When was the Confucian ritual system most complete?

The History of Confucius Sacrifice

The ritual of Confucius sacrifice as a state action can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period of more than 2,500 years. Confucius died in 479 BC. In that year, Duke Ai of Lu, the ruler of the state of Lu, began to sacrifice to Confucius, and called him "Ni-Fu" (尼父). The first emperor to offer Confucius was Liu Bang, the first emperor of the Han Dynasty. In 195 B.C., Liu Bang, the first emperor of Han Dynasty, passed through Lu and sacrificed Confucius with Taijuan (pig, cow and goat), and ordered the vassals, dukes, ministers, generals and ministers to visit the temple first and then engage in politics. Liu Bang not only opened the later generations of emperors to sacrifice Confucius, but also opened the later generations of emperors to make the local governor to visit the Confucius temple before taking office after the first river of politics.

Liu Zhuangzi, the Ming Emperor of the Han Dynasty, ordered in the second year of Yongping (59) that "all schools should be dedicated to the holy masters, Zhou Gong and Confucius, and the animals should be dogs" (Hou Han Shu - Rituals Zhi), which was the beginning of the national and county schools to sacrifice to Confucius. Liu Zhuang also in Yongping eight years (65) personally visited the Pai Yong, to the jail to Confucius. In the fifteenth year of Yongping (72), Liu Zhuang traveled to Lu, visited the hometown of Confucius, and sacrificed Confucius and his seventy-two disciples.

Since then, successive emperors or in person, or sent to Qufu and the Imperial College to sacrifice Confucius. Over time, the sacrifice of Confucius formed a national ritual behavior of two, the first of August Ding day (on the Ding) held in the Confucian temple to sacrifice Confucius ceremony, which is the "Ding Festival". Later, the Confucius Festival and an additional "dance" (dance), the Confucius Festival ceremony gradually formalized, programmed, there are holes, music, dance, composed of three parts. Confucius' birthday (August 27th of the lunar calendar), the most solemn ceremony on this day, both the family's ceremony, but also the country's grand ceremony. The procedures, specifications, officiating officials, and offerings of the Confucius Ceremony are set by the imperial court. The whole ceremony is carried out in the imperial court in the prescribed music and dance.

The Confucian ritual system evolved from the rituals of the Zhou Dynasty. Initially, the rituals consisted of two components, "ritual" and "music". Ritual refers to etiquette and hierarchy. Music refers to music, music and dance. Zheng Qiao, a great historian of the Southern Song Dynasty, said in the General Canon: "Rites and music must be used for each other; rites are not for music, and music is not for rites."

2. Ritual specifications for the sacrifice of Confucius

Ancient China's sacrificial specifications, the "Zhou Ritual" made the following description: "The son of heaven eight rows of dancers, the vassals six, the great doctor four, the scholar two." ? Row of dancers is the ranks of ancient music and dance. Eight rows of dancers is eight rows and eight columns of sixty-four people, six rows of dancers is six rows and six columns of thirty-six people, and so on.

Historically, there are two kinds of specifications for the Confucius Festival, one is the Middle Festival and the other is the Great Festival. In the festival specifications began in the Southern Song Dynasty - Song Emperor Yuanjia twenty-two years (445), the specifications for the sacrifice of holes set as "on the public rituals, dance with six rows of dancers, set up Xuan hanging music, music Chen three sides" Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen Taihe sixteen years (492), the court regulations for the sacrifice of holes with "Xuan hanging three music ", "six rows of dancers", and "three offerings". Before the Ming Chenghua, the sacrifice of Confucius belongs to the specifications of the vassal. Ten fruits and beans, dance with six rows of dancers (rows of dancers). At that time, the temple of Confucius was a medium sacrifice (the Great Temple was a great sacrifice because the Great Temple was the ancestral temple of the Son of Heaven, and acted as a rite of heaven). After the Ming Chenghua, Confucius was sacrificed with the Great Sacrifice, but there was no explicit provision. Until the Qing dynasty Guangxu thirty-two years (1906), the Qing court only explicitly provided for the promotion of the sacrifice of Confucius for the Great Sacrifice.

