The Five Classics

The Five Classics form the core of the Confucian canon: the Classic of Poetry, the Classic of Documents, the Classic of Etiquette and Ceremonial, the Book of Changes, and the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals (the Record of Rites is sometimes included instead). The name "Five Classics" dates from the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. Before that there were "Six Classics"—the Poetry, Documents, Rites, Music, Changes, and Spring and Autumn Annals—but the Classic of Music was later lost. After Emperor Wu established the position of Erudite of the Five Classics, these works became the officially venerated canonical system. During the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Kong Yingda and others were commissioned to compile the Correct Meaning of the Five Classics, and the content of the Five Classics took substantially its definitive form. The Classic of Poetry is China's earliest anthology of poetry, containing more than three hundred poems divided into the sections Feng, Ya, and Song; it includes both court music and songs of labor, love, war, and sacrifice from the common people. The Classic of Documents is China's earliest compilation of historical documents, preserving important political decrees, pronouncements, and oaths from the Shang and Zhou periods. The Classic of Etiquette and Ceremonial is a specialized work recording the ritual system of high antiquity, covering capping, marriage, meeting ceremonies, community drinking rites, banquets, diplomatic missions, and funerals—every aspect of aristocratic life—and is a foundational text for the study of pre-Qin ritual institutions and social life. The Book of Changes consists of a "classic" and "commentaries" and, through the hexagram and line statements of the sixty-four hexagrams and the "Ten Wings," forms a system integrating the observation of images, divination, and philosophical thought; it has traditionally been honored as the foremost of the classics. The Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals recounts the history of the Spring and Autumn period in annalistic form and excels in narrative, rhetoric, and characterization, making it the summit of pre-Qin historical and biographical literature. The edition referred to here is a collected edition of the Chinese classics that brings the Five Classics together in one volume, suitable for readers whose aim is to read the original texts straight through, advancing one classic at a time: first reading the introduction and explanatory notes, then the original text and annotations.