Chapter 2 Chapter One: Origin and Formation of Etiquette and Custom
The etiquette and customs that formed a system in ancient my country were in the Zhou Dynasty, but their origin can be traced back to the ancient primitive society.The chapter "Liyun" in the famous book of Rites, "Book of Rites", once made a general description of the origin of rituals: "At the beginning of the rituals, there are all kinds of food and drink. , separate] dolphin, pollute the respect and drink [pou], and [kui] 桴 [fu] and earthen drums, as if you can pay respect to ghosts and gods." This passage describes the ancient primitive society People eat millet and split pork pieces roasted on burning stones, dig holes in the ground as wine bottles and drink with their hands, and tie drumsticks with thatch stems to beat Tsukiji earthen drums. This is used to express sacrifices to ghosts and gods.This is the gift at that time.From the perspective of philology, the earliest written form of "Li" is (Pazi Bachangkou),
It is like holding two pieces of jade with utensils and offering them to ghosts and gods, which is a reflection of early human sacrificial activities. "Shuowen Jiezi" also interprets "ritual" as: "Live, so serving God brings blessings." It is believed that ritual is related to the activities of "serving God".According to the examination of anthropological and ethnological materials, the etiquette and customs of primitive society are indeed related to the sacrificial activities of primitive religion.
In primitive society, social productivity was very low, and human beings' understanding of the whole world was still in an extremely ignorant state.Primitive people are often bewildered in front of nature. They know almost nothing about the movement of the sun and the moon, the distribution of mountains and rivers, wind, rain, thunder and lightning, diseases, plagues, various animal disasters, and natural disasters.Because of the fear of natural forces and doubts about various physiological phenomena, a kind of ignorant worship has arisen.For example, wind and rain are natural phenomena, but because they mistakenly believe that there is a supernatural force dominating it, they have a mentality of praying to the rain god, and adopt pious rain-praying activities that they think are effective.Similarly, when it comes to human illness and death, once it happens, they think that they have offended some gods or some ghosts, so they adopt some witchcraft activities of praying for gods and expelling ghosts.In addition, the ceremony is held first when hunting, there are taboos in life, and divination is required before the battle.In this way, etiquette and customs came into being with the emergence of primitive religion.
The essence of primitive religion is the worship of various incomprehensible things.In addition to the worship of nature, there are animal and plant worship, ghost worship, ancestor worship, totem worship, and spiritual worship.Primitive etiquette and customs are mainly manifested in the sacrificial activities of these worship objects.The various sacrifices of primitive people have their reasons and purposes.For example, offering sacrifices to the sun, moon, and stars in the sky is to admire; offering sacrifices to the gold, wood, water, fire, and earth underground is to multiply wealth; offering sacrifices to the earth, famous mountains, rivers, and lakes is because they have products.In short, the worshiped natural objects are useful to people, so people worship them.This also includes positive requirements on how to maintain a good harvest, auspiciousness, success and development.Most of the sacrificial activities are to obtain the blessing of the object of worship, so as to eliminate disasters and disasters.For example, some primitive tribes worshiped the sun god in ancient times. In order to avoid the fear of the night, they prayed that the sun would always stay in the world.When there was a solar eclipse, they thought that the sun was going to die, so they panicked, so they stuck burning charcoal on the arrow and shot towards the sky, thinking that this would bring the sun back to life.Some tribes even have the custom of seeing a solar eclipse as the day of sacrifice.Killing people for sacrifices reflects the ignorance and barbarism of primitive etiquette, but this etiquette has a very ancient origin and has been handed down for a long time.Judging from the burial pits unearthed at the Yin Ruins in Anyang, Henan Province, in addition to the fact that dozens or hundreds of people were often buried as slave owners and aristocrats when they died, people were also sacrificed in every sacrificial activity.According to ethnological data, the Wa people also had the custom of killing people and offering sacrifices to heaven in the past.Every year before the spring plowing, the Wa tribe often hunts for a head in other villages by fighting with weapons.Then the headman solemnly held the head and buried it in the field devoutly before starting spring plowing, thinking that this would bless the harvest.
