Liji 禮記 (www.chinaknowledge.de)

Jul 24, 2010 © Ulrich Theobald

Liji 禮れい記き "Book of rites" is a collection of descriptions of ritual matters written during the late Warring States 戰國せんごく (5th cent.-221 BCE) and Former Han periods 前漢ぜんかん (206 BCE-8 CE). It is one of the Five Confucian Classics (wujing 五經ごきょう) and one of the three ritual classics (sanli 三さん禮れい).

The Three Ritual Classics (Sanli 三さん禮れい)
Commentaries
周しゅう禮あや	Zhouli	The "Rites of the Zhou"
儀禮ぎれい	Yili	"Etiquette and Rites"
禮れい記き	Liji	"Record of Rites"
三さん禮れい圖ず	Sanlitu	(Han) 鄭てい玄げん Zheng Xuan
三さん禮れい圖ず集しゅう注ちゅう	Sanlitu jizhu	(Five Dynasties) 聶崇義よし Nie Chongyi
Related to the Liji
王制おうせい	Wangzhi	"Royal regulations"
月つき令れい	Yueling	"Proceedings of government in the different months"
樂らく記き	Yueji	"Record of music"
中庸ちゅうよう	Zhongyong	"The doctrine of the meanc"
大學だいがく	Daxue	"The great learning"
大だい戴禮記き	Da Dai Liji	Subclassic "The Rites of Dai the Elder"
夏なつ小正おばさ	Xia xiaozheng	"The small calendar of the Xia"

During the Former Han period books on ritual matters with a length of 131 chapters were gathered, one by the Confucian scholar Dai De 戴德 (Dai the Elder 大だい戴), who compiled a collection of 85 chapters (called Da Dai Liji 大だい戴禮記き "The Rites by Dai the Elder"), and one by his nephew Dai Sheng 戴聖, with a length of 49 chapters, which was accordingly called the Xiao Dai Liji 小しょう戴禮記き "The Rites by Dai the Younger". At the end of the Later Han 後ご漢かん (25-220 CE) the book of Dai De ceased to be taught at the National University (taixue 太ふとし學がく) and was overshadowed by the compilation of Dai Sheng, which then became the orthodox classic on rituals, together with the Yili 儀禮ぎれい and the Zhouli 周しゅう禮あや.

Its status as a classic was enhanced by the fact that the Confucian scholar Zheng Xuan 鄭てい玄げん (127-200) wrote a commentary on Dai Sheng's Liji. Some of the chapters are similar in content to the Yili, like the capping or marriage ceremonies, but others are not contained in the Yili classic, like the ritual game of pitch-pot (touhu 投とう壺つぼ). The Liji also contains some general chapters on Confucian ritual thinking, like the conveyance of rituals (Liyun 禮れい運うん), ritual music (Yueji 樂らく記き), or studies (Xueji 學がく記き).

The chapter Yueling 月つき令れい is not actually "Confucian", but it describes the proceedings of the government in the different months from the viewpoint of early Chinese cosmological thinking. The traditional structure of Chinese government is described in the chapter Wangzhi 王制おうせい "Royal regulations". The chapter Yueji has been interpreted by some scholars as the often-mentioned but actually never identified sixth Confucian classic (of the "Six Classics" Liuyi 六藝りくげい), namely that on ritual music.

Two chapters were extracted during the Song period 宋そう (960-1279): Zhongyong 中庸ちゅうよう "Doctrine of the Mean" and Daxue 大學だいがく "Great Learning". These two texts became part of the so-called "Four Books" (sishu 四書ししょ), together with the Mengzi 孟子もうし and Lunyu 論語ろんご.

