Question:
Recently, I have developed a strong interest in Confucian culture. However, when I searched for relevant information, I found that information about it was complicated. I have heard informative Confucian texts, so I would like to know which sacred works of Confucianism are. I hope that I can gain helpful information here so that I can obtain a more profound understanding of this traditional Chinese philosophy.
—- Asked by Owen
Answer:
Holy books are usually associated with religions, such as the Bible for Christianity, the Koran for Islam, and the Tripitaka for Buddhism. Traditionally, Confucianism is not a religion but an essential school of thought in ancient China.
The sacred scriptures of Confucianism are mainly the Four Books and the Five Classics (四书五经), which contain the core concepts of Confucianism. Although these writings do not involve the worship of gods or religious rituals like the religious classics, they have played an indispensable role in traditional Chinese society like religious teachings.
The Confucian texts, with a focus on upholding ethics and morality, human relations and social order, building harmonious families and the state, and pursuing social development and prosperity, have been highly authoritative and influential throughout Chinese history.
Sacred Books of Confucianism
| Category | Book | English Name | Author | Description | Read/Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 四书 (Four Books) | 《大学》 | The Great Learning | Zengzi (曾子) | It mainly summarizes the pre-Qin Confucian theory of moral cultivation and basic principles and methods. | [1] Charles Muller’s translation [2] The Method of Higher Education – A New Translation (Gu Hongming) [3] Robert Eno’s translation download (.pdf) [4] The Great Digest (Ezra Pound) |
| 《中庸》 | The Doctrine of the Mean | Zisi (子思) | It covers many aspects of human life, like the philosophy of life, moral standards, and learning methods. Most importantly, this book also emphasizes the importance of the golden mean. | [1] translated by Charles Muller (including text and commentary) [2] James Legge version: link 1, link 2 [3] translated by Wing-Tsit Chan [4] download (.pdf), Robert Eno | |
| 《论语》 | The Analects of Confucius | Disciples and re-disciples of Confucius | It records the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples. It entails many vital thoughts and teachings of Confucius. | [1] The Confucian Analects (James Legge) resource 1, resource 2, resource 3 [2] translated by Charles Muller [3] The Analects of Confucius(2015 Edition) (Robert Eno) [4] The Sayings Of Confucius (Leonard A. Lyall) [5] William Edward Soothill’s translation [6] The Analects: The Sayings of Confucius (D. C. Lau) | |
| 《孟子》 | Mencius | Mencius and his disciples | It mainly expounds on Mencius’s theory of the goodness of human nature and his thoughts on benevolent government. | [1] The Works of Mencius (James Legge) [2] Mencius (Selections) (Charles Muller) [3] MENCIUS -TRANSLATION, COMMENTARY AND NOTES (Robert Eno) | |
| 五经 (Five Classics) | 《诗经》 | The Book of Songs | anonymous | It is the earliest collection of poetry in China, reflecting the social customs and lives of people in the early Zhou Dynasty. | [1] James Legge’s translation: link 1, link 2 [2] SHI JI ZHUAN (Arthur Waley) [3] The Shi King, The Old “Poetry Classic” of the Chinese (William Jennings) |
| 《尚书》 | The Book of Documents | Confucius | It records the critical history of the period from ancient times to the Zhou dynasty. | THE SHU KING, Or Book of Historical Documents (James Legge) source 1, read .pdf | |
| 《礼记》 | The Book of Rites | Dai Sheng (戴圣) | It focuses on ancient ceremonial systems and social customs, mirroring Confucius’s idea of the rule of Li. | James Legge’s translation: access 1, access 2 | |
| 《周易》 | The Book of Changes | Confucius | It is an ancient Chinese philosophical book about many aspects, such as cosmology, outlook on life, and methodology. | translated by James Legge | |
| 《春秋》 | The Spring and Autumn Annals | Confucius | It refers to a chronicle that is said to have been written by Confucius. It concentrates on the political, economic, and cultural history of the Zhou dynasty. | [1] CHUNQIU & ZUOZHUAN (Andrew Miller, a Ph.D. student at UCLA, electronic edition on 2007) [2] The Spring and Autumn Annals on Wikisource (Jame Legge 1872) | |
| Other holy books | 《孝经》 | The Classic of Filial Piety | Confucius and his disciples | It is a Confucian classic that focuses on the concept of filial piety. Presented as a dialogue between Confucius and his disciple Zengzi, the text emphasizes the importance of filial piety as the foundation of morality. | [1] James Legge’s translation: online 1, online 2 [2] The Book of Filial Duty (Ivan Chen 1908) [3] XIAO JING – THE CLASSIC OF XIAO (Feng Xinming) |
| 《尔雅》 | Erya | anonymous | It is the earliest known Chinese dictionary and a Confucian classic. It aims to explain terms and names found in ancient texts. It comprises 19 chapters and covers various subjects, including astronomy, geography, flora, and fauna. | Read online (chinese language) |
Four Books, Five Classics, Six Classics, and Thirteen Classics
Since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, Confucian holy books have undergone additions and omissions throughout various dynasties, gradually forming different canonical systems. Among these, the Four Books, Five Classics, Six Classics, and Confucian Thirteen Classics are particularly significant concepts.
The Four Books (四书)
The Four Books, which include The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, The Analects of Confucius, and Mencius, serve as fundamental texts for teaching and transmitting Confucian principles. During the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi compiled these four writings into a framework to elucidate Confucianism. Later, the Four Books became crucial examination content in the Chinese imperial examination system.
The Five Classics (五经)
The Five Classics are the core texts of the Confucian school, comprising The Book of Poetry, The Book of Documents, The Book of Rites, The Book of Changes, and The Spring and Autumn Annals. These sacred texts document the development of early Chinese thought and culture, providing rich historical materials on politics, military affairs, and diplomacy, thus forming the foundation of Confucianism.
Unlike the Four Books, the formation and recognition of the Five Classics was a process that spanned multiple historical periods and involved the contributions of many sages. Duke Zhou was the original creator of the Five Classics, while Confucius was responsible for their editing and finalization. Therefore, both played significant roles in developing these holy books. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established the position of Doctor of Five Classics (五经博士) and elevated Confucianism, further consolidating the central position of the Five Classics within Confucian doctrine.
The Six Classics (六经)
The Six Classics originally referred to the six texts transmitted by Confucius, which included the Five Classics and the Classic of Music (乐经). However, the Classic of Music was lost during the burning of books and burying of scholars under Emperor Qin Shi Huang, so the later Confucian literary canon primarily centers on the Five Classics.
The Thirteen Classics (十三经)
The Thirteen Classics of Confucianism are a significant collection of classical texts in ancient Chinese Confucian culture that were established during the Southern Song Dynasty.
Being essential in the Confucian culture, the Thirteen Classics include The Book of Poetry, Book of Documents, Book of Rites, Book of Changes, Zuo Zhuan, Gongyang Zhuan, Guliang Zhuan, Analects of Confucius, Erya, Classic of Filial Piety, and Mencius, as well as the Rites of Zhou and The Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial. Hence, these Confucian sacred writings encompass not only the Four Books and the Five Classics but also other crucial Chinese texts, including the Rites of Zhou, The Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial, the Three Commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals (Zuo Zhuan, Gongyang Zhuan, Guliang Zhuan), and Erya.
Covering various fields such as philosophy, history, politics, ethics, and education, these classics serve as vital references for transmitting and developing Confucian thought, exerting profound and lasting influence on subsequent Chinese culture.