Wujing
Wujing, or the Five Classics, are foundational texts in Confucianism, attributed to Confucius and significant in shaping Chinese philosophy and education. These classics consist of five key works: the Yijing (Book of Changes), Shijing (Book of Songs), Liji (Classic of Rituals), Shujing (Classic of History), and Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn Annals). They are characterized by a formal and concise writing style, where each character carries deep meaning, often requiring extensive commentary for proper interpretation. The Yijing, possibly the oldest, originally served for divination and explores the dual forces of yin and yang in relation to life and nature. Historically, following the destruction of texts by Emperor Shi Huangdi, scholars faced challenges in restoring these works, leading to debates about their authenticity. In 136 BCE, Confucianism was established as the state ideology of China, emphasizing the Wujing's role in moral and educational standards for over two millennia. The Wujing continues to influence various aspects of Chinese culture, including government, law, and personal conduct.
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Wujing
Related civilizations: Zhou and Han Dynasties, China.
Also known as:Wu Ching (Wade-Giles); Five Classics.
Date: 500-400 b.c.e.?
Locale: China
Authorship: Unknown
Wujing
The five texts of the Wujing (WEW-jihng), the cornerstone of the Confucian classics, are so named because scholars after Confucius attributed to him a personal role in their editing, compilation, and transmission. Although this claim is dubious, the importance of the texts is undiminished. After the burning of the books by emperor Shi Huangdi in 213 b.c.e., Han scholars faced immense problems in their efforts to restore the classics. Confucius, who had come into power during the early Han Dynasty, is said to have reworked these texts, making it impossible to discern the degree that some originals had been modified. Modern research can offer only speculations about the original authors.
The Wujing are written in formal classic style characterized by such extreme brevity and exactness that every character must be weighed to discern the meaning. Single characters are capable of giving a wide variety of connotations. They cannot be understood without the use of commentaries more lengthy than the texts themselves, and they contain countless references and allusions made clear only after years of tedious research.
The Yijing (eighth to third century b.c.e.; English translation, 1876; also known as Book of Changes, 1986), possibly the oldest of the Five Classics, was first used in divination. It referred to a theory of the universe involving humans and nature in a system of the two cosmic forces, yin and yang. If properly understood and interpreted, the sixty-four hexagrams and eight trigrams are believed to contain profound meanings applicable to daily life.
Other classics include the Shijing (traditionally fifth century b.c.e.; The Book of Songs, 1937), which contains 305 poems from antiquity that were used as a model for later writers; the Liji (compiled first century b.c.e.; The Liki, 1885; commonly known as Classic of Rituals), a miscellany of texts that treat ceremonies and rituals; the Shujing (compiled after first century b.c.e.; English translation in The Chinese Classics, Vol. 5, Parts 1 and 2, 1872; commonly known as Classic of History), a collection of ancient records said to have been selected and compiled by Confucius concerning principles of statecraft and ethics; and the Chunqiu (fifth century b.c.e.; The Ch’un Ts’ew with the Tso Chuen, 1872; commonly known as Spring and Autumn Annals), a record of events occurring in the state of Lu during 722-464 b.c.e. and accompanied by traditional commentaries.
In 136 b.c.e., the Han ruler Wudi declared Confucianism to be the state ideology of China and established doctoral chairs at the national university for the teaching of the Wujing. Later on, the Confucian classics became the core curriculum of Chinese education regarding moral standards, proper conduct, and instruction in government, law, literary composition, and religion. The Wujing has regulated Chinese life for two thousand years.
Bibliography
Confucius. The Essential Confucius. Translated by Thomas Cleary. London: Book Sales Incorporated, 1998.
Confucius. Shih-Ching: The Classic Anthology Defined by Confucius. Translated by Ezra Pound. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1954.
Levy, Andre. Chinese Literature: Ancient and Classical. Translated by William H. Nienhauser. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2000.
Wu, Wei. I Ching Wisdom: Guidance from the Book of Changes. Edited by Les Boston. Los Angeles: Power Press, 1994.