The differences between the Great Sacrifice and the Middle Sacrifice are many. There are three points are the most important: First, according to etiquette, the big sacrifice with eight rows of dancers, dancers eight rows and eight columns **** sixty-four people. The middle festival uses six rows of dancers, six rows and six columns of dancers***thirty-six people. Secondly, the emperor and members of the emperor were personally present at the great sacrifice. In the festival is the highest local administrator officiating. Third, the building specifications are different.

The founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, in Hongwu six years (1373) ordered the palace music Palace to re-establish the music and dance music score of the Ding Festival. Qing Emperor Kangxi six years (1667) Kangxi Emperor personally made "in and shao music", used for the sacrifice of Confucius. The Qianlong dynasty piled up the empty procedures were clearly defined. The Qianlong Qin decided the rituals of piling up empty space as follows: welcome the god, the first offering, the sub-offering, the final offering, the withdrawal of the writing, and send the god six procedures. Respectively, played the chapter of Zhaoping, Xuanping, Chipping, Syuping, Yi Ping, De Ping. The dance embodies the metaphors of the words "Give, Wyatt, Ming, Virtue", and so on, which centrally embodies the main idea of Confucius' "benevolence and virtue" and "rituals and music".

Confucian temple rituals stipulated in the Qing dynasty Qianlong, there are six kinds:

1. This is after the Tang and Song Dynasty, specializing in Qufu Confucian Temple of a ritual. Four times a year, each quarter in the middle of the month (February, May, August, November) on the d day held, so called "Ding Festival". Confucius Temple and the state and county only spring and fall each year, Zhongding two sacrifices.

2. The first day of the month to release the dishes. Held on the first day of the month (the first day), more simple, only a dedication.

3. Moonrise incense ceremony. On the 15th of each month (hope) in the Dacheng Hall, Chongsheng Temple, Kai Sheng Temple, the Family Temple.

4. The annual rituals. It is the family festival of Confucius, which is held seven times a year at the Family Temple and Chongsheng Temple.

5. The ritual of confession. If something happens in the family of the Duke of Yan Sheng, a sacrificial rite to the family temple with the blessing of the text. The same yearly rituals.

6. Sacrifice to the ancestors. May 29, in the Zongxing ancestor Kong Renyu (five generations of chaos, Confucius forty-second generation grandson Kong Guangshi was killed, Guangshi's only son Kong Renyu restored the title of Duke of Wenxuan, so that Confucius rituals continue, so the hole group respect Kong Renyu for the Zongxing ancestor). The main ritual is to welcome out the god masters of Kong Carp, Kong Unreal and Kong Renyu from the Family Temple to the Poetry Hall, and perform the ritual of three offerings (the god masters are the wooden tablets).

3. The music and dance instruments, the main people and offerings

The music and dance instruments can be divided into five categories: gold, stone, bamboo, wood and pottery. According to the sound quality points belong to the following "eight tone" musical instruments.

Gold: special bell (Bo bell) one to two pieces

bell one to two sets (16 or 32 pieces)

Stone: special pan one to two pieces

pan one to two sets (16 or 32 pieces)

Bamboo: flute, xiaojiao, blowpipe, blowpipe, a number of pieces

Wood: (ancient percussion instruments), (ancient percussion instruments) a number of pieces

Leather: Jian drum, Ying drum, Alligator sinensis, Bo drum, (drum with a long handle) drums, two pieces each

Silk: zither, six to eight pieces, four to six pieces

Lagenaria: sheng, a number of pieces

Earth: ocarina, a number of pieces

In addition, there are the following musical and dance instruments:

Jie and Banner (used to direct the music and dance)

Feather (held in the right hand), etc. ("wind"), the left hand (held in the left hand) ("literary and dance instruments")

The following instruments are also used for music and dance:

The "Dance of the Gods", which is the most popular instrument in the Chinese language.

The following musical instruments were used to conduct music and dances:

Fei (held in the right hand), Pipe (held in the left hand) (literary instruments)

Gan (held in the left hand), Chi (held in the right hand) (martial instruments)

A number of ceremonial and musical costumes

Offerings were made in the form of three prisons (pigs, cows, and goats), dried and fresh fruits and melons, rice, beans, and wine.