Table 1. Chapters of the *Liji*
1. (1.-2.)	曲きょく禮れい	Quli	Summary of the rules of propriety I-II
2. (3.-4.)	檀だん弓ゆみ	Tan Gong	Tan Gong I-II
3. (5.)	王制おうせい	Wangzhi	Royal regulations
4. (6.)	月つき令れい	Yueling	Proceedings of government in the different months
5. (7.)	曾子問とい	Zengzi wen	The questions of Zengzi
6. (8.)	文ぶん王おう世子せいし	Wenwang shizi	King Wen, the heir
7. (9.)	禮れい運うん	Liyun	The conveyance of rites
8. (10.)	禮れい器き	Liqi	Utensils of rites
9. (11.)	郊特牲	Jiaotesheng	The great suburban sacrifice
10. (12.)	內則	Neize	The pattern of the family
11. (13.)	玉藻たまも	Yuzao	Dresses and caps worn by rulers
12. (14.)	明あかり堂どう位い	Mingtang wei	The Positions in the The Hall of Distinction
13. (15.)	喪服もふく小しょう記き	Sangfu xiaoji	Smaller records of mourning dress
14. (16.)	大傳だいでん	Dazhuan	The great treatise
15. (17.)	少しょう儀ぎ	Shaoyi	Smaller rules of conduct
16. (18.)	學がく記き	Xueji	Record of studies
17. (19.)	樂らく記き	Yueji	Record of music
18. (20.-21.)	雜記ざっき	Zaji	Miscellaneous records I-II
19. (22.)	喪も大だい記き喪服もふく大だい記き	Sangdaji Sangfu daji	Greater record of mourning rites Greater records of mourning dress
20. (23.)	祭まつり法ほう	Jifa	Laws of sacrifices
21. (24.)	祭まつり義よし	Jiyi	The meaning of sacrifices
22. (25.)	祭まつり統みつる	Jitong	Summary Account of sacrifices
23. (26.)	經けい解かい	Jingjie	Explanations of the Classics
24. (27.)	哀あい公こう問とい	Aigong wen	The questions of Duke Ai
25. (28.)	仲なか尼に燕つばめ居きょ	Zhongni yanju	Confucius at home at ease
26. (29.)	孔子こうし閒あいだ居きょ	Kongzi xianju	Confucius at home at leisure
27. (30.)	坊ぼう記き	Fangji	Record of dykes
28. (31)	中庸ちゅうよう	Zhongyong	The doctrine of the mean
29. (32.)	表記ひょうき	Biaoji	The record on example
30. (33.)	緇衣しえ	Ziyi	The black robes
31. (34.)	奔喪	Bensang	Hurrying to mourning rites
32. (35.)	問とい喪も	Wensang	Questions about mourning rites
33. (36.)	服ふく問とい	Fuwen	Subjects for questioning about the mourning dress
34. (37.)	間あいだ傳でん	Jianzhuan	Treatise on subsidiary points in mourning usages
35. (38.)	三さん年ねん問とい	Sannianwen	Questions about the mourning for three years
36. (39.)	深ふか衣ころも	Shenyi	The long dress in one piece
37. (40.)	投とう壺つぼ	Touhu	The game of pitch-pot
38. (41.)	儒行	Ruxing	The conduct of the scholar
39. (42)	大學だいがく	Daxue	The great learning
40. (43.)	冠かんむり義よし	Guanyi	The meaning of the ceremony of capping
41. (44.)	昏(=婚こん)義よし	Hunyi	The meaning of the marriage ceremony
42. (45.)	鄉さと飲酒いんしゅ義ぎ	Xiang yinjiu yi	The meaning of the drinking festivity in the districts
43. (46.)	射い義よし	Sheyi	The meaning of the ceremony of archery
44. (47.)	燕つばめ義よし	Yanyi	The meaning of the banquet
45. (48.)	聘義	Pingyi	The meaning of the interchange of missions between different courts

While some particular chapters are separately dealt with, some examples may give an impression of the heterogeneity of the collection Liji. The first example shows the rituals adhered to during the royal audiences in the "Hall of Distinction" during the early Zhou period:

