Three Mysteries: "Zhuangzi", "Laozi", "Book of Changes"; Four Books: "Great Learning", "The Doctrine of the Mean", "The Analects", "Mencius"; Five Classics: "The Book of Songs", "Shangshu", "Book of Rites", "Book of Changes", "Spring and Autumn"; six arts: etiquette, music, archery, imperialism, calligraphy, and mathematics.

1. Three Mysteries

1. "Zhuangzi"

"Zhuangzi", also known as "Nanhua Sutra", is a Taoist scripture, which is written by Zhuangzi and other scholars in the middle of the Warring States Period. Later he studied and wrote. After the Han Dynasty, Zhuangzi was respected as the true man of Nanhua, so "Zhuangzi" is also called "Nanhua Sutra". His book, "Laozi" and "Book of Changes" are collectively called the "Three Mysteries".

The book "Zhuangzi" mainly reflects Zhuangzi's critical philosophy, art, aesthetics, aesthetics, etc. It is rich in content, extensive and profound, covering many aspects such as philosophy, life, politics, society, art, and the theory of cosmogenesis.

Zhuangzi’s articles are full of fantasy, ingenious conception, colorful ideological world and literary artistic conception, unrestrained writing style, romantic artistic style, magnificent and strange, and unexpected, which are the masterpieces of the articles of pre-Qin scholars. An exemplary work.

Zhuangzi’s words may seem like exaggerations and boundless imagination, but they all have a foundation and are more important than historical materials and arguments. "Zhuangzi", "Gui Zang", "Four Classics of the Yellow Emperor", "Laozi" and other works are regarded as several source classics of the Chinese nation. They are not only important carriers of philosophy and culture, but also ancient sages' opinions on literature. , aesthetics, art, and the crystallization of aesthetic wisdom.

Zhuangzi and other Taoist thoughts are historically regarded as official and Taoist doctrines in addition to Confucianism.

"Zhuangzi" is not only a masterpiece of philosophy, but also a masterpiece of fables in literature and aesthetics. It has an inseparable and profound influence on the development of Chinese literature and aesthetics.

The publication and research of Zhuangzi’s fables have allowed the fine traditions of Chinese culture to be inherited and developed, and the spirit of the Chinese nation to be carried forward. In a practical sense, it has made a significant contribution to the construction of socialist civilization that cannot be ignored. bedding.

2. "Laozi"

Also known as "Tao Te Ching", "Tao Te Ching", "Laozi", "Five Thousand Words", "Laozi Five Thousand Wen", Spring and Autumn Period The philosophical works of Laozi (Li Er) during this period are a work written before the split of the ancient pre-Qin philosophers in China, and are an important source of Taoist philosophical thoughts.

The Tao Te Ching is divided into two parts. The original text is the "De Jing" and the "Tao Jing". "De Jing", divided into 81 chapters. ?

The text of the "Tao Te Ching" takes "morality" in the philosophical sense as its outline, discusses the ways of self-cultivation, governing the country, using military force, and maintaining health, and mostly takes politics as its purpose. It is the so-called "inner sage and outer king" "The study is profound and comprehensive, and is known as the king of scriptures. ?

The Tao Te Ching is one of the greatest masterpieces in Chinese history and has had a profound impact on traditional philosophy, science, politics, religion, etc.

According to UNESCO statistics, "Tao Te Ching" is the cultural classic that has been translated into foreign languages ??and published the most besides the Bible.

3. "Zhouyi"

"Zhouyi" is the "Book of Changes", one of the "Three Changes" (there is another view: the Yi Jing is the Three Changes, not the Zhouyi) , is one of the traditional classics. According to legend, it was written by Jichang, King Wen of Zhou Dynasty. Its content includes two parts: "Jing" and "Biography".

The "Jing" mainly consists of sixty-four hexagrams and three hundred and eighty-four lines. Each hexagram and line has its own explanation (hexagram words and line words), which are used for divination.

"The Book of Changes" did not put forward the concepts of Yin and Yang and Tai Chi. The book that talks about Yin and Yang and Tai Chi is the "Book of Changes" influenced by Taoism and Yin and Yang schools. "Zhuan" contains seven kinds of texts explaining hexagrams and line speeches and ten articles, collectively called "Ten Wings", which are said to have been written by Confucius. ?

In the Spring and Autumn Period, official schools began to gradually evolve into private schools. The study of Yi followed each other and developed gradually. With the rise of hundreds of schools of thought, the study of Yi diverged accordingly.

Since Confucius praised the Book of Changes, "The Book of Changes" has been regarded as the holy book of Confucianism and the first of the Six Classics. Outside of Confucianism, there are two branches of Yi that developed in parallel with the Confucian school of change: one is Zhishu Yi where the old forces still exist; the other is Lao Tzu's Taoist Yi, and Yi school began to be divided into three branches.

The "General Catalog of Sikuquanshu" divides the origin and changes of the history of Yixue into "two schools and six sects". The two sects are the Xiangmao sect and the Yili sect; there are six sects, one is the divination sect, the second is the Yuxiang sect, the third is the fortune sect, the fourth is the Lao Zhuang sect, the fifth is the Confucianism sect, and the sixth is the Shishi sect.

