Ritual and Music Civilization in Ancient China

　　Zuo is a tile percussion instrument in ancient China. The picture shows 2008 actors singing at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, welcoming friends from all over the world.

　　Rites and music civilization is an important part of ancient civilization in China. As early as the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, ancient sages formed a set of quite perfect ritual and music system through system of rites and music, and promoted it as a moral and ethical ritual and music education to maintain human harmony in social order. Rites and music civilization has had a great and far-reaching impact on the development history of Chinese civilization for thousands of years, and it still has its strong vitality.

　　The emergence of ritual and music civilization

　　China’s ancient "rites" and "music" originated from ancient primitive worship. The Book of Rites says, "At the beginning of a husband’s ceremony, he began to eat and drink, and he burned the porpoise. Respect and respect? If you drink, you will feel like a drum, and if you can make it respect ghosts and gods. " Its contribution to the gift, beating the earth drum and having fun, is the earliest ritual music ceremony. In the legendary Five Emperors’ period, although the emperor’s leading position and surrender had produced the consciousness of "ceremony", the system of ceremony had not yet been produced. It was only in the Xia Dynasty that the etiquette system was gradually established, because "the world is home, and each family is close to its relatives", so "adults think of etiquette" and "etiquette thinks of discipline". Due to the lack of written records and archaeological materials, it is difficult to know the details of Xia Li. Due to a large number of archaeological discoveries in Yin Ruins and more records in Historical Records of Yin Benji, Shang Li has been well documented. In the Zhou Dynasty, the ritual system was the epitome of the previous generation, and gradually became complete and mature. There were many songs and dances before the Zhou Dynasty. Zhuangzi Tianxia said, "The Yellow Emperor has Xianchi, Yao has Dazhang, Shun has Dashao, Yu has Daxia, and Tang has Da? 》。” By the Zhou Dynasty, the content of "Yue" was constantly enriched, and a corresponding system was formed. At that time, in addition to the representative "Dawu", according to the records of the twenty-nine years of Xianggong in Zuo Zhuan, there were dozens of Zhou Le. In the Zhou Dynasty, there was also a special organization "Spring Official" to regulate and manage music and dance, and under the Spring Official, there was a senior music teacher to teach the sons of the country "music virtue", "music language" and "music and dance" (Zhou Li Spring Official).

　　The ancient ritual and music civilization in China was formed and perfected in the Zhou Dynasty, because at that time, not only a systematic ritual and music system was formed, but also the ritual and music were endowed with rich humanistic connotations. The etiquette, ritual system and etiquette meaning formed in the Zhou Dynasty, such as crown, marriage, funeral, sacrifice, court, employment, township, shooting and official system, are mainly preserved in the Confucian classics "Yili", "Zhouli" and "Book of Rites" which have been handed down to this day. The "six generations of happiness" and the contents of music morality, music language, music and dance that flourished in the Zhou Dynasty were recorded in Yue Jing, but Yue Jing was "lost in Qin fire"; Fortunately, "Rites and music should be considered as useful", and the contents of many music systems can be seen in the etiquette system of "Three Rites", and the Music Book, which specializes in music meaning, is also preserved in the Book of Rites. In addition, the ancient "music" is a trinity of song, music and dance. According to Mr. Yang Xiangkui’s textual research, Zhou Le’s lyrics can be found in the Book of Songs, such as Zhou Song.

　　The Great Biography of Shangshu said that "Duke Zhou was a regent" and "system of rites and music for six years". "Zuo Zhuan" recorded in the eighteenth year of Wengong: "Zhou Gong, the former monarch, made the rites of the week, saying," Look at morality and do things with morality. " Duke Zhou was an important figure in the process of the formation of ritual and music civilization. He system of rites and music not only transformed and developed the rites and music from ancient times to the Shang Dynasty, forming a systematic system of laws and regulations and norms of behavior, but also injected the factor of "virtue" into it, which made it have profound connotations of morality and ethics. Confucius is another important figure in the development of China’s ancient ritual and music civilization. His first contribution is to inherit, popularize and publicize the ritual and music civilization, and to sort out and spread the Confucian classic "Six Classics" which records the ancient ritual and music civilization. Second, he took rites and music as the object of explanation, focused on highlighting the essence of rites and music civilization, and emphasized the ethical education and the function of governing the world.