In primitive religion, totem worship is an important form. The word "totem" is a dialect of the Ojishiwa Indians in North America, meaning "his relatives".Totem belief believes that there is a special blood relationship between human beings and some kind of animal, plant or inanimate, and each clan originates from a certain kind of animal, plant or inanimate.This kind of totem is the ancestor and patron saint of the clan, and it is also the emblem, sign and symbol of the clan.Because of totem worship, many related rituals and customs have also emerged.Although there are not many archaeological materials about totem worship, there are many records of totem worship in ancient legends and stories, and many backward peoples in modern times have preserved many "living fossils" of totem worship.For example, in Oroqen, Ewenki and other ethnic groups, there was a custom of worshiping bears.After they killed a bear during the hunt, they pretended to cry on the way back to their residence.When they arrive at the tribe, all the men will come out to greet them, shouting "the king of the forest is coming", and scrambling to kiss the bear to show their respect.When eating meat, they should shout in unison: "It is the crows that eat your meat, not the Ewenki people." After eating the bear meat, a bear burial ceremony will be held.People wrap the bear bones in grass or arrange them on wicker fences, carry them into the forest, and place them between two trees for wind burial.Mourners should pretend to be sad and cry, and the elderly should lead the young people to kneel down, offer cigarettes to the bear, kowtow, and pray to the bear.
The connection between primitive etiquette and worship is also manifested in taboos.For example, since human beings are able to use fire and know how to use fire, they always regard fire as a good thing. Once fire is lost, great difficulties will occur in life.Therefore, I have a special feeling for fire, for fear of offending it.So there are many worships and taboos around fire, and these worships and taboos still exist in some ethnic minorities until modern times.The Hezhen people are not allowed to scold the fire, step over the fire, or squat on top of the fire. Women cannot squat facing the stove door when they are burning a fire. God, move your feet."In addition, when you meet a burning fire when you go out, you have to kowtow to show respect.
However, etiquette and customs were still fragmented and blind in primitive society and the early stage of class society, and were at the beginning stage.However, this is indeed the source of etiquette and customs, and it laid a preliminary foundation for the formation of a complete set of etiquette and customs in the future.
The formation of etiquette and customs is the result of the joint action of many factors.In the period of primitive society, primitive religious worship played a major role, but after entering class society, the strengthening of etiquette by rulers and the advocacy of etiquette by ancient thinkers became the most important driving force for the formation of etiquette and customs.
The "Book of Rites·Li Yun" records a passage from Confucius: "Husband Li, the former king used the way of inheriting heaven and governing people's feelings, so those who lose it will die, and those who gain it will live... This is the old husband's ritual. In the sky, confused (xiao confused) in the earth, listed in ghosts and gods, reached in funeral, sacrifice, shooting, royal, crown, faint (marriage), court, engagement. Therefore, the sages show it with rituals, so the countries of the world can get it and be righteous Also." Confucius emphasized the importance of "rituals" here, and believed that rituals are derived from heaven, imitated by the earth, cooperated with ghosts and gods, and implemented in funerals, sacrifices, archery, driving, crowning, marriage, court meetings, appointments, etc. in social activities.Only by following the etiquette can people be governed and the world be governed well.Xunzi said more clearly: "Man's life is in the sky, and the country's life is in rituals." ("Xunzi·Strengthening the Country") Since rituals play such an important role in the country's order and chaos, the ruler will of course try his best to establish the ritual system and improve etiquette. Make it a powerful tool for maintaining hierarchical order.
According to the records of "Zhou Li", the Zhou Dynasty specially set up the official positions Da Zongbo and Xiao Zongbo to manage the etiquette system.Under Zong Bo, there are Si Shi, Yu Ren, Chang [chang] Ren, Ji Ren, Si Zunyi, Si Jiyan, Tianfu, Dianrui, Dianming, Sifu, Diansi, and Shouzhen [tiao] Officials such as Shi Fu, Nei Zong, and Wai Zong are in charge of sacrifices; officials such as the tomb man, tomb doctor, and official funeral are in charge of funerals; Officials such as Shi, Zhongshi, Shengshi, and Sigan are in charge of music and dance; officials such as towel car, car servant, and Sichang are in charge of the car flag; officials such as Dabu, Dazhu, Siwu, and Dashi lead their own The subordinates perform their own duties and form a large number of etiquette institutions.
