Confucian classics(sì shū wǔ jīng)

Confucian classics

Four books and five classics refer to the combination of "four books" and "Five Classics". They are the core books studied by scholars in the past dynasties. Among many literary works of Chinese traditional culture, four books and five classics occupy a very important position. The four books and five classics record in detail the historical facts of politics, military affairs, diplomacy, culture and other aspects in the early ideological and cultural development history of our country, as well as the important thoughts of Confucius and Mencius.

List of four books: University, doctrine of the mean, Analects of Confucius and Mencius. List of Five Classics: the book of songs, Shangshu, Liji, Zhouyi and Chunqiu. Spring and Autumn Annals is usually published together with Zuo Zhuan, Gong Yang Zhuan and Gu Liang Zhuan, which explain spring and Autumn Annals, because of its simpleness. The name of the four books began in the Song Dynasty, and the name of the five classics began in Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.

In July 2008, Tsinghua University collected a batch of bamboo slips of the Warring States period. According to experts' appraisal, all the contents of the bamboo slips are ancient books, including many classics and historical documents. In the Tsinghua bamboo slips released this time, three pieces of Fu Shuo Zhi Ming aroused attention, which are completely different from Shuo Ming in the false ancient Shangshu in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. It proves once again that the handed down false ancient Shangshu is the most important one It's a fake. In addition, Zhouli was actually written between the two Han Dynasties.

Four books

Zhu Xi annotated these four books respectively. Among them, the annotations of the great learning and the doctrine of the mean are called "Zhangju", while the annotations of the Analects and Mencius are called "Jizhu" because they quote more from others. It is worth noting that the order of the four books compiled by Zhu Xi was originally the University, the Analects, Mencius and the doctrine of the mean, which was arranged in the order of learning from the simple to the deep. Because of the short length of Da Xue and the doctrine of the mean, later generations mentioned the doctrine of the mean before the Analects for the convenience of writing and publishing, which became the popular order of Da Xue, the doctrine of the mean, the Analects and Mencius the year before last. Because the four books annotated by Zhu Xi not only integrated the theories of predecessors, but also had his own unique views, which were applicable to the world; and because the status of "Cheng Zhu Neo Confucianism" represented by Cheng Hao, Cheng Yi brothers and Zhu Xi was rising day by day, after Zhu Xi died, the imperial court approved the four books annotated by Zhu Xi as official books, and it became popular from then on until the Yanyou period of Yuan Dynasty (1314-132) 0) the imperial examination was resumed, and the scope of questions was formally limited to Zhu Zhu's notes on the four books. The Ming and Qing Dynasties inherited the yuan system and developed the "eight part essay" examination system, and the questions were all from Zhu Zhu's notes "four books". The four books is not only a Confucian classic, but also a must for every scholar. In modern times, the four books were included in primary school textbooks.

the Great Learning

Da Xue was originally an article in the book of rites, which had never been published alone before the Southern Song Dynasty. It is said that it was written by Zeng can, a disciple of Confucius (505-434 BC). From Han Yu and Li Ao in the Tang Dynasty, who advocated Da Xue (and the doctrine of the mean) for upholding orthodoxy, to Cheng ER in the Northern Song Dynasty, who even called Da Xue "Da Xue", the gate of learning into morality through Kong's legacy ", to Zhu Xi in the Southern Song Dynasty, who inherited Cheng's thought, Da Xue was extracted from Li Ji, juxtaposed with the Analects of Confucius, Mencius and the doctrine of the mean, and finally came to Zhu Xi's Si Shu Zhang When he wrote a collection of notes, he became one of the four books. According to Zhu Xi and Cheng Yi, another famous scholar in the Song Dynasty, "Da Xue" is a posthumous book left by Confucius and his disciples, and an introductory book of the Confucian school. Therefore, Zhu Xi listed it as the first of the four books.

The way of university is to be moral, to be close to the people and to be perfect. After knowing, there is determination; after determination, there is calmness; after calmness, there is calmness; after calmness, there is worry; after worry, there is gain. Things have their roots and ends, and things have their ends. If you know the sequence of things, you will have a shortcut. In ancient times, those who want to know the virtue in the world first govern their country, and those who want to govern their country first Qi their family; those who want to Qi their family first cultivate their body; those who want to cultivate their body first correct their heart; those who want to correct their heart first sincere their meaning; those who want to sincere their meaning first know, and know in the world. After the object, we can know it; after the knowledge, we can know it; after the meaning, we can be sincere; after the heart, we can be upright; after the heart, we can be upright; after the body, we can be upright; after the family, we can rule the country; after the country, we can make the world peaceful. From the emperor to the common people, one is based on self-cultivation. If the cause of the chaos is chaos and the end of the rule is not. What it is thick is thin, and what it is thin is thick. It is the fundamental truth. In other words, the person who is able to behave in such way has entered the highest realm of knowledge..