The Book of Changes is the theoretical source of natural philosophy and humanistic practice in traditional Chinese thought and culture. It is the crystallization of the thoughts and wisdom of the ancient Han nation and is known as the "source of the great road." The content is extremely rich and has had a profound impact on China's politics, economy, culture and other fields for thousands of years.

The Second and Fourth Books

1. "The Great Learning"

"The Great Learning" was originally a chapter in the "Book of Rites" and was never published separately before the Southern Song Dynasty. It is said to have been written by Zeng Shen (505 BC - 434 BC), a disciple of Confucius.

From the Tang Dynasty when Han Yu and Li Ao maintained Taoism and praised "The Great Learning" (and "The Doctrine of the Mean"), to the Second Cheng Dynasty in the Northern Song Dynasty, they praised and promoted it in every possible way, and even called it "The Great Learning". The door of virtue."

In the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi inherited Ercheng's thoughts and extracted "Great Learning" from the "Book of Rites" and placed it alongside "The Analects", "Mencius" and "The Doctrine of the Mean". When Zhu Xi wrote the "Collected Commentary on the Four Books, Chapters and Sentences" At that time, it became one of the "Four Books".

According to Zhu Xi and Cheng Yi, another famous scholar in the Song Dynasty, "The Great Learning" is a suicide note left by Confucius and his disciples, and is an introductory book to the Confucian school. Therefore, Zhu Xi listed it as the first of the "Four Books".

2. "The Doctrine of the Mean"

"The Doctrine of the Mean" is a moral philosophy treatise in ancient China that discusses the realm of life cultivation. It is one of the Confucian classics and was originally the third chapter of the "Book of Rites". Eleven chapters are said to have been written by Zisi during the Warring States Period.

The content affirms that "moderate" is the highest standard of moral behavior, regards "sincerity" as the ontology of the world, believes that "sincerity" reaches the highest realm of life, and proposes "learn well and interrogate." , think carefully, discern clearly, and practice diligently" learning process and understanding method.

In the Song Dynasty, it was extracted from the "Book of Rites" and combined with "The Great Learning", "The Analects of Confucius" and "Mencius" into the "Four Books". After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, it became an official school textbook and a required reading for imperial examinations, which had a great impact on ancient Chinese education and society.

The main commentaries include Cheng Hao's "The Doctrine of the Mean", Cheng Yi's "The Doctrine of the Doctrine", Zhu Xi's "The Doctrine of the Doctrine", Li Kuan's "The Doctrine of the Doctrine", Dai Zhen's "Supplementary Notes on the Doctrine of the Mean", and Kang Youwei's "The Doctrine of the Mean". "Notes on the Doctrine of the Mean", Ma Qichang's "Exegesis of the Doctrine of the Mean" and Hu Huaichen's "A Brief Theory of the Doctrine of the Mean", etc.

3. The Analects

The Analects is a book that records the words and deeds of Confucius and his students. Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC), whose surname was Qiu and courtesy name Zhongni, was born in Zou Yi (now Qufu, Shandong Province) of the state of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period.

The founder of Confucianism, the most famous thinker, politician, and educator in ancient China, had a profound influence on the development of Chinese thought and culture. The Analects of Confucius was written during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It was recorded and compiled by Confucius's students and his students who retransmitted it.

The Analects of Confucius involves many aspects such as philosophy, politics, economics, education, literature and art, etc. It is very rich in content and is the most important classic of Confucianism. In terms of expression, the language of "The Analects" is concise and vivid, making it a model of quotation-style prose.

In terms of arrangement, "The Analects" does not have a strict compilation style. Each article is a chapter, and chapters are collected into chapters. There is no close connection between chapters and chapters, but they are roughly classified and there are repeated chapters. Appear.

By the Han Dynasty, there were three versions of the Analects circulating: "The Analects of Lu" (20 chapters), "The Analects of Qi" (22 chapters), and "The Analects of Ancient Chinese" (21 chapters).

4. "Mencius"

"Mencius" was listed as the "Four Books" by Zhu Xi of the Southern Song Dynasty (the other three are "The Great Learning", "The Doctrine of the Mean" and "The Analects of Confucius"). In the middle of the Warring States Period, Mencius and his disciples Wan Zhang and Gongsun Chou were waiting.

"Hanshu Yiwenzhi" records eleven chapters of "Mencius", of which seven chapters exist in fourteen volumes. The total number of words is more than 35,000 words and 286 chapters.

According to legend, there were four other chapters of "The Wai Shu of Mencius", which have been lost (the present "The Wai Shu of Mencius" was forged by Yao Shiliang of the Ming Dynasty). The book records the political, educational, philosophical, ethical and other ideological views and political activities of Mencius and his disciples.

Three and Five Classics

1. "The Book of Songs"

The "Book of Songs" is the earliest poetry collection in my country, including 305 poems from the Zhou Dynasty. articles. Originally called "Shi" or "Three Hundred Poems", it was first called "The Book of Songs" by Confucian scholars in the Han Dynasty. The existing "Book of Songs" was handed down by Mao Heng of the Han Dynasty, so it is also called "Mao Shi".