　　The essence of etiquette and music civilization

　　The expression of rites and music needs to have certain forms, such as jade and silk, advance and retreat; Huang Zhong-Da-Lu and Gan Qi-Yu are the beauty of ceremony and music, but appreciating the ceremony of beauty is not only to satisfy the eyes and ears, but more importantly, to understand the original meaning of ceremony and music civilization leading people to be good. Confucius said: "Li Yun Li Yun, jade and silk clouds? Le Yun Le Yun, Zhong Gu Yun? " (The Analects of Confucius, Yang Huo) The Book of Rites and Music says: "It is the system of rites and music made by the late king, which is not based on the desire to hear and hear, but will teach the people to be like and hate, but also against humanity." These discourses aim to show that the form of civilized beauty of rites and music is to express the content of goodness, in which beauty is secondary and goodness is the main one. Confucius once said, "What is the courtesy of being unkind? People are heartless, so what are you happy about? " ("The Analects of Confucius, Eight Shu") Here, he put forward benevolence as a goal of leading people to be good through rites and music. Therefore, it is important to grasp the essence of etiquette and music civilization.

　　There are several meanings of "ceremony" in ritual and music civilization. First, "courtesy" is the foundation of human nature. "Book of Rites Quli" says: "Parrots can talk and stay with birds; Orangutans can talk and stay with animals. Today’s people are rude, although they can speak, is it not as good as the heart of an animal? ….. It is made by a sage, to teach people for courtesy, to make people polite, and to know themselves from animals. " "Rite" is regarded as the standard to distinguish people from animals, civilization from barbarism, so "Rite" is one of the most important characteristics of human civilized society. Secondly, the important role of "ceremony" lies in regulating people’s position and relationship in society. Etiquette makes people clear their position in society and know how to respect and be humble; Make people distinguish between right and wrong things or behaviors and know what to do and what not to do. As a code of conduct, "ceremony" maintains social order and justice. Third, "courtesy" is also a moral norm, which guides people to be kind and self-disciplined. Confucius said: "When the Tao is governed by politics, it is punished by qi, and the people are exempt and shameless; The Tao is virtuous, and it is courteous, shameful and qualified. " ("The Analects of Confucius is Politics") Therefore, the ritual and music civilization emphasizes the internalization of social rules into people’s inner yardstick through ethics. Fourthly, we can achieve the realm of social harmony by knowing and observing the ceremony. "The Analects of Confucius Learn": "There is a Confucius saying: the use of courtesy, harmony is precious. Wang Zhidao first, Sri Lanka is beautiful. It’ s not feasible to be small and big, but to know and be harmonious, not to be polite. " It not only emphasizes the desire of "harmony is precious", but also points out that "harmony" cannot be achieved simply for the sake of harmony, nor can it be unprincipled. This principle is propriety. It is the most beautiful state to achieve harmony while observing social order.

　　The essence of "music" in ritual and music civilization also has several ends. First, the social function of "music" focuses on the spirit of harmony. "The Book of Rites and the Book of Music" said: "Therefore, musicians should judge one thing to make peace, compare things with decorations, and combine the rhythm with writing, so they can make peace with their father, son, monarch and minister, and attach relatives to all the people. It’s the first way to make fun of Wang Li. " "Therefore, the musicians, the fate of heaven and earth, the discipline of neutralization, human feelings can not be avoided." It is pointed out that "music" is the discipline to coordinate all things in the world, and its function is to make people live in harmony. Second, "music" pays attention to orderly coordination. Yue Ji said: "The palace is the king, the business is the minister, and the horn is for the people. For things, feathers are things. If the five are not chaotic, then there is no? ? Voice. " It uses the five-tone metaphor to describe various characters, indicating that it is necessary to be orderly and coordinated in order to play harmonious music. Third, "music" also has the function of cultivating sentiment and changing customs. Yue Ji said: "If you treat your mind with joy, you will feel the need to forgive.". Yi Naoko is happy when he forgives, happy when he is happy, and peaceful for a long time. " "The Book of Filial Piety" also said: "It is not good at fun to change customs." That is to say, music education can cultivate the mind, make people happy and peaceful, and live a long life. Therefore, Confucius asked people to listen to elegant music and stay away from obscene sounds.