Because the rulers attached great importance to the etiquette system, and there were full-time officials to manage the etiquette, the etiquette in the Zhou Dynasty was quite systematic and complete. According to the "Book of Rites", there were only 300 kinds of big rites, while there were as many as 3,000 kinds of small rites. .Although the many etiquettes are very complicated, they can be roughly divided into five categories, that is, the "five rituals" of auspicious, inauspicious, military, guest, and honorable mentions in "Zhou Li".
Auspicious ceremony is the ceremony of sacrifice.The ancients believed that heaven and earth, ancestral temples, and gods were related to the prosperity of the country and the continuation of the clan, so they ranked first among the five rituals.Auspicious ceremonies are generally divided into three categories according to the scale of sacrifices: large sacrifices, middle sacrifices, and small sacrifices.Great sacrifices, including sacrifices to heaven, earth, ancestral temples, five emperors, emperors and empresses, are the most solemn rituals in ancient sacrificial activities. Unless there are special circumstances, emperors must personally participate in the sacrifices.Middle sacrifices are sacrifices to society, millet, sun, moon, stars, Yue, town, sea, du, Dishe, Xianshen (the god of educating the people and raising silkworms), Wenxuan, King Wucheng and ancient emperors, etc., generally by The emperor sent high-ranking officials to offer sacrifices.Small sacrificial priests, priests, ministers, ministers, ministers, masters of wind, rain masters, spirit stars, mountains and forests, rivers and lakes, Sihan, Mazu, Xianmu, Mabu, Sheji of prefectures and counties, etc., officials sent by the emperor Chief priest; local sacrificial activities are also minor sacrifices.
Fierce ceremony, that is, the ceremony of funeral catastrophe.It can be divided into five categories: funeral ceremony, which is the etiquette of mourning the dead; famine ceremony, which means that when famine and epidemics [li severe] occur in a certain area, the emperor and his officials express their sympathy by reducing meals and withdrawing music; Li means that when floods, droughts, wind and fire disasters occur in the vassal states or allies, the emperor and the officials send envoys to express their condolences; Property means compensating for its losses; Compassion means that when a country suffers foreign aggression or civil strife, its neighbors should give support and assistance.
Military salute is an etiquette system closely related to the military.It can also be divided into five categories: Master Ritual, which refers to the conquest activities of the emperor or princes, including ancestral temple counseling, ordering generals to send troops, carrying the lord on expeditions, triumphantly presenting captives, etc.; Datian ceremony, which refers to the regular hunting activities of the emperor and princes, which is essentially training soldiers military exercises; Da Jun Li, refers to the emperor in Ji [ji machine], and the princes in the closed country to check the household registration and collect taxes; Da Gong Li, refers to various construction projects initiated by the state; Da Feng Li, refers to surveying and assigning various The border between fiefdoms.
Bin etiquette mainly refers to the etiquette that should be followed between the emperor of Zhou and the princes.Its content is divided into eight categories: Chao, Zong, Jin, Yu, Hui, Tong, Wen, and Shi.The first four categories are related to the etiquette of the princes meeting the emperor in different seasons. The etiquette of meeting in spring is called "chao", the meeting in summer is called "zong", the meeting in autumn is called "jin", and the meeting in winter is called "yu".Meeting ceremony refers to when the emperor finds that a certain vassal country is not tame, he will gather with other countries to raise teachers to ask the crime. Because there is no fixed date, it is also called "time meeting".If the emperor has not been on tour for 12 years, the princes of the four directions will come to the court together, which is called Tongli.Asking the ceremony refers to the fact that the princes send their officials as envoys to meet the emperor from time to time, and ask for a salute.According to ritual, the feudal lords send officials at the first level of the minister as envoys to meet the emperor every three years.In addition, the dowry gifts for contact and exchanges between various princes and states are also part of the guest gifts.
Jiali is the etiquette in festive activities.It can be divided into six categories: eating ceremony, that is, the drinking ceremony and eating ceremony of nobles and common people at all levels; wedding crown ceremony, including public crown ceremony, scholar crown ceremony and wedding ceremony; , Different etiquettes followed according to rank; Xian [xiangxiang] Yan Li, that is, the ceremony of the banquet; Shen Fan [shen fan Shenfan] ceremony is the etiquette of distributing the sacrificial meat to the assistants after the ceremony; congratulatory ceremony, It is the etiquette to congratulate on a festive event.
