Ritual Etiquette. The Transport of Ritual

Author: Deng Liusheng Ye Guo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The Book of Rites is one of the Confucian classics known as the Three Rites (Rites of Ritual, Rites of Zhou, and Book of Rites). During the Western Han Dynasty, the Rites of Ritual were emphasized, while the Eastern Han Dynasty focused on both the Rites of Ritual and the Rites of Zhou. It was only after the Three Kingdoms period that the study of the Book of Rites began to flourish. The content of the Rites of Ritual and the Rites of Zhou has little practical value today, except for some chapters in the Book of Rites that contain the brilliant thoughts of Confucianism, which are still worth recognizing and learning. Most chapters of the Book of Rites were written by Confucius's disciples, second-generation disciples, or third-generation disciples. They were compiled and edited by Dai Sheng, a renowned scholar of rites in the Western Han Dynasty, making the content richer and broader. The entire book consists of 49 chapters, covering aspects such as heaven, earth, gods, spirits, social affairs, human relationships, history, nature, and canonical systems. It is hoped that readers can further understand Confucian thought and grasp the ideal social system of Confucianism through this book.
In ancient times, what people valued most in life was ritual. "Ritual is the principle" (Book of Rites, Zhongni Yanjiu). "Ritual is what governs human relationships; without ritual, one cannot stand" (Zuo Zhuan, Zhao Gong 7). This is because ritual plays a role in maintaining social order. The complex ethical relationships between rulers and subjects, fathers and sons, husbands and wives, brothers, and friends are all regulated by ritual. Therefore, to understand ancient society, one must understand the rituals of ancient times. However, in a hierarchical society, ritual bore the imprint of class and was used to maintain the status of the ruling class and serve the consolidation of the ruling regime. We need to approach this part dialectically. But we always believe that outstanding traditional culture can transcend the limitations of time and space, becoming fertile ground for the birth of new culture.
Finally, it should be noted that although the author referred to many ancient classics during the annotation and translation process, striving to ensure that the annotations and translations align more closely with the original thoughts, due to the urgency of time and limited ability, there may inevitably be errors and omissions. We sincerely welcome readers to point them out.