The Book of Songs is the source of Chinese verse and the glorious starting point of the history of Chinese poetry. It has various forms: epic poems, satirical poems, narrative poems, love songs, war songs, carols, seasonal songs and labor songs.

It is rich in content, covering all aspects of social life in the Zhou Dynasty, such as labor and love, war and corvee, oppression and resistance, customs and marriage, ancestor worship and banquets, and even celestial phenomena, landforms, animals, and plants. are reflected in all aspects.

It can be said that "The Book of Songs" is a mirror of the society of the Zhou Dynasty. The language of the Book of Songs is the most important material for studying the general situation of the Chinese language from the 11th century BC to the 6th century BC.

2. "Shangshu"

"Shangshu" means "Book of Ancient Times" and is a compilation of ancient Chinese historical documents and some works that trace ancient deeds. The records date from the legendary Yao and Shun era to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (mid-Spring and Autumn Period), about 1,500 years ago.

The basic content is a record of the proclamations of ancient emperors and the conversations between monarchs and ministers, which shows that the author should be a historian. "Historical Records: The Family of Confucius" states that Confucius "prefaced the "Book of Biography" and compiled it from the time of Tang and Yu in the Tang Dynasty to Qin Mu." According to legend, it was compiled by Confucius.

There are two versions of "Shangshu", one is "Jinwen Shangshu" and the other is "Guwenshangshu". A co-editer of ancient texts.

3. "Book of Rites"

"Book of Rites", also known as "Book of Rites of Xiao Dai" and "Ji of Xiao Dai", was written in the Han Dynasty and was written by Dai Sheng, a ritual scholar of the Western Han Dynasty. Compiled.

The "Book of Rites" is an important anthology of laws and regulations in ancient China, with 49 chapters in twenty volumes. The content of the book mainly describes the ritual system of the pre-Qin Dynasty and embodies the philosophical thoughts of the Confucianists of the pre-Qin Dynasty. (Such as the view of heaven, the view of the universe, and the view of life).

Educational thoughts (such as personal self-cultivation, educational system, teaching methods, school management), political thoughts (such as the use of education to transform politics, Datong society, etiquette and criminal law), aesthetic thoughts (such as the theory of things moving and the heart feeling, Theory of Harmony in Rites and Music) is an important material for the study of pre-Qin society and a collection of materials on Confucianism.

4. "Book of Changes" (already introduced)

5. "Spring and Autumn"

"Spring and Autumn" is the chronicle of the State of Lu, revised by Confucius . Because the text is too simple and difficult for future generations to understand, explanatory works have appeared one after another to explain and explain the records in the book, which are called "biography".

Among them Zuo Qiuming's "Chun Qiu Zuo Shi Zhuan", Gong Yang Hao's "Chun Qiu Gong Yang Zhuan", and Gu Liangchi's "Chun Qiu Gu Liang Zhuan" are collectively known as "Spring and Autumn Three Biography" and are included in the Confucian classics.

"Gongyang Zhuan" and "Gu Liang Zhuan" explain the writing style of the Spring and Autumn Period and the subtlety of the "Lin Jing", but there is no subsequent chronology in the "Lin Jing". "Zuo's Zhuan" is also called "Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals", "Spring and Autumn Classics", "Zuo's Biography of Chunqiu", and is an ancient chronicle historical work.

It is a continuation of the "Lin Jing" written by Confucius. It is also a chronological history book of the state of Lu, so it is juxtaposed with the "Lin Jing". "Historical Records" states that the author was Zuo Qiuming during the Spring and Autumn Period. Classical scholars in the Qing Dynasty believe that it was adapted by Liu Xin. Modern people also believe that it was compiled by Liu Xin in the early Warring States Period based on historical materials from various countries (some say it was written by historical officials of the Lu State). .

The scope of its materials includes royal archives, Lu Shi policy books, histories of princes and states, etc. The records are basically in the order of the Twelve Dukes of Lu in the Spring and Autumn Annals, and the content includes appointments, alliances, conquests, weddings and funerals, usurpation and murder among the vassal states, etc. It has an important influence on the history and literature of later generations.

"Zuo Zhuan" is not a Confucian classic, but since it was established as a scholar and later attached to the "Spring and Autumn Annals", it has gradually been regarded as a classic by Confucian scholars.

Four and Six Arts

1. Etiquette

Etiquette (similar to today's moral education). The five rites are good, bad, guest, military, and good.

2. Music

Music. Six types of music: Yunmen, Daxian, Dashao, Daxia, Dayi, Dawu and other ancient music.

3. Archery

Archery technology. The five shooting skills are: Bai Ya, Shen Lian, Yan Zhu, Xiang Chi, and Jing Yi.

4. Chariot

The skill of driving a carriage.

5. Calligraphy

Refers to the six books of calligraphy (writing, literacy, composition): pictograms, referring to things, understanding, pictophonetics, transfers, and borrowings.

6. Number

Refers to the number of principles and the number of qi (the rules when using methods), that is, the laws of movement of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Three Mysteries

Baidu Encyclopedia - Four Books and Five Classics

Baidu Encyclopedia - Six Arts