The book of time: the book of heaven and man in ancient and modern times

In the field of international meteorology, "Twenty-four solar terms" is known as "the fifth invention of China".

On June 30th last year, 1 1, the1regular meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO approved the "24 solar terms" declared by China to be included in the UNESCO representative list of intangible cultural heritage of mankind.

Unconsciously, it has been a whole year.

When I was a child, I would recite twenty-four solar term song. With a sense of rhythm and rhythmic beauty, Chinese is catchy to read, but I never thought about what solar terms mean to us.

In middle school geography class, I understood again (I concluded, don't write like this in the exam): solar terms are a sign of orbital space in the time period of the earth's revolution, and time and space are unified in the simplest way. But I never thought about the longer and deeper cultural connotation behind the solar terms.

The first time I noticed the relationship between astronomy, solar terms, phenology and literature and culture was in a Wei-Jin literature class on a spring morning in college, which originated from the sentence "Yu Heng refers to Meng Dong" in Nineteen Ancient Poems. Because there are different opinions on the interpretation of this sentence, I have been paying attention to such books since then, but unfortunately I have never met one that makes me satisfied.

But just a few days after its successful application in 24 solar terms, I saw Mr. Yu Shicun's new book The Book of Time. At that moment I said: I can finally get what I want.

The Book of Time was not originally written for this purpose, but a column written by Yu Shicun at the invitation of National Humanities History magazine. Yu Shicun thought of China people's wisdom about time contained in solar terms, and combined with classic works such as The Book of Changes, he continued to write for a whole year. Between the lines, he is full of profound thoughts on heaven and human nature, classicism and the present.

During the typesetting and printing of this book, it coincided with the news of the successful application for the World Heritage. In an instant, the words "24 solar terms" flew all over the headlines of various media.

Ordinary people may not know how to calculate the exact date of the 24 solar terms, or even mistakenly think that the 24 solar terms belong to the lunar calendar, but this does not prevent them from rejoicing in their ignorance, although they do not understand that the 24 beautiful names handed down by their ancestors are all related to themselves except that 24 days in a year are related to certain festivals and diets.

However, with the publication of The Book of Time, a long-lost upsurge of traditional solar terms rekindled everyone's reading enthusiasm.

The People's Daily called this book "the first national reading that comprehensively interprets the 24 solar terms". This is not an exaggeration, because this book is very rich in knowledge, involving astronomy, geography, agriculture, biology, poetry, philosophy and many other aspects.

According to records, China's ancestors knew the cycle of the solar calendar as early as the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. It is clearly pointed out in Shangshu that the solar calendar has 366 days a year. But in ancient times, the lunar calendar was used to record the year, month and day, but there was no strict and fixed correspondence between the lunar calendar and seasons and meteorology, so it was not convenient to apply it to agricultural production activities. Therefore, our ancestors made solar terms by measuring the length of the sun shadow and observing the direction of Beidou. Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals recorded the days of "dichotomy", "second day" and "fourth day" and eight solar terms. After that, it was gradually supplemented, and the early Han Dynasty was basically complete. During the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the book Huainanzi clearly recorded the same 24 solar terms as now.

Regarding solar terms, Yu Shicun said: "Unlike most other intangible cultures in China, such as Kunqu Opera, Peking Opera, rice paper making skills, abacus calculation, paper cutting and so on. The solar term is about time culture. " "It still plays a role in today's life. Therefore, solar terms are not only a legacy, but also a life civilization model of' old country and new life'. "

As for the solar term, we in China all know its existence, but we don't necessarily know what it is. We don't know the history and customs of solar terms, nor do we know the relationship between solar terms and ourselves, nor do we know the requirements of solar terms for people.

Every solar term is inextricably linked with natural farming at first. In traditional society, people's feelings about heaven, earth, time and space are delicate and rich, and more than 72 phenological changes can be distinguished in one year. However, nowadays, most people in China have gone to cities and left farming, and the harmony between man and nature is far from the same. The significance of the twenty-four solar terms in farming season and the portrayal of rural life are becoming more and more depressing, and the connection with real life is inaccurate.

However, we can penetrate the time direction of solar terms, go straight into the depths of history, and ask the classical spirit behind solar terms, and still find many profound feelings and predictable feelings. And that is the philosophy of heaven that many modern people in panic urgently need to live a stable life.

In their work, the ancestors gradually understood the importance of time. A year's plan lies in spring, and a day's plan lies in morning. Time is captured and transferred from farmers, and it is thought, refined and sublimated by sages and gifted scholars. Every solar term is the ancestor's worship and expectation of the God of Heaven and Earth, which clearly marks the ideological track of ancient sages in understanding heaven and earth, transforming nature and pursuing quality of life.

Sometimes, when there are festivals in production and life, human nature is full of vitality. Solar terms not only formed their own time coordinates, but also evolved into a whole, reminding people that they need to be spiritual and defensive. Every solar term puts forward the requirements of living standards for people living in it. In the alternation of solar terms, people should undertake and complete their mission, obligation and personality in time. This is the life of our ancestors in the world, and it is also the reference for them to settle down.

This is the significance of solar terms to the people of China, the history of China and the culture of China, so the ancients often called them according to the calendar. Twenty-four solar terms are the life books of China people. With its existence, we can well perceive the passage of time, the reincarnation of the sun and the moon, and enjoy the gift of nature.

Time can be divided into timing, timing, time reversal and time loss. What would our world be like if there were no seasonal changes? How will our life be presented to the world? What will our life be like?

If there is no seasonal change, time will appear vague and muddy, naturally so pale and boring, and life will lose its perception of time. It is precisely because of the seasonal cycle that life has a rhythm, wisdom can be born and multiplied, and ancestors have learned to respect heaven and law.

The classic concern of the Book of Time lies not only in the content of the 24 solar terms, but also in the exquisite form and style.

When the external seal is removed, the yin calligraphy and painting marks on the internal seal are faintly visible, and the calligraphy and painting marks are carved according to the ecliptic angle of each solar term. This book is a thread-bound book, and the exposed spine adds a little quaint feeling.

The catalogue is arranged in the order of solar terms, each chapter is a solar term, and the traditional four colors representing spring, summer, autumn and winter represent the corresponding chapters. Each chapter is provided by the painter Lao Shu. The first title of the article is a small poem, mostly six words, fresh and lively, with endless aftertaste.

There is no doubt that it is wily.

This book doesn't need to be read in one breath, so it is suitable for slow work and fine work. Read a chapter in each solar term, and a year will slowly flow through the papers.

Yu Shicun said: "If I borrow Heidegger's words, my book is a book about solar terms and our personal and social relations. Solar terms are the existence and time of China people;" If I borrow Hawking, my book is a brief history of China culture. "

"Solar terms are not only related to farmers and agriculture, but also to medical care, and also to each of us' perception of life, nature, life and the universe. Twenty-four solar terms are both a way of life and a way of life. Reviewing the solar terms is not only a memory of the lost countryside, but also a journey to find new roots and feelings. "The book of time says so.

The Book of Time is a book of "studying the time between man and nature and understanding the changes of ancient and modern times", a book to be savored carefully and a book to be rubbed frequently.

May you and I settle down, standardize our lives and wait for the solar terms to bloom.