The main personnel of the Confucius Festival (in the Temple of Literature of the province, prefecture, state, and county)

1. One person as the master of ceremonies

2. One person as the officiating official (the highest local administrator)

3. Two persons as the accompanying official (the chief)

4. Several officials of the imperial court

5. Several elders in the local government

6. A number of local elders

6. Social celebrities

7. Music and dance pupils: 45 music pupils and 36 dance pupils

8. The main sacrificial site: the Dacheng Hall of the Confucian Temple and the platform

9. Offerings: The Dacheng Hall has a built-in altar, and on the altar, there are the taiyun (pig, ox, and goat), and in front of the altar there are offerings and the table. On the case of erecting a Zhu plate, written on it to celebrate the virtues of Confucius Zhuwen. Offering table put a variety of rituals: Jue, Zun, Deng, soup cauldron, basket, gui, fruits, chopping board, beans, covered basket and so on.

IV. Confucius ritual: Confucius ritual or ceremony. Its special name is called "release ceremony". Release, Dien are furnished, the meaning of the presentation, refers to the ceremony, furnished music, dance, as well as the presentation of livestock (three prison) wine, fruit, vegetables and other offerings, in order to express the reverence for Confucius. Confucius rituals are divided into: welcome the god, the first dedication, sub dedication, the final dedication, withdrawal of writing, send the god and other six parts.

Welcome the gods, is to invite out Confucius and four with the tablets, by the officiating priest (the highest local administrator) into the incense, three worship nine kowtow ritual, music played Zhaoping chapter. The lyrics of the song are to praise the merits and virtues of Confucius during his lifetime. The text reads: "Confucius is great, the first to realize and the first to know, and heaven and earth, the teacher of the world. Xiangzhenglin sash. Rhyme answer Jinshi, the sun and the moon both uncovered, Qiankun Qingyi.

The whole process, with six rows of dancers or eight rows of dancers of music and dance, playing the golden sound of Yu Zhen, simple and melodious shao music, chanting Confucius like heaven and earth, Dao through the ancient and modern hymns. Such as the Temple of Confucius in Qufu in the Yuan Dynasty rituals have: "still capitalization of the gods, the throne of my royal yuan", "explication of my royal style, the four seas forever clear" of the words of praise. From this, we can see that the sacrifice of Confucius side is from the reverence of Confucius, but the most important is the unity of church and state in the service of imperial power.

The first dedication, sub dedication, the final dedication is the main part of the activities of the whole festival, by the officiating priest (a person), accompanied by the priest (two) three times to the wine, vegetables, meat, fresh and dried fruits, and other offerings to the Confucius statue in front of the "three dedications" were played Xuanping, Chiping, Syuping chapter of the song, six rows of rows of dancers. Thirty-six dancers standing on the platform, dressed in blue robes, wearing a black flat-topped square horn hat, pedal soap shoes. Dance is divided into two classes of cultural dance, martial arts dance, each class is divided into two groups, each group of eight people, standing opposite each other. Wusheng in front, the right hand holding Qi, left hand holding dry; Wusheng in the back, the right hand holding feather, left hand holding龠, in the accompaniment of the eight musical instruments, the dance students jumped up to the festival of Confucius music and dance, each dance modeling on behalf of a word, dance posture strong stretching, with the classical beauty.

The music is played in the chapter of Yi Ping.

The last part of the ritual of sending the gods to the Century Kong, music playing the chapter of De Ping. The lyrics are: Teal Zee Ee Ee, Su Si Yang Yang, Jing Xing Xing Zhi, Liu Ze boundless. I am showing the rituals, the rituals Kong Ming, the transformation of my steam people, the education of my gum itch.

The six movements of the Confucius Ceremony highly evaluated the great life of Confucius, praised his profound Confucianism and the role of civilization on the whole society.

The main priests, priests, music students, dance students, song students *** more than two hundred people, dressed in Qing Dynasty costumes, solemn, prayer abusive sincerity, the whole scene is solemn and elegant, there is a sense of being in the atmosphere of ancient traditional culture.

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, that is, in 1906, Confucius was elevated to the great sacrifice. Sacrifice Confucius and the sacrifice of the temple, the sacrifice of heaven and earth, etc., the sacrifice reached the highest national ritual, can be said to be the peak?

It must be more and more complete ah, the most complete must be the end of the Qing Dynasty, the modern words are just a process

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