The above-mentioned "five rites" are mainly the general situation of the etiquette system formulated by the Zhou Dynasty, and the specific etiquette has been revised according to changes in social conditions in subsequent generations.However, it can be seen from Zhou Li that the etiquette system has penetrated into all aspects of social life as early as the pre-Qin period. There is a whole set of etiquette rules that can be followed in the interpersonal communication between the common people, the commoners, the traffickers and the pawns, as well as weddings and funerals, welcoming guests, behaviors, and speech responses.As long as people follow this system of etiquette and keep their positions, they can distinguish between high and low, old and young, rich and poor, and the relationship between monarch and minister, father and son, brother, etc. can be established, and there will be no social turmoil. situation.Therefore, Confucian scholars who hope for social stability also vigorously advocate the rule of ritual and promote etiquette.
Confucius once taught his son Boyu: "If you don't learn the rites, you can't stand." ("The Analects of Confucius·Ji") thinks that it is difficult for people who don't learn the rites to gain a foothold in society.Because Confucius attached great importance to etiquette, he regarded etiquette as a special course when teaching students, and included it in the "six arts" and ranked first.Confucius was an outstanding educator in ancient times. At that time, he had 3,000 disciples. He was later honored as the most holy teacher. He had a huge influence in ancient society.Therefore, Confucius' advocacy of etiquette undoubtedly promoted the formation of the atmosphere of learning, speaking, and performing etiquette.
In addition, there are a large number of classics on etiquette in ancient my country for people to learn and use.The earliest three ritual books that we can see today, "Zhou Li", "Yi Li", and "Book of Rites", were written in the Warring States and Western Han Dynasties, and recorded the etiquette before the Qin and Han Dynasties in detail.After these three books were successively designated as classics by the feudal emperors, scholars of all dynasties continued to study them, and wrote many works such as annotations and proofs.In addition to the etiquette books compiled by the courtiers and scribes of the past dynasties, as well as the etiquette codes in the history books, the etiquette literature is really overwhelming.
In short, due to the strengthening of the etiquette system by the rulers, the advocacy of etiquette by scholars of letters, the education of etiquette in schools, and the practice of etiquette in society day after day and year after year, etiquette gradually integrates into people's daily life. Life has become a norm for everyone to behave in the world and has been passed down from generation to generation, so etiquette has become a custom.Once these etiquettes and customs are formed, they have invisible moral power, become the standard for people to judge right and wrong, and play the role of unwritten laws.Ancient rituals and customs are mixed with good and bad, but as a traditional culture, it also has a profound impact on modern society.Therefore, when we discuss ancient etiquette and customs, we should hold a critical and inherited attitude, discard the dross and extract the essence.
Notes:
It is like holding two pieces of jade with utensils and offering them to ghosts and gods, which is a reflection of early human sacrificial activities. "Shuowen Jiezi" also interprets "ritual" as: "Live, so serving God brings blessings." It is believed that ritual is related to the activities of "serving God".According to the examination of anthropological and ethnological materials, the etiquette and customs of primitive society are indeed related to the sacrificial activities of primitive religion.
In primitive society, social productivity was very low, and human beings' understanding of the whole world was still in an extremely ignorant state.Primitive people are often bewildered in front of nature. They know almost nothing about the movement of the sun and the moon, the distribution of mountains and rivers, wind, rain, thunder and lightning, diseases, plagues, various animal disasters, and natural disasters.Because of the fear of natural forces and doubts about various physiological phenomena, a kind of ignorant worship has arisen.For example, wind and rain are natural phenomena, but because they mistakenly believe that there is a supernatural force dominating it, they have a mentality of praying to the rain god, and adopt pious rain-praying activities that they think are effective.Similarly, when it comes to human illness and death, once it happens, they think that they have offended some gods or some ghosts, so they adopt some witchcraft activities of praying for gods and expelling ghosts.In addition, the ceremony is held first when hunting, there are taboos in life, and divination is required before the battle.In this way, etiquette and customs came into being with the emergence of primitive religion.
