Duties of Disciples

管仲Bashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.0

Word count: 884 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

The Disciple's Duties is recorded in the Han shu "Yiwenzhi" and was explicitly attributed to Guan Zhong. Later scholars, however, have established that the Guanzi was not written by Guan Zhong himself; it was most likely composed by Jixia scholars of the state of Qi during the Warring States period under Guan Zhong's name, with some Han dynasty accretions. The extant Guanzi in seventy-six chapters includes The Disciple's Duties as chapter ten of the "Miscellaneous Chapters."

Editor's review

"Di Zi Zhi" (Duties of the Younger Brother and Disciple) is an ancient text recording the daily norms for disciples serving their teachers, receiving instruction, rising and resting, eating and drinking, included in the "Miscellaneous Chapters" of the Guanzi. This collated edition from Bashu Publishing House lets readers directly encounter this short, compact text. Its value lies not in literary polish but in presenting the concrete regulations on the teacher-disciple relationship, daily ritual, and learning order in the scholarly transmission from the pre-Qin to the Han period; it is primary material for understanding ancient forms of education and details of ritual institutions. The provisions on daily schedules, advancing and responding, serving at meals, and sweeping and cleaning read concretely and can be compared with relevant chapters of the Book of Rites to see how the ancients put "respect" and "learning" into practice. The question of authorship is addressed in the materials: it was traditionally attributed to Guan Zhong, but scholars mostly hold that the Guanzi was produced by Jixia scholars and supplemented by Han writers; readers should understand the text against this compositional background rather than insisting that Guan Zhong wrote it himself. Suitable as an introductory selection for the study of ancient ritual institutions, educational history, and the Guanzi, and also for readers with a good foundation in classical Chinese for close reading of short texts.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and graduate students studying pre-Qin and Han ritual institutions and educational history
Readers who need close reading of selected texts from the Guanzi or other masters' writings
Enthusiasts with a good foundation in classical Chinese who want to understand ancient teacher-disciple etiquette

Not a good fit for

Textual scholars seeking a complete collated and annotated edition of the Guanzi
Beginners not yet introduced to classical Chinese reading, for whom the itemized ritual provisions are tedious
General readers seeking literary reading or story-driven content

Reading tips

First read through the punctuated text, then go through the annotations item by item and sort the provisions into categories such as serving the teacher, receiving instruction, and daily life.
Read alongside relevant passages of the "Qu Li" chapter of the Book of Rites to compare how different texts regulate disciples' behavior.
Note the explanation of the text's compositional background and understand it within the context of Jixia scholarship and Han additions.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
弟子职第五十九

FAQ

Was "Di Zi Zhi" really written by Guan Zhong?

It was traditionally attributed to Guan Zhong and is recorded in the Han Bibliography. But later scholars mostly hold that the Guanzi was not written by Guan Zhong himself but by Jixia scholars of the state of Qi during the Warring States period under his name, with Han-era additions. "Di Zi Zhi" is included in the "Miscellaneous Chapters" of the Guanzi; readers should consider this compositional background and regard it as a product of the Jixia scholarly tradition rather than Guan Zhong's own writing.

What is this text mainly about?

It sets out in concentrated form the ritual norms for disciples serving their teachers, receiving instruction, and daily life, including specific items on daily schedules, advancing and responding, serving at meals, and sweeping and cleaning. The content leans toward rules of conduct rather than theoretical discussion; it is direct material for understanding the ancient teacher-disciple relationship and educational order, and can be read alongside relevant chapters of the Book of Rites.

Can I read it without a foundation in classical Chinese?

You can try, but you will need annotations and a translation. The text has many short itemized sentences with archaic wording, and the ritual details are far from modern life, so beginners may find it tedious. It is advisable to start with an annotated and translated edition, grasp the ritual category of each item, and not get bogged down in every character, then gradually move to close reading of the original.

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About the author

管仲 Author

Guan Zhong was an important statesman and thinker in China's ancient Spring and Autumn period. His sayings and deeds are chiefly preserved in the book Guanzi, attributed to him. The library holds eight related works, including Guanzi and an unannotated edition of it, as well as chapters such as "Li Zheng," "Ba Xing," "Ba Yan," "Zhi Fen," "Guo Zhun," and "Di Zi Zhi." These texts deal with governing the state, enriching the country and strengthening the army, combining ritual and law, and economic regulation, and they also touch on educational discipline and the way of ruler and minister. Because public information on Guan Zhong's dates of birth and death and nationality is limited, it is difficult to give a detailed personal biography. Judging from the extant texts, his writing excels in political argument and dialogue, is clearly organized, and often uses concrete institutions and examples to explain his views; it has had a profound influence on later Legalist and political thought.