Quotation 1. The Positions in the Hall of Distinction (*Mingtang wei* 明あかり堂どう位い)
昔むかし者しゃ周しゅう公こう朝あさ諸侯しょこう于明堂どう之の位くらい：天子てんし負ふ斧おの依よ南鄉なんごう而立じりつ；三さん公おおやけ，中ちゅう階かい之の前まえ，北面ほくめん東上とうじょう。諸侯しょこう之の位くらい，阼階之の東ひがし，西面北さいめきた上じょう。諸しょ伯はく之の國くに，西階にししな之の西にし，東面とうめん北上ほくじょう。諸子しょし之の國くに，門東もんとう，北面ほくめん東上とうじょう。諸しょ男おとこ之の國くに，門もん西にし，北面ほくめん東上とうじょう。	Formerly, when the Duke of Zhou gave audience to the regional rulers in their several places in the Hall of Distinction, the Son of Heaven stood with his back to the axe-embroidered screen, and his face towards the south. The Three Dukes (sangong 三公みつきみ) were in front of the steps, in the middle, with their faces to the north, inclining to the east as the most honourable position. The places of the marquises (hou 侯ほう) were at the east of the eastern steps, with their faces to the west, inclining to the north as the most honourable position. The lords of the earldoms (bo 伯はく) were at the west of the western steps, with their faces to the east, inclining also and for the same reason to the north. The counts (zi 子こ) were on the east of the gate, with their faces to the north, inclining to the east as the more honourable position. The barons (nan 男おとこ) were on the west of the gate, with their faces to the north, inclining also and for the same reason to the east.
此周公明こうめい堂どう之の位くらい也。明あかり堂どう也者，明あきら諸侯しょこう之の尊卑そんぴ也。[...]	These were the places of the lords in the Hall of Distinction [when they appeared before] the duke of Zhou. The Hall of Distinction was so called, because in it the rank of the princes was clearly shown as high or low. [...]
Legge 1885.

Until the end of the Chinese empire in 1912, the observation of a mourning period of three years for the death of one's father was a common expression of filial piety. State officials even asked for a leave for three years. One chapter in the Liji is particularly dedicated to the mourning period.

Quotation 2. Questions about the Mourning for Three Years (*Sannian wen* 三さん年ねん問とい)
三さん年ねん之の喪も何なん也？曰：稱たたえ情じょう而立じりつ文ぶん，因いん以飾群ぐん，別べつ親おや疏、貴き賤之節ぶし，而不可ふか損益そんえき也。故こ曰：「無む易えき之の道也みちや。」	What purposes do the mourning rites for three years serve? The different rules for the mourning rites were established in harmony with men's feelings. By means of them the differences in the social relations are set forth, and the distinctions shown of kindred as nearer or more distant, and of ranks as more noble or less. They do not admit of being diminished or added to; and are therefore called "The unchanging rules".
創そう鉅者其日久ひさ，痛つう甚者其愈遲おそ，三さん年ねん者しゃ，稱しょう情じょう而立じりつ文ぶん，所以ゆえん為ため至いたり痛つう極ごく也。斬き衰おとろえ、苴杖，居きょ倚廬，食しょく粥かゆ，寢ね苫とま枕まくら塊かたまり，所以ゆえん為ため至いたり痛つう飾かざり也。三さん年ねん之の喪も，二に十じゅう五ご月がつ而畢；衰おとろえ痛つう未み盡つき，思慕しぼ未み忘，然しか而服以是斷だん之これ者しゃ，豈あに不ふ送おく死し有ゆう已やめ，復ふく生せい有ゆう節ぶし也哉？[...]	The greater a wound is, the longer it remains; and the more pain it gives, the more slowly is it healed. The mourning of three years, being appointed with its various forms in harmony with the feelings [produced by the occasion of it], was intended to mark the greatest degree of grief. The sackcloth with jagged edges, the dark colour of the sackcloth and the staff, the shed reared against the wall, the gruel, the sleeping on straw, and the clod of earth for a pillow—these all were intended to set forth the extremity of the grief. The mourning of the three years came really to an end with [the close of] the twenty-fifth month. The sorrow and pain were not yet ended, and the longing loving thoughts were not yet forgotten; but in the termination of the mourning dress in this way, was it not shown that there should be an end to the duties rendered to the dead, and that the time was come for the resumption of their duties to the living? [...]
Legge 1885.

