremony, one person who looks like the ancestors and saints should be selected first, wearing the clothes worn by the ancestors and saints, as the object of sacrifice, that is, the "corpse" is used to represent the dead to be sacrificed.Later, tablets and portraits were gradually used to represent the sacrificial recipients.If the school has just been built, silk offerings must be made and utensils must be used during the libation ceremony. It is called provocation, to indicate the success of the device) to offer sacrifices to the first teachers and first sages.Of course, the silk should also be painted with the blood of sacrifices, which has the same meaning as "provocative weapon".Because the memorial service ceremony is a sacrificial ceremony, the officials in charge of the sacrificial ceremony usually preside over the ceremony.After the Han Dynasty, Taichang (one of the Jiuqing, who was in charge of sacrificial rites and music. In the Han Dynasty, Taichang was not only in charge of the ancestral temple etiquette, but also in charge of the selection of doctors) took up this post.

In the Zhengshi period of Cao Wei and King Qi (240-249 A.D.), when the funeral ceremony was held, in addition to offering sacrifices to Confucius, Yan Hui, the proud disciple of Confucius, was also added.After arriving in the Northern Qi Dynasty, not only the release ceremony was held regularly every year in Zhongchun (February of the lunar calendar) and Zhongqiu (August of the lunar calendar), but also it was stipulated that Confucius should be worshiped on the first day of each month. All the students of Guozixue entered the hall, knelt down to worship Confucius, and bowed to Yan Hui.Students below the teaching assistant and Tai Tai students do not enter the hall, but salute at the bottom of the steps.At the same time, it is stipulated that the state school also establishes Confucius and Yan Hui temples in the square (jiaofang, that is, the school), and salutes every month from the doctor or below.

After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, more emphasis was placed on Shidian rituals, and this ritual system became more complete.In the second year of Tang Wude (619 A.D.), Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan ordered the construction of Zhougong Temple and Confucius Temple in Guozixue, and sacrifices were held in four seasons throughout the year.Schools in prefectures and counties are presided over by doctors.After Tang Taizong ascended the throne, he re-regulated the candidates for the priests: Guozixue took Guozi Jijiu as the first offering, Siye as the second offering, and a doctor as the final offering; Zhouxue took the governor as the first offering, Shangzuo (generally refers to The subordinate officials of the prefects and county magistrates) are Yaxian, and the doctor is the final dedication; the county school uses the county magistrate as the initial dedication, the county magistrate (as the county magistrate’s assistant) is the Yaxian, the master book (handle the documents, handle affairs) and the county magistrate Wei (in charge of a county's military) is also the final dedication.And use it as a fixed system.Sacrifice refers to offering sacrifices. Those who are eligible to offer sacrifices at the libation ceremony are, of course, the priests.The beginning, the second, and the end are the order in which the sacrifices are arranged.In fact, state and county schools were presided over by state and county magistrates, and the government intervened in the ceremony of the school, which shows that the Tang Dynasty government attached great importance to schools and the cultivation of talents.In the sacrificial words made by the son of the country when offering sacrifices, he must claim that he was sent by the emperor to salute on his behalf.During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, it was changed to Shidian in spring and autumn. Guozixue and Zhouxue still offered sacrifices, and county schools only offered wine and preserved (dried meat).When Guozixue saluted, he began to join in the joy of palace suspension, and the scale of etiquette was expanded. In addition to instructors, Guozijian students, Tai students, etc., civil and military officials, monks and Taoists, and ordinary people also went to pay homage.The objects of the sacrifice were also added 22 sages including Zuoqiu Ming by Confucius and Yan Hui, and arranged their seats. The ten disciples are Yan Yuan, Min Ziqian (loss), Ran Boniu (geng), Ran Zhonggong (yong), Zai Ziwo (yu), Duanmu Zigong (gift), Ran Ziyou (begging), Zhongzilu (you), Yan Ziyou (Yan) and Bu Zixia (Shang) are on the side.Later, Yan Yuan was sacrificed to Confucius, and Zeng Shen was promoted; Zeng Shen was sacrificed again, and Zhuan Zhuan's grandson Zhang (teacher) was promoted to one of the ten philosophers.At the same time, 70 disciples and 22 sages of Confucius were painted on the walls of the Confucius Temple.After entering the Song Dynasty, in addition to Yan Yuan and Zeng Shen, Zisi and Meng Ke were added to the Confucius Temple.In later generations, You Ruo and Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty were added to the "Ten Philosophers", forming the "Twelve Philosophers".The etiquette system of the school has not changed much since then.

There is also a special etiquette for the crown prince in the release ceremony-the release ceremony of the crown prince.The ceremony is divided into fasting, displaying, going out of the palace, offering gifts, giving lectures, returning to the palace, etc. Before the crown prince pays homage to Confucius, he must fast for three days and fast for two days.All the officials who accompanied him to attend the libation also had to fast for five days.Even the academic officials and the Imperial College students also fasted before the Crown Prince Shidian.Three days before the ceremony, the government, Guozijian and related officials got busy in the Guozijian and the Confucian Temple. First, they had to set up curtains for the crown prince in the east of the temple and behind the school, and also set up a temporary resting place for civil and military courtiers and other officials. Tents used; then Chen Fang chimes, chime bells, 镈 [bobo] and other musical instruments and ritual vessels, and sent people to clean carefully to fill up the potholes; the butcher (butcher) killed the animal and took the blood to store it in the Beans, and then cook and sacrifice animals; the first teacher and the first holy spirit are located in the school.Two days before the crown prince left the palace, the East Palace (the residence of the prince) also began to be busy, not only to prepare a dress and a car for him, but also to prepare guards of honor and guards.Giving and enjoying is the main ceremony of the crown prince's release ceremony. On the day of the memorial service, before dawn, the officials and students participating in the activity waited in the prison with their clothes on.After the crown prince arrived at the Guozijian, he rested in the tent for a while, then accepted the worship of everyone, and then went out of the tent to pay homage to the sages and teachers in turn.After the sacrifice, the crown prince went back to the tent to change his clothes, and then he and the students listened to the scriptures and scriptures taught by officials, lectures by attendants, and reading scriptures together with the students.After all these ceremonies and activities were over, the crown prince returned to the palace.Before leaving, the drums and music sounded together, and the son of the country offered wine and led the officials and students to salute and see him off.

In addition to the crown prince, the emperors of many dynasties personally went to the Guozijian and the Confucian Temple to perform the funeral ceremony, and conferred posthumous titles and honorary titles on Confucius.Its grand scale, solemn ceremony, and luxurious furnishings are far beyond the comparison of the school's memorial ceremony.