Li Ji: Book of Rites

The Book of Rites is one of the Five Classics of Confucianism, a compilation of ritual texts from the pre-Qin period to the Han dynasty. Originally consisting of forty-nine chapters, it is most profoundly influential through famous sections such as The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, Record on the Subject of Education, and Record on Music. It systematically expounds on rites governing capping, marriage, funerals, sacrifices, court audiences, and village feasts, as well as ethical concepts such as benevolence, righteousness, self-cultivation, and education, making it an essential classic for understanding ancient Chinese social order and cultural ceremonies.

The core of The Book of Rites lies in "ritual" (li): ritual is both an external norm and the manifestation of inner virtue. Passages such as "Ritual is the principle of order" and "In the practice of ritual, harmony is the most precious" closely link ritual institutions with harmonious order. Record on the Subject of Education is hailed as one of the world's earliest treatises on education, systematically discussing principles of teaching and methods of learning. Record on Music explores the relationship between music and moral transformation, as well as between emotion and governance.

In the Han dynasty, Dai De and Dai Sheng compiled The Book of Rites of the Elder Dai and The Book of Rites of the Younger Dai respectively. The Book of Rites transmitted today generally refers to the forty-nine chapters compiled by Dai Sheng. Zheng Xuan's commentary, together with The Ceremonials and The Rites of Zhou, forms the "Three Rites," which became the foundation of ritual studies throughout the ages. In the Song dynasty, Zhu Xi extracted The Great Learning and The Doctrine of the Mean from The Book of Rites and included them in the Four Books, further elevating the classic's status.

As the comprehensive repository of Chinese ritual culture, The Book of Rites elevates the rituals of daily life into a pathway for moral cultivation and social harmony. Reading this book allows one to understand why Chinese culture places such high importance on "ritual," and how institutions, education, and ethics intertwine to form a civilized order.