The essence of primitive religion is the worship of various incomprehensible things.In addition to the worship of nature, there are animal and plant worship, ghost worship, ancestor worship, totem worship, and spiritual worship.Primitive etiquette and customs are mainly manifested in the sacrificial activities of these worship objects.The various sacrifices of primitive people have their reasons and purposes.For example, offering sacrifices to the sun, moon, and stars in the sky is to admire; offering sacrifices to the gold, wood, water, fire, and earth underground is to multiply wealth; offering sacrifices to the earth, famous mountains, rivers, and lakes is because they have products.In short, the worshiped natural objects are useful to people, so people worship them.This also includes positive requirements on how to maintain a good harvest, auspiciousness, success and development.Most of the sacrificial activities are to obtain the blessing of the object of worship, so as to eliminate disasters and disasters.For example, some primitive tribes worshiped the sun god in ancient times. In order to avoid the fear of the night, they prayed that the sun would always stay in the world.When there was a solar eclipse, they thought that the sun was going to die, so they panicked, so they stuck burning charcoal on the arrow and shot towards the sky, thinking that this would bring the sun back to life.Some tribes even have the custom of seeing a solar eclipse as the day of sacrifice.Killing people for sacrifices reflects the ignorance and barbarism of primitive etiquette, but this etiquette has a very ancient origin and has been handed down for a long time.Judging from the burial pits unearthed at the Yin Ruins in Anyang, Henan Province, in addition to the fact that dozens or hundreds of people were often buried as slave owners and aristocrats when they died, people were also sacrificed in every sacrificial activity.According to ethnological data, the Wa people also had the custom of killing people and offering sacrifices to heaven in the past.Every year before the spring plowing, the Wa tribe often hunts for a head in other villages by fighting with weapons.Then the headman solemnly held the head and buried it in the field devoutly before starting spring plowing, thinking that this would bless the harvest.
In primitive religion, totem worship is an important form. The word "totem" is a dialect of the Ojishiwa Indians in North America, meaning "his relatives".Totem belief believes that there is a special blood relationship between human beings and some kind of animal, plant or inanimate, and each clan originates from a certain kind of animal, plant or inanimate.This kind of totem is the ancestor and patron saint of the clan, and it is also the emblem, sign and symbol of the clan.Because of totem worship, many related rituals and customs have also emerged.Although there are not many archaeological materials about totem worship, there are many records of totem worship in ancient legends and stories, and many backward peoples in modern times have preserved many "living fossils" of totem worship.For example, in Oroqen, Ewenki and other ethnic groups, there was a custom of worshiping bears.After they killed a bear during the hunt, they pretended to cry on the way back to their residence.When they arrive at the tribe, all the men will come out to greet them, shouting "the king of the forest is coming", and scrambling to kiss the bear to show their respect.When eating meat, they should shout in unison: "It is the crows that eat your meat, not the Ewenki people." After eating the bear meat, a bear burial ceremony will be held.People wrap the bear bones in grass or arrange them on wicker fences, carry them into the forest, and place them between two trees for wind burial.Mourners should pretend to be sad and cry, and the elderly should lead the young people to kneel down, offer cigarettes to the bear, kowtow, and pray to the bear.
The connection between primitive etiquette and worship is also manifested in taboos.For example, since human beings are able to use fire and know how to use fire, they always regard fire as a good thing. Once fire is lost, great difficulties will occur in life.Therefore, I have a special feeling for fire, for fear of offending it.So there are many worships and taboos around fire, and these worships and taboos still exist in some ethnic minorities until modern times.The Hezhen people are not allowed to scold the fire, step over the fire, or squat on top of the fire. Women cannot squat facing the stove door when they are burning a fire. God, move your feet."In addition, when you meet a burning fire when you go out, you have to kowtow to show respect.
However, etiquette and customs were still fragmented and blind in primitive society and the early stage of class society, and were at the beginning stage.However, this is indeed the source of etiquette and customs, and it laid a preliminary foundation for the formation of a complete set of etiquette and customs in the future.
The formation of etiquette and customs is the result of the joint action of many factors.In the period of primitive society, primitive religious worship played a major role, but after entering class society, the strengthening of etiquette by rulers and the advocacy of etiquette by ancient thinkers became the most important driving force for the formation of etiquette and customs.
