The Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Prose

Author: None
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Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The Liji (Book of Rites) is one of the Confucian classics known as the Sanli (Yili, Zhouli, Liji). During the Western Han Dynasty, the Yili was emphasized, while the Eastern Han Dynasty focused on both the Yili and the Zhouli. It was not until the Three Kingdoms period that the study of the Liji became popular. The content of the Yili and Zhouli has little practical value today, except for some chapters in the Liji that contain important Confucian ideas, which are still worth understanding and learning. Most chapters of the Liji were written by Confucius's disciples, second-generation disciples, and third-generation disciples, and were later compiled 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 and human affairs, history, nature, and classical texts and institutions. During the Song Dynasty, the scholar Zhu Xi extracted Daxue (The Great Learning) and Zhongyong (The Doctrine of the Mean) from the Liji and combined them with The Analects and Mencius to form the Four Books. Therefore, some modern commentaries and translations of the Liji do not include these two chapters. In this book, we have selected some of the more famous chapters for annotation and translation. To more fully present Confucian thought, Daxue and Zhongyong have also been included. We hope readers can further understand Confucian thought and grasp the ideal social system proposed by Confucianism through this book.
In ancient times, what people valued most was li (ritual propriety). "Li is the principle" (Liji, Zhongni Yanju), and "Ritual is the backbone of a person; without ritual, one cannot stand" (Zuo Zhuan, Zhao Gong Qi). 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 all rely on ritual for regulation. 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 must adopt a dialectical approach toward this aspect. But we firmly believe that excellent traditional culture can transcend the limitations of time and space, becoming fertile ground for the birth of new culture.
This book is the representative work of Qu Yuan, a long political lyrical poem in the history of Chinese poetry, reflecting Qu Yuan's indignation against the dark and corrupt politics of the Chu State, as well as his ideal of a virtuous government that advocates for the implementation of laws and the appointment of capable officials. It also expresses his grief and lament after the realization of his ideals is shattered.