The Liji also provides the description of an ideal of local schools and a system of examinations that later became the precedence for the famous state examinations. The schools and "colleges" described were reserved for sons of the nobility.

Quotation 3. Record of Studies (*Xueji* 學がく記き)
[...]古いにしえ之の教きょう者しゃ，家いえ有ゆう塾じゅく，黨とう有ゆう庠，術じゅつ有ゆう序じょ，國有こくゆう學がく。比ひ年ねん入學にゅうがく，中年ちゅうねん考こう校こう。一年視離經辨志，三さん年ねん視し敬けい業ぎょう樂らく群ぐん，五年視博習親師，七なな年ねん視し論ろん學取まなびと友とも，謂いい之の小成こなり；九きゅう年ねん知ち類るい通達つうたつ，強つよ立たて而不反はん，謂いい之の大成たいせい。夫おっと然しか後足あとあし以化民みん易えき俗ぞく，近こん者しゃ說せつ服ふく，而遠者しゃ懷ふところ之の，此大學がく之の道也みちや。《記き》曰：「蛾が子こ時じ術じゅつ之の。」其此之の謂いい乎。[...]	[...] According to the system of ancient teaching, for the families of [a hamlet] there was the village school; for a neighbourhood there was the xiang 庠 schools; for the larger districts there was the xu 序じょ school; and in the capitals there was the college (xue 學がく). Every year some entered the college, and every second year there was a comparative examination. In the first year it was seen whether they could read the texts intelligently, and what was the meaning of each; in the third year, whether they were reverently attentive to their work, and what companionship was most pleasant to them; in the fifth year, how they extended their studies and sought the company of their teachers; in the seventh year, how they could discuss the subjects of their studies and select their friends. They were now said to have made some small attainments. In the ninth year, when they knew the different classes of subjects and had gained a general intelligence, were firmly established and would not fall back, they were said to have made grand attainments. After this the training was sufficient to transform the people, and to change [anything bad in] manners and customs. Those who lived near at hand submitted with delight, and those who were far off thought [of the teaching] with longing desire. Such was the method of the Great learning; as is said in the Record, "The little ant continually exercises the art [of amassing]." [...]
Legge 1885.

Mourning dresses occupy a prevalent place in ritual descriptions, and several chapters in the Liji and Yili are therefore dedicated to this issue.

Quotation 4. Greater Records of Mourning Dress (*Sangfu daji* 喪服もふく大だい記き)
大だい斂：布ぬの絞しぼ，縮ちぢみ者しゃ三さん，橫よこ者しゃ五ご，布ぬの紟，二に衾ふすま，君きみ、大夫たいふ、士し一也かずや。	At the fuller or great dressing there were three bands of cloth laid straight, and five laid cross-wise. There were [also] strings of cloth, and two sheets—equally for a ruler, a Great officer (dafu 大夫たいふ), and a common officer (shi 士し).
君きみ陳ひね衣ころも于庭，百ひゃく稱しょう，北きた領りょう，西上にしがみ；大夫たいふ陳ひね衣ころも于序東ひがし，五ご十じゅう稱しょう，西にし領りょう，南上みなみうえ；士し陳ひね衣ころも于序東ひがし，三さん十じゅう稱しょう，西にし領りょう，南上みなみうえ。	The clothes for a ruler consisted of one hundred suits, displayed in the courtyard, having their collars towards the north, those on the west being the best; those of a Great officer were fifty suits, displayed in the corridor on the east, having the collars towards the west, those on the south being the best; those of a common officer were thirty suits, displayed also in the corridor on the east, with their collars towards the west, the best on the south.
絞しぼ、紟如朝あさ服ふく，絞しぼ一いち幅ぶく為三ためぞう，不ふ辟，紟五ご幅ぶく，無む紞。[...]	The bands and strings were of the same quality as the court robes. One strip of the band-cloth was divided into three, but at the ends was not further divided. The sheets were made of five pieces, without strings or buttons. [...]
Legge 1885.