The "Book of Rites·Li Yun" records a passage from Confucius: "Husband Li, the former king used the way of inheriting heaven and governing people's feelings, so those who lose it will die, and those who gain it will live... This is the old husband's ritual. In the sky, confused (xiao confused) in the earth, listed in ghosts and gods, reached in funeral, sacrifice, shooting, royal, crown, faint (marriage), court, engagement. Therefore, the sages show it with rituals, so the countries of the world can get it and be righteous Also." Confucius emphasized the importance of "rituals" here, and believed that rituals are derived from heaven, imitated by the earth, cooperated with ghosts and gods, and implemented in funerals, sacrifices, archery, driving, crowning, marriage, court meetings, appointments, etc. in social activities.Only by following the etiquette can people be governed and the world be governed well.Xunzi said more clearly: "Man's life is in the sky, and the country's life is in rituals." ("Xunzi·Strengthening the Country") Since rituals play such an important role in the country's order and chaos, the ruler will of course try his best to establish the ritual system and improve etiquette. Make it a powerful tool for maintaining hierarchical order.
According to the records of "Zhou Li", the Zhou Dynasty specially set up the official positions Da Zongbo and Xiao Zongbo to manage the etiquette system.Under Zong Bo, there are Si Shi, Yu Ren, Chang [chang] Ren, Ji Ren, Si Zunyi, Si Jiyan, Tianfu, Dianrui, Dianming, Sifu, Diansi, and Shouzhen [tiao] Officials such as Shi Fu, Nei Zong, and Wai Zong are in charge of sacrifices; officials such as the tomb man, tomb doctor, and official funeral are in charge of funerals; Officials such as Shi, Zhongshi, Shengshi, and Sigan are in charge of music and dance; officials such as towel car, car servant, and Sichang are in charge of the car flag; officials such as Dabu, Dazhu, Siwu, and Dashi lead their own The subordinates perform their own duties and form a large number of etiquette institutions.
Because the rulers attached great importance to the etiquette system, and there were full-time officials to manage the etiquette, the etiquette in the Zhou Dynasty was quite systematic and complete. According to the "Book of Rites", there were only 300 kinds of big rites, while there were as many as 3,000 kinds of small rites. .Although the many etiquettes are very complicated, they can be roughly divided into five categories, that is, the "five rituals" of auspicious, inauspicious, military, guest, and honorable mentions in "Zhou Li".
Auspicious ceremony is the ceremony of sacrifice.The ancients believed that heaven and earth, ancestral temples, and gods were related to the prosperity of the country and the continuation of the clan, so they ranked first among the five rituals.Auspicious ceremonies are generally divided into three categories according to the scale of sacrifices: large sacrifices, middle sacrifices, and small sacrifices.Great sacrifices, including sacrifices to heaven, earth, ancestral temples, five emperors, emperors and empresses, are the most solemn rituals in ancient sacrificial activities. Unless there are special circumstances, emperors must personally participate in the sacrifices.Middle sacrifices are sacrifices to society, millet, sun, moon, stars, Yue, town, sea, du, Dishe, Xianshen (the god of educating the people and raising silkworms), Wenxuan, King Wucheng and ancient emperors, etc., generally by The emperor sent high-ranking officials to offer sacrifices.Small sacrificial priests, priests, ministers, ministers, ministers, masters of wind, rain masters, spirit stars, mountains and forests, rivers and lakes, Sihan, Mazu, Xianmu, Mabu, Sheji of prefectures and counties, etc., officials sent by the emperor Chief priest; local sacrificial activities are also minor sacrifices.
Fierce ceremony, that is, the ceremony of funeral catastrophe.It can be divided into five categories: funeral ceremony, which is the etiquette of mourning the dead; famine ceremony, which means that when famine and epidemics [li severe] occur in a certain area, the emperor and his officials express their sympathy by reducing meals and withdrawing music; Li means that when floods, droughts, wind and fire disasters occur in the vassal states or allies, the emperor and the officials send envoys to express their condolences; Property means compensating for its losses; Compassion means that when a country suffers foreign aggression or civil strife, its neighbors should give support and assistance.
Military salute is an etiquette system closely related to the military.It can also be divided into five categories: Master Ritual, which refers to the conquest activities of the emperor or princes, including ancestral temple counseling, ordering generals to send troops, carrying the lord on expeditions, triumphantly presenting captives, etc.; Datian ceremony, which refers to the regular hunting activities of the emperor and princes, which is essentially training soldiers military exercises; Da Jun Li, refers to the emperor in Ji [ji machine], and the princes in the closed country to check the household registration and collect taxes; Da Gong Li, refers to various construction projects initiated by the state; Da Feng Li, refers to surveying and assigning various The border between fiefdoms.
