Book of Rites

Not to be confused with Book of Rights.

The Book of Rites, also known as the Liji, is a collection of texts describing the social forms, administration, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty as they were understood in the Warring States and the early Han periods. The Book of Rites, along with the Rites of Zhou (Zhōulǐ) and the Book of Etiquette and Rites (Yílǐ), which are together known as the "Three Li (Sānlǐ)," constitute the ritual (lǐ) section of the Five Classics which lay at the core of the traditional Confucian canon (each of the "five" classics is a group of works rather than a single text). As a core text of the Confucian canon, it is also known as the Classic of Rites or Lijing, which some scholars believe was the original title before it was changed by Dai Sheng.

Book of Rites
An annotated version of the Book of Rites, dated before 907
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	禮記
Simplified Chinese	礼记
Literal meaning	"Record of Rites"
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lǐjì Wade–Giles Li3-chi4 IPA [lì tɕî] Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Láih-gei Jyutping Lai5 gei3 IPA [lɐj˩˧ kej˧] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Lé-kì Middle Chinese Middle Chinese Léj-kì Old Chinese Baxter–Sagart (2014) *Rˤijʔ krə-s
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	禮經
Simplified Chinese	礼经
Literal meaning	Rites Classic
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lǐjīng Wade–Giles Li3-ching1 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization láih gīng Jyutping lai5 ging1 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Lé-keng Tâi-lô Lé-king
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese	Kinh Lễ
Hán-Nôm	經禮
Korean name
Hangul	예기
Hanja	禮記
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Yegi
Japanese name
Kanji	礼記
Hiragana	らいき
Transcriptions Romanization Raiki

History

The Book of Rites is a diverse collection of texts of uncertain origin and date that lacks the overall structure found in the other "rites" texts (the Rites of Zhou and the Etiquette and Ceremonial). Some sections consist of definitions of ritual terms, particularly those found in the Etiquette and Ceremonial, while others contain details of the life and teachings of Confucius. Parts of the text have been traced to such pre-Han works as the Xunzi and Lüshi Chunqiu, while others are believed to date from the Former Han period.

During the reign of Qin Shihuang, many of the Confucian classics were destroyed during the 213 BC "Burning of the Books." However, the Qin dynasty collapsed within the decade and Confucian scholars who had memorized the classics, or hid written copies recompiled them in the early Han dynasty. The Book of Rites was said to have been fully reconstructed, but the Classic of Music could not be recompiled and fragments principally survive in the "Record of Music" (Yueji) chapter of the Book of Rites.

Since then, other scholars have attempted to redact these first drafts. According to the Book of Sui, Dai De reworked the text in the 1st century BC, reducing the original 214 books to 85 in the "Ritual Records of Dai the Elder" (大戴禮記 Dà Dài Lǐjì), his nephew Dai Sheng further reduced this to 46 books in the "Ritual Records of Dai the Younger" (小戴禮記 Xiǎo Dài Lǐjì), and finally Ma Rong added three books to this bringing the total to 49. Later scholarship has disputed the Book of Sui's account as there is no reliable evidence to attribute these revisions to either Dai De or Dai Sheng, although both of them were Confucian scholars specialising in various texts concerning li.

At this time, these texts were still being edited, with new script and old script versions circulating, and the content not yet fixed. When Zheng Xuan, a student of Ma Rong, composed his annotated text of the Rites he combined all of the traditions of ritual learning to create a fixed edition of the 49 books which are the standard to this day. Zheng Xuan's annotated edition of the Rites became the basis of the "Right Meaning of the Ritual Records" (禮記正義 Lǐjì Zhèngyì) which was the imperially authorised text and commentary on the Rites established in 653 AD.

In 1993, a copy of the "Black Robes" chapter was found in Tomb 1 of the Guodian Tombs in Jingmen, Hubei. Since the tomb was sealed around 300 BCE, the find reactivated academic arguments about the dating of the other Liji chapters by the Warring States period.

“Li”

Confucius described “Li” as all traditional forms that provided a standard of conduct. “Li” literally means "rites" but it can also be used to refer to "ceremonial" or "rules of conduct.” The term has come to generally be associated with "good form,” "decorum" or "politeness.” Confucius felt that “li” should emphasize the spirit of piety and respect for others through rules of conduct and ceremonies. As outlined in the “Book of Rites,” “li” is meant to restore the significance of traditional forms by looking at the simplicity of the past. Confucius insisted that a standard of conduct that focused on traditional forms would be a way to ease the turmoil of collapsing Zhou state. The absolute power of “li” is displayed in the “Book of Rites”: "Of all things to which the people owe their lives the rites are the most important..." The ideas of “li” were thought to become closely associated with human nature, ethics, and social order as the population integrated “li” into their lives. “Li” is beneficial to society because it guides people to recognize and fulfill their responsibilities toward others.

Legacy

As a result of the Book of Rites' chapters, using a syncretic system later scholars formed both the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean. These two books were both believed to be written by two of Confucius' disciples; one specifically being his grandson. The Neo-Confucian Zhu Xi and his edited versions of the Great Learning and the Doctrine of the Mean influenced the Chinese society to place much more attention on these and two other books creating the Four Books. Following the decision of the Yuan dynasty (followed by the Ming and Qing) to make the Five Classics and the Four Books the orthodox texts of the Confucian traditions, they were the standard textbooks for the state civil examination, from 1313 to 1905, which every educated person had to study intensively. Consequently, the Book of Rites and two of its by-products were large integral parts of the Chinese beliefs and industry for many centuries.

Comparisons

The Han Feizi's editor (W.K. Liao 1939) contrasts the Han Feizi's chapter six with the Book of Rites (Li Ki), taking some of the chapter's content as "diametrically opposed to the Confucian spirit", and the "Great Community of Confucius." The Han Feizi has elements that would be compared with the Daodejing.

Contents

Table of contents

##	Chinese	Pinyin	Translation
01-02	曲禮上下	Qūlǐ	Summary of the Rules of Propriety Part 1 & 2
03-04	檀弓上下	Tángōng	Tangong Part 1 & 2
05	王制	Wángzhì	Royal Regulations
06	月令	Yuèlìng	Proceedings of Government in the Different Months
07	曾子問	Zēngzǐ Wèn	Questions of Zengzi
08	文王世子	Wénwáng Shìzǐ	King Wen as Son and Heir
09	禮運	Lǐyùn	The Conveyance of Rites
10	禮器	Lǐqì	Implements of Rites
11	郊特牲	Jiāotèshēng	Single Victim At The Border Sacrifices
12	內則	Nèizé	Pattern of the Family
13	玉藻	Yùzǎo	Jade-Bead Pendants of the Royal Cap
14	明堂位	Míngtángwèi	Places in the Hall of Distinction
15	喪服小記	Sāngfú Xiǎojì	Record of Smaller Matters in the Dress of Mourning
16	大傳	Dàzhuàn	Great Treatise
17	少儀	Shǎoyí	Smaller Rules of Demeanour
18	學記	Xuéjì	Record on the Subject of Education
19	樂記	Yuèjì	Record on the Subject of Music
20-21	雜記上下	Zájì	Miscellaneous Records Part 1 & 2
22	喪大記	Sàng Dàjì	Greater Record of Mourning Rites
23	祭法	Jìfǎ	Law of Sacrifices
24	祭義	Jìyì	Meaning of Sacrifices
25	祭統	Jìtǒng	A Summary Account of Sacrifices
26	經解	Jīngjiě	Different Teaching of the Different Kings
27	哀公問	Āigōng Wèn	Questions of Duke Ai
28	仲尼燕居	Zhòngní Yànjū	Zhongni at Home at Ease
29	孔子閒居	Kǒngzǐ Xiánjū	Confucius at Home at Leisure
30	坊記	Fāngjì	Record of the Dykes
31	中庸	Zhōngyōng	Doctrine of the Mean
32	表記	Biǎojì	Record on Example
33	緇衣	Zīyī	Black Robes
34	奔喪	Běnsàng	Rules on Hurrying to Mourning Rites
35	問喪	Wènsāng	Questions About Mourning Rites
36	服問	Fúwèn	Subjects For Questioning About the Mourning Dress
37	間傳	Jiānzhuàn	Treatise on Subsidiary Points in Mourning Usages
38	三年問	Sānnián Wèn	Questions About the Mourning for Three Years
39	深衣	Shēnyī	Long Dress in One Piece
40	投壺	Tóuhú	Game of Pitch-Pot
41	儒行	Rúxíng	Conduct of the Scholar
42	大學	Dàxué	Great Learning
43	冠義	Guānyì	Meaning of the Ceremony of Capping
44	昏義	Hūnyì	Meaning of the Marriage Ceremony
45	鄉飲酒義	Xiāngyǐn Jiǔyì	Meaning of the Drinking Festivity in the Districts
46	射義	Shèyì	Meaning of the Ceremony of Archery
47	燕義	Yànyì	Meaning of the Banquet
48	聘義	Pìnyì	Meaning of Interchange of Missions twixt Different Courts
49	喪服四制	Sàngfú Sìzhì	Four Principles Underlying the Dress of Mourning

Bibliography

• Buckley Ebrey, Patricia. Confucianism and the Family Rituals in Imperial China. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1991, ISBN 978-0-691-03150-7
• Chen, Jingpan. Confucius as a Teacher. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1990, ISBN 978-0-8351-2240-5
• Confucius; James Legge; Chʻu Chai; Winberg Chai. Li Chi: Book of Rites. An encyclopedia of ancient ceremonial usages, religious creeds, and social institutions, New Hyde Park, N.Y., University Books [1967]. (originally published in 1885)
• Creel, H.G. Confucius and the Chinese Way. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1949
• Dawson, Raymond (1981), Confucius, Great Britain: The Guernsey Press, ISBN 978-0-19-287536-5.
• de Bary, Wm. Theodore, Wing-tsit Chan, and Buton Watson. Sources of Chinese Tradition. New York and London: Columbia University Press, 1960, ISBN 978-0-231-02255-2
• Holm, Jean, and John Bowker. Sacred Writings. London: Printer Publishers Ltd., 1994
• Lin Yutang. The Wisdom of Confucius. New York: Random House, Inc., 1938
• Nylan, Michael (2001), The five "Confucian" classics, Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-08185-5.
• Puett, Michael. "Centering the Realm: Wang Mang, the Zhouli, and Early Chinese Statecraft." in Elman, Benjamin A. and Kern, Martin, eds., Statecraft and Classical Learning: the Rituals of Zhou in East Asian History, pp. 129–154.[1]
• Riegel, Jeffrey K. (1993), "Li chi 禮記", in Loewe, Michael (ed.), Early Chinese Texts: A Bibliographical Guide, Society for the Study of Early China, pp. 293–297, ISBN 978-1-55729-043-4.
• Smith, Howard. Confucius. Great Britain: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1973

External links

• The Book of Rites (Chinese and English, James Legge's 1885 translation) - Chinese Text Project
• Confucian Documents (English)
• Liji 禮記 The Book of Rites, Ulrich Theobald, Chinese Literature, 24 July 2010.