The exegesis of the Confucian Classics had its roots in the mid-Han period. Yet some statements on the meaning of the books of the canon can be found in some earlier texts, for instance, the chapter Lilun 禮れい論ろん (ch. 19) in the book Xunzi 荀子.

Quotation 5. Explanations of the Classics (*Jingjie* 經けい解かい)
孔子こうし曰：「入にゅう其國，其教可か知也ともや。其為人じん也：溫柔おんじゅう敦あつし厚あつし，《詩し》教きょう也；疏通そつう知ち遠とお，《書しょ》教きょう也；廣博こうはく易えき良りょう，《樂らく》教きょう也；絜靜精微せいび，《易えき》教きょう也；恭儉きょうけん莊そう敬けい，《禮れい》教きょう也；屬ぞく辭じ比ひ事ごと，《春秋しゅんじゅう》教きょう也。	Confucius said, "When you enter any state you can know what subjects [its people] have been taught. If they show themselves men who are mild and gentle, sincere and good, they have been taught from the Book of Songs. If they have a wide comprehension [of things], and know what is remote and old, they have been taught from the Book of Documents. If they be large-hearted and generous, bland and honest, they have been taught from the Book of Music. If they be pure and still, refined and subtile, they have been taught from the Book of Changes. If they be courteous and modest, grave and respectful, they have been taught from the Book of Rites and Ceremonies. If they suitably adapt their language to the things of which they speak, they have been taught from the Spring and Autumn Annals.
故こ《詩し》之これ失しつ，愚ぐ；《書しょ》之これ失しつ，誣；《樂らく》之これ失しつ，奢おご；《易えき》之これ失しつ，賊ぞく；《禮れい》之これ失しつ，煩はん；《春秋しゅんじゅう》之これ失しつ，亂らん。[...]	Hence the failing that may arise in connexion with the study of the Book of Songs is a stupid simplicity; that in connexion. with the Book of Documents is duplicity; that in connexion with the Book of Music is extravagance; that in connexion with the Book of Changes is the violation (of reason); that in connexion with the practice of Rites and Ceremonies is fussiness; and that in connexion with the Spring and Autumn Annals is insubordination. [...]
Legge 1885.

Social entertainment among the nobility was also embedded in certain ceremonies, like the pitch-pot game, in which participants tried to throw darts or small arrows into a pot. Before the beginning of the game, the host invited his guests, which three times refused to join—an early version of the polite "threefold decline" (san ci 三さん辭じ).