Bin etiquette mainly refers to the etiquette that should be followed between the emperor of Zhou and the princes.Its content is divided into eight categories: Chao, Zong, Jin, Yu, Hui, Tong, Wen, and Shi.The first four categories are related to the etiquette of the princes meeting the emperor in different seasons. The etiquette of meeting in spring is called "chao", the meeting in summer is called "zong", the meeting in autumn is called "jin", and the meeting in winter is called "yu".Meeting ceremony refers to when the emperor finds that a certain vassal country is not tame, he will gather with other countries to raise teachers to ask the crime. Because there is no fixed date, it is also called "time meeting".If the emperor has not been on tour for 12 years, the princes of the four directions will come to the court together, which is called Tongli.Asking the ceremony refers to the fact that the princes send their officials as envoys to meet the emperor from time to time, and ask for a salute.According to ritual, the feudal lords send officials at the first level of the minister as envoys to meet the emperor every three years.In addition, the dowry gifts for contact and exchanges between various princes and states are also part of the guest gifts.
Jiali is the etiquette in festive activities.It can be divided into six categories: eating ceremony, that is, the drinking ceremony and eating ceremony of nobles and common people at all levels; wedding crown ceremony, including public crown ceremony, scholar crown ceremony and wedding ceremony; , Different etiquettes followed according to rank; Xian [xiangxiang] Yan Li, that is, the ceremony of the banquet; Shen Fan [shen fan Shenfan] ceremony is the etiquette of distributing the sacrificial meat to the assistants after the ceremony; congratulatory ceremony, It is the etiquette to congratulate on a festive event.
The above-mentioned "five rites" are mainly the general situation of the etiquette system formulated by the Zhou Dynasty, and the specific etiquette has been revised according to changes in social conditions in subsequent generations.However, it can be seen from Zhou Li that the etiquette system has penetrated into all aspects of social life as early as the pre-Qin period. There is a whole set of etiquette rules that can be followed in the interpersonal communication between the common people, the commoners, the traffickers and the pawns, as well as weddings and funerals, welcoming guests, behaviors, and speech responses.As long as people follow this system of etiquette and keep their positions, they can distinguish between high and low, old and young, rich and poor, and the relationship between monarch and minister, father and son, brother, etc. can be established, and there will be no social turmoil. situation.Therefore, Confucian scholars who hope for social stability also vigorously advocate the rule of ritual and promote etiquette.
Confucius once taught his son Boyu: "If you don't learn the rites, you can't stand." ("The Analects of Confucius·Ji") thinks that it is difficult for people who don't learn the rites to gain a foothold in society.Because Confucius attached great importance to etiquette, he regarded etiquette as a special course when teaching students, and included it in the "six arts" and ranked first.Confucius was an outstanding educator in ancient times. At that time, he had 3,000 disciples. He was later honored as the most holy teacher. He had a huge influence in ancient society.Therefore, Confucius' advocacy of etiquette undoubtedly promoted the formation of the atmosphere of learning, speaking, and performing etiquette.
In addition, there are a large number of classics on etiquette in ancient my country for people to learn and use.The earliest three ritual books that we can see today, "Zhou Li", "Yi Li", and "Book of Rites", were written in the Warring States and Western Han Dynasties, and recorded the etiquette before the Qin and Han Dynasties in detail.After these three books were successively designated as classics by the feudal emperors, scholars of all dynasties continued to study them, and wrote many works such as annotations and proofs.In addition to the etiquette books compiled by the courtiers and scribes of the past dynasties, as well as the etiquette codes in the history books, the etiquette literature is really overwhelming.
In short, due to the strengthening of the etiquette system by the rulers, the advocacy of etiquette by scholars of letters, the education of etiquette in schools, and the practice of etiquette in society day after day and year after year, etiquette gradually integrates into people's daily life. Life has become a norm for everyone to behave in the world and has been passed down from generation to generation, so etiquette has become a custom.Once these etiquettes and customs are formed, they have invisible moral power, become the standard for people to judge right and wrong, and play the role of unwritten laws.Ancient rituals and customs are mixed with good and bad, but as a traditional culture, it also has a profound impact on modern society.Therefore, when we discuss ancient etiquette and customs, we should hold a critical and inherited attitude, discard the dross and extract the essence.
Notes: