Guodian Chu Tomb Bamboo Slips. Taiyi Shengshui, Lord Mu of Lu Asks Zisi

Author: Jianba Shufa Xuan Biandu Zuzuo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-12-01
Features: In the autumn of 1993, archaeologists from Jingmen Museum conducted emergency excavation and clearing of Guodian No. 1 Chu Tomb in Jishan Town, Shaying County. Although the tomb was small and had been looted twice before its discovery, the burial artifacts were rich, including ritual vessels, musical instruments, chariot and horse equipment, daily utensils, funerary items, lacquerware, and bamboo slips. Based on the artifacts found, the occupant of the tomb lived during the middle and late Warring States period and held the status of a high-ranking officer. Among the burial artifacts of the Guodian Chu Tomb, the most striking are over 800 bamboo slips. Upon their announcement to the public, they sparked a research in academic circles both at home and abroad, with many scholars and experts writing books and articles to express their views and insights. After five years of painstaking effort by experts, the bamboo slips were identified as 16 pre-Qin period documents, including two Daoist classics: "Laozi" (Jia, Yi, Bing) and "Taiyi Shengshui"; and 14 Confucian classics: "Ziyi," "Lu Mou Gong Wen Zisi," "Qiongda Yi Shi," "Wuxing," "Tangyu Zhi Dao," "Zhong Xing Zhi Dao," "Cheng Zhi Wen Zhi," "Zun De Yi," "Xing Zi Ming Chu," "Liude," "Yucong I," "Yucong II," "Yucong III," and "Yucong IV." Except for "Laozi" and "Ziyi," which appear in extant texts, and "Wuxing," which is found in the bamboo slips unearthed from Mawangdui in Changsha, the rest are pre-Qin era lost classics. The "Taiyi Shengshui" consists of 14 bamboo slips, with flat ends, a length of 26.5 cm, two binding threads with an interval of 10.8 cm. At the end of the text is a section number marked as a solid ink block; within the text, punctuation marks are short horizontal lines, while repetition and compound character markers are marked as two short horizontal lines. "Lu Mou Gong Wen Zisi" is one of the Confucian texts among the Guodian Meng slips. This text has eight bamboo slips. The ends of the slips are tapered into a trapezoid shape, with a length of 26.9 cm. There are two binding threads with an interval of 9.6 cm. Within the text, chapter numbers are marked as solid ink blocks, punctuation marks as short horizontal lines with meat, and repetition markers as two short horizontal lines. The text records a dialogue among three people: Lu Mou Gong, Zisi, and Chengsun Yi. The content revolves around what constitutes a loyal minister, i.e., the way of a loyal minister.