Quotation 6. The game of Pitch-Pot (*Touhu* 投とう壺つぼ)
投とう壺つぼ之の禮れい，主人しゅじん奉たてまつ矢や，司つかさ射い奉たてまつ中なか，使つかい人じん執と壺つぼ。	According to the rules for Pitch-pot, the host carries the arrows in both his hands put together; the superintendent of the archery carries in the same way the stand on which the tallies were placed; and an attendant holds in his hand the pot.
主人しゅじん請曰：「某ぼう有ゆう枉矢、哨壺，請以樂らく賓まろうど。」賓まろうど曰：「子こ有ゆう旨むね酒しゅ、嘉肴かこう，某ぼう既すんで賜たまもの矣，又重またしげ以樂，敢辭。」主人しゅじん曰：「枉矢、哨壺，不足ふそく辭じ也，敢固以請。」賓まろうど曰：「某ぼう既すんで賜たまもの矣，又重またしげ以樂，敢固辭こじ。」主人しゅじん曰：「枉矢、哨壺，不足ふそく辭じ也，敢固以請。」賓まろうど曰：「某ぼう固辭こじ不ふ得とく命いのち，敢不敬ふけい從したがえ。」	The host entreats [one of the guests], saying, "I have here these crooked arrows, and this pot with its wry mouth; but we beg you to amuse yourself with them." The guest says, "I have partaken, Sir, of your excellent drink and admirable viands; allow me to decline this further proposal for my pleasure." The host rejoins, "It is not worth the while for you to decline these poor arrows and pot; let me earnestly beg you to try them." The guest repeats his refusal, saying, "I have partaken [of your entertainment], and you would still further have me enjoy myself;—I venture firmly to decline." The host again says, "It is not worth the while for you to decline these poor arrows and pot; let me earnestly beg you to try them", and then the guest says, "I have firmly declined what you request, but you will not allow me to refuse;—I venture respectfully to obey you."
賓まろうど再さい拜受はいじゅ，主人しゅじん般還，曰：「辟。」主人しゅじん阼階上じょう拜はい送おく，賓まろうど盤ばん還かえ，曰：「辟。」[...]	The guest then bows twice, and signifies that he will receive [the arrows]. The host wheels round, saying, "Let me get out of the way"; and then at the top of the steps on the east, he bows to the guest and gives him the arrows. The guest wheels round, and says, "Let me get out of the way." [...]
Legge 1885.

The famous Tang-period 唐とう (618-907) scholar Kong Yingda 孔あな穎達 wrote an 80-juan long commentary, Liji zhengyi 禮れい記き正義せいぎ. During the Song period it was merged with Zheng Xuan's commentary on the text Liji zhushu 禮れい記き注疏ちゅうそ, with a length of 63 juan. At the same time Wei Shi 衛まもる湜 (early 13th cent.) wrote a collection of commentaries called Liji jishuo 禮れい記き集しゅう說せつ, in 150 juan. A book with the same title was compiled during the Yuan period 元もと (1279-1368) by Chen Gao 陳ひね澔 (1260-1341), but it was only 10-juan long. This commentary was again extended during the Ming period 明あきら (1368-1644) by Hu Guang 胡えびす廣ひろ (1369-1418) to the book Liji daquan 禮れい記き大全たいぜん. The most important Qing-period 清きよし (1644-1911) commentary is Hang Shijun's 杭くい世よ駿しゅん (1696-1773) Xu Weishi Liji jishuo 續ぞく衛まもる氏し禮れい記き集しゅう說せつ, in 100 juan.

Numerous commentators dealt with particular chapters of the Liji, e.g. the Ming commentator Huang Daozhou 黃道こうどう周しゅう (1585-1646), who wrote Yueling mingyi 月つき令れい明義あきよし, and Ziji jizhuan 緇衣しえ集しゅう傳でん), or the Qing scholar Shao Taiqu 邵泰衢, author of Tangong yiwen 檀だん弓ゆみ疑問ぎもん.

Sources:

Liu Qiyu 劉りゅう起おこり釪 (1992), "Liji 禮れい記き", in Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國ちゅうごく大だい百科全書ひゃっかぜんしょ, Zhongguo lishi 中國ちゅうごく歷史れきし (Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe), Vol. 2, 547.

Riegel, Jeffrey K. (1993). "Li chi", in Michael Loewe, ed. Early Chinese Texts: A Bibliographical Guide (Berkeley: Society for the Study of Early China/Institute of East Asian Studies), 293-297.

Translation:

Legge, James, Ch'u Chai, Winberg Chai (1885), Li Chi: Book of Rites. An Encyclopedia of Ancient Ceremonial Usages, Religious Creeds, and Social Institutions (XXX). Lî Kî //New Hyde Park, N.Y., University Books [1967]. Also edited as Legge, James (1885). The Sacred Books of China: The Texts of Confucianism, Parts III-IV, The Li Ki (Oxford: Oxford Clarendon). (The Sacred Books of the East. 27-28)