5. Confucian classics

When we were babies, we cried, probably hungry and wanted to take a few sips of milk; When we were children, we cried, probably because we wanted our beloved toys not to be bought by our mothers; Later, when we grew up, we hid in a corner and cried, probably because of the unsatisfactory love injury; Later, we stood by the lake, crying and yelling, maybe we needed to get married and buy a house, and life was not easy; Later, as soon as we got home and threw our clothes aside, we were about to lose our temper, probably because life was not easy and we felt awkward. But when we see the eyes of our lover who loves and understands deeply, our mood is relieved at once, and all our troubles disappear. People, crying and crying come to the world, they will suffer a thousand kinds of sufferings and all kinds of sins in their lives, so why are we still so greedy for red dust, and we have to come to the world to go through all kinds of difficulties? In order to "wish to win the hearts of one person, the white head will not be separated". If this wish can be granted, then all suffering can be turned into happiness.

Okay, let's pull back the train of thought! Because of a question of the middle way, we have extended it and now return to Confucianism. Confucianism as we know it is actually extracted and summarized from the Confucian classics. The "Thirteen Confucian Classics" are the 13 Confucian books that the feudal rulers have successively designated as "classics", and these 13 Confucian classics have a special status in feudal society. Even today, if we want to understand the historical situation of the pre-Qin period and understand Confucianism, we must study the "Thirteen Classics of Confucianism" well.

The "Thirteen Confucian Classics" refer to: "Analects", "Book of Songs", "Zhou Yi", "Zuo Chuan", "Ram Chuan", "Gu Liang Chuan", "Zhou Li", "Rites", "Book of Rites", "Book of Rites", "Book of Filial Piety", "Mencius", and "Erya". The Analects is a collection of quotation-style essays in the Spring and Autumn Period, which mainly records the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples, and it reflects Confucius's thoughts and propositions in a concentrated manner, and is compiled by Confucius's disciples and his followers. "The Book of Songs" is the first collection of poetry in China, collecting 305 poems from the early Western Zhou Dynasty to the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period for more than 500 years, it is not only a cultural masterpiece of ancient China, the origin of Chinese literature, but also a true portrayal of the ancient working people and the folk customs of the time.

"Zhou Yi" is the theoretical root of natural philosophy and humanistic practice in traditional Chinese thought and culture, the crystallization of the thought and wisdom of the ancient Chinese nation, known as the source of the avenue, the ancient emperor's learning, and the compulsory art of politicians, military strategists and merchants. "Zhou Yi" covers thousands of thousands of people, is an outstanding representative of traditional culture, vast and subtle, all-encompassing, is the source of Chinese culture.

The full name of "Zuo Chuan" is "The Biography of Zuo in the Spring and Autumn Period", which is not only a masterpiece of ancient historiography, but also a masterpiece of ancient literature. Zuo Chuan is an important classic that records the social conditions of the Spring and Autumn Period, and is based on historical materials such as the royal archives, Lu Shi Ceshu, and the history of the princes. It is ordered by the twelve monarchs of the Lu State, and its content includes state visits, meetings and alliances between the vassal states, conquests, weddings and funerals, and even the usurpation of kings, etc., which has a very important influence on the historiography and literature of later generations.

"Zuo Chuan" mainly records the decline of the Zhou royal family, the history of the princes' struggle for hegemony, as well as the description and commentary of various etiquette norms, rules and regulations, social customs, ethnic relations, as well as ancient documents, myths and legends, songs and rumors. Zuo Chuan is an important document for the study of pre-Qin history and the history of the Spring and Autumn Period, which represents the highest achievement of pre-Qin historiography and complements and enriches the content of Confucius's Spring and Autumn Period. Zuo Chuan changed the method of recording history in the Spring and Autumn Period, and became the first chronicle in ancient China with a detailed narrative.

"The Legend of the Ram" is also called "The Legend of the Ram in the Spring and Autumn Period", it has very little explanation of history, and "Zuo Chuan" is different from the record of historical facts, it is a classic book that specifically explains the so-called "small words and great meanings" of the "Spring and Autumn Period". The Biography of Gu Liang, also known as the Biography of Gu Liang in the Spring and Autumn Period, is mainly based on quotations and dialogues, and is used to annotate the Spring and Autumn Period, which is an important document for the study of the evolution of Confucianism from the Warring States Period to the Han Dynasty. Due to the obscure language and concise expression of the "Spring and Autumn Period" compiled by Confucius, it has brought a lot of inconvenience to the study of future generations. In order to better express the content and meaning of the scriptures of the Spring and Autumn Period, many scholars have interpreted the Spring and Autumn Period. "Zuo Chuan", "Ram Biography", and "Gu Liang Biography" are collectively known as "Three Biography of Spring and Autumn", which is a book that annotates "Spring and Autumn".

"Zhou Li" was originally known as "Zhou Guan", and its core idea is that people are the law of heaven, that is, "people should do things according to the rules of heaven". Judging from its ideological content, it shows that Confucianism developed to the late Warring States period, and has integrated the ideas of Taoism, Legalism, and Yin-Yang Family, and the book records the political, economic, cultural, customs, etiquette and other systems of the Chinese national society in the pre-Qin period, and the content is very rich, ranging from the world's Kyushu to the astronomical calendar; As small as ravines, roads, grass, trees, insects, and fish. The establishment of the state, politics, law, culture and education, rituals, music, military punishment, tax expenditure, food and clothing, agriculture, commerce, medicine, and craft production, "Zhou Li" is all-encompassing, and it is the cultural treasure house of the Chinese nation.

"Etiquette" is a compilation of etiquette systems in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, with a total of 17 articles, describing various etiquette systems such as crown ceremony, wedding, funeral, sacrifice, village ceremony, shooting ceremony, court ceremony, and dowry. The Book of Rites is an important work for the study of ancient Chinese society, rules and regulations and Confucianism, and the ideas it expounds include social, political, ethical, philosophical, religious and other aspects. The articles collected in the Book of Rites come from many sources, and most of these articles are from Confucian scholars from the Warring States period to the Qin and Han dynasties.

When it comes to the ritual and music civilization and culture of the ancient Chinese nation, we cannot fail to mention the "Zhou Li", "Rites" and "Rites", which are what we usually call the "Three Rites". "Three Rites" is the theoretical form of the ancient Chinese nation's ritual and music culture, which has made the most authoritative record and explanation of etiquette and etiquette, and has had a profound impact on the ritual system of all dynasties.

The Book of Shang, also known as the Book of Books, is China's first collection of classical prose and the earliest historical document. While serving as a historical classic, Shangshu has always been called the earliest collection of essays in China by writers. However, judging from today's prose standards, most of its articles belong to the official documents of the government at that time to deal with national affairs; To be precise, it should be regarded as a collection of official documents with a relatively complete format. The Book of Shang was originally a compilation of ancient historical documents, and the reason why it was included in the classics is that it is the most important basis for the study of ancient history. The Book of Shang is the oldest collection of imperial literature in China, and it is also the first compilation of ancient historical documents and some works recounting ancient deeds in China, which preserves some important historical materials of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, especially the early Western Zhou Dynasty. From a literary point of view, Shangshu is also a sign that ancient Chinese prose has been formed.