The so-called sincere, do not deceive yourself. Such as bad smell, such as good lust, this is called self modesty. Therefore, a gentleman must be cautious of his own. A villain's idleness is not good at all. When he sees a gentleman, he is disgusted. He tries his best to be good. If one sees one's liver and lung as he sees himself, what is the benefit. This is called sincerity in the middle and form in the outside. Therefore, a gentleman must be cautious of his own. Zengzi said: "ten eyes see, ten hands point, its strict!" Rich room, virtue body, broad-minded and fat, so the gentleman will be sincere. The poem says: "looking at Qi'ao, green bamboo and Yi Yi, there is a gentleman who is famous for his skills, such as fighting, such as carving, such as grinding, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing, such as singing If you are a scholar, you will learn Taoism; if you are a thinker, you will cultivate yourself; if you are a shrewd person, you will be wise; if you are a noble person, you will be dignified; if you are a brilliant gentleman, you will never be famous; if you are a virtuous person, you will never forget the people. Poetry: "in the play! The former king does not forget. " The gentleman is virtuous, but he is close to his relatives. The villain is happy and beneficial, so he will never forget it. Kang Gao said, "Ke Mingde." Da Jia said, "Gu is the destiny of heaven." Emperor Dian said: "Ke Ming Junde." It's all self-evident. Tang Zhipan said: "Gou Rixin, Rixin, and Rixin." Kang Gao said, "be a new citizen." The poem says: "although Zhou was an old state, his life was reformed." Therefore, the gentleman does not need it. The poem says: "the country is thousands of miles away, only the people can stop." The poem says: "the wild yellow bird stops at the corner of the hill." Confucius said: "in the end, know its end, can people rather than birds?" The poem says: "King Mu Wen, in seizing Xi and respecting Zhi." To be a king is to be benevolent, to be a minister, to be respectful, to be a son, to be filial, to be a father, to be kind, to make friends with Chinese people, to be faithful. Confucius said, "if I listen to a lawsuit, I'm still a Jew. I'm sure there will be no lawsuit." Ruthless people can not do their words, fearing the people's will, this is known as knowledge.

The so-called self-cultivation in the right mind, the body is not the right anger, fear is not the right, there are good music is not the right, there are worries is not the right. Being absent-minded, seeing nothing, hearing nothing, and eating without knowing its taste is called self-cultivation in the right mind. The so-called Qi Qi's family is cultivating its body. People's love, evil, awe, sadness and indolence make it clear. Therefore, there are few people in the world who know good but evil, evil and beauty. Therefore, there is a saying: "do not know the evil of your son, do not know the greatness of your seedling." This means that if you don't cultivate your body, you can't have your family together.

The so-called rule of state must be the same as the family, the family can not be taught, but can teach people without it. Therefore, a gentleman does not become a monk, but becomes a teacher in the country. Filial piety, therefore, is the king; younger brother, therefore, is the chief; kindness, therefore, is the leader. Kang Gao said, "if you protect the child." If you sincerely ask for it, it will not be far away. He who did not learn to adopt a son and married later also. If one family is benevolent, one country will prosper; if one family makes concessions, one country will prosper; if one person is greedy, one country will cause chaos, this is the opportunity. It is said that one man decides the country. Yao and Shun led the world with benevolence and followed by the people; Jie and Zhou led the world with violence and followed by the people. What they ordered was contrary to what they liked, but the people did not follow. Therefore, a gentleman should have his own and then ask for others, but not others. What is hidden in the body is not forgiving, but can be compared with other people. So governing the country is in Qi Qi's family. Poetry: "peach of the young, its leaves Zhenzhen, the son of the return, appropriate to its family." After that, they can teach the Chinese. The poem says, "brother and brother are suitable." After that, we can teach the Chinese. Poetry: "the instrument is not te, it is the four countries." It is the law of father and son, and then the law of civil law. This is called governing the country in Qi Qi's family.

The so-called rule of the country in the world, the elderly and the people of filial piety, on the long and the people of younger brother, on the compassion for the orphan and the people are not times, is the gentleman has the right way. What is evil to the top is not to use the bottom; what is evil to the bottom is not to use the top; what is evil to the front is not to use the top; what is evil to the back is not to use the front; what is evil to the right is not to use the left; what is evil to the left is not to use the right. Poetry: "music only gentleman, the people's parents." What the people do well and what the people do evil are called the parents of the people. Poetry: "section of the Nanshan, Wei Shi Yan, hehe teacher Yin, people with ER Zhan." Those who have a country should not be careless. If they have a country, they will be the people of the world. The poem said: "before Yin lost his master, he was worthy of God, and his life was not easy If the Tao gains the masses, it gains the country; if it loses the masses, it loses the country. Therefore, a gentleman should be cautious of virtue first. If there is virtue, there will be people. If there are people, there will be soil. If there is soil, there will be wealth. If there is wealth, there will be usefulness. Virtue is the essence, and wealth is the end. Outside the end of the internal, for the people to seize. Therefore, when money is gathered, people will disperse, and when money is scattered, people will gather. As the saying goes, if it goes against the rules, it goes against the rules; if it goes against the rules, it goes against the rules. Kang Gao said: "only life is not constant." The way is good, you can get it; the way is not good, you can lose it. The book of Chu said, "the state of Chu is not a treasure, but a good one." My uncle said, "the dead are not precious, but the kindred are precious." "Qin Shi" said: "if there is a minister, Duanxi no other skills, his heart rest Yan, it is tolerant Yan. A man's skill is as good as his own; a man's virtue is as good as his heart. It's also good to be able to protect our descendants and people! If a man has skill, he will be jealous of evil, and he will be virtuous. If he disobeys it, he will not be able to understand it. I can't tolerate it, so that I can't protect my descendants and the people. I also say, "it's dangerous!" It is not the same as China that benevolent people let go. This is called only benevolent people can love, can villain. If you can't give up when you see the virtuous, if you can't give up before you give up, you'll lose your life. It is not good to see and not retreat, retreat and not far, too. The evil of the good and the good of the evil are called whisking

Chinese PinYin : sì shū wǔ jīng