　　"Music, the sum of heaven and earth. Rites, the order of heaven and earth is also. " (The Book of Rites and the Book of Music) Order and harmony are the main themes of the ceremony and music civilization. Yue Ji said: "The musicians are the same, but the proprietors are different." It means that the function of music is to coordinate up and down, and the function of ceremony is to distinguish the order. However, although ceremony and music are different in form and function, they complement each other. In ancient tradition, "ceremony" is humanity, which covers everything, including "music". In the Zhou Dynasty, although the ceremony and music had their own systems, music was still an aspect of the ceremony system, and the harmony of music was also auxiliary and subordinate to the ceremony in order to realize it. The Book of Music says that when people are lured by foreign things, they will lose their nature and have evil thoughts such as greed, cruelty and fraud, so the first king made rituals and music to regulate people’s hearts. "Etiquette is popular with the people, and music is in harmony with the people’s voice", which is to bridge the psychological gap caused by the division of "ceremony" with the harmony of "music". Confucius and other Confucians often compare "ceremony" and "music" because the combination of the two can play a role of balance and reconciliation.

　　Modern significance of ritual and music civilization

　　The pre-Qin ritual and music civilization has experienced generations of evolution, with the specific content changed but the theme unchanged. It is of practical significance for China and the world to abandon the distinction between nobility and inferiority in the old ceremony and absorb the concept of order and harmony in the ceremony and music civilization.

　　In contemporary China, where a harmonious society is being built, the theme of ritual and music civilization is worth exploring and absorbing. The concept of order and harmony of ritual and music civilization has both internal moral norms derived from conscious consciousness and external binding behavior norms. Regulating people’s behavior with certain etiquette forms can strengthen social affinity and exert positive influence on people’s socialization. The inner moral cultivation of rites and music can achieve the balance and sublimation of human nature, and develop the sentiments of "reciprocity", "sincerity", "trust" and "righteousness", thus realizing the harmony between the subject and the outside world, the harmony of the group and the harmony of the society.

　　China, with its reform and opening-up, is opening its mind to the world and working together with the people of other countries to safeguard world peace and promote common development. The concept of order and harmony of ritual and music civilization is undoubtedly conducive to promoting the establishment of a just and reasonable new international political and economic order and realizing the pursuit of building a peaceful, stable and prosperous new world for people of all countries.

　　The fine tradition of etiquette and music civilization will also complement the Olympic spirit of "making sports serve the harmonious development of people" through the concept of "humanistic Olympics" in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The ceremony, music and dance of China’s ancient ritual and music civilization are actually similar to the ancient Greek Olympic movement and ceremony. The "rural shooting ceremony" and "big shooting instrument" in the "ceremony" are sports meetings held by the countryside and governors respectively. Naturally, there are rules and competitions in these archery competitions. However, we have to salute each other before the competition and drink together after the competition. Therefore, Confucius said, "If you are humble, you will rise and drink, and you will be a gentleman" ("The Analects of Confucius"). This is a friendly and harmonious competition. Music and dance in ritual music are similar to gymnastics now. People sing and dance in music, marching and jumping, thus pursuing the harmony between body and soul, between people and between people and nature. "People’s Olympics" is the Olympics of cultural exchange, and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is a great handshake between the Olympic Games with a long history and the Chinese culture with a long history. The concept of order and harmony in China’s ritual and music civilization is a valuable idea dedicated to the world through the People’s Olympics. It will show the oriental charm of Chinese culture and convey to the world the beautiful wish of the people of China to maintain peace and develop together with the people of other countries.

Editor: Liu Li