Tan Gong, Part II

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.4

Word count: 6.5K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

"Tan Gong Xia" in the Book of Rites mainly tells stories of Confucius educating his disciples that rulers should be honest and upright in government; it is an important book of regulations and institutions in ancient China. The book was compiled by the Western Han ritual scholar Dai De and his nephew Dai Sheng. The eighty-five-chapter edition selected by Dai De is called the Da Dai Liji; in the course of later transmission it was intermittent, and by the Tang only thirty-nine chapters remained. The forty-nine-chapter edition selected by Dai Sheng is called the Xiao Dai Liji, which is the Book of Rites we see today. The two books each have their own emphases and selections, and each has its own characteristics. At the end of the Eastern Han, the famous scholar Zheng Xuan wrote an outstanding commentary on the Xiao Dai Liji; afterward this edition became increasingly popular and gradually developed from a work explaining the classics into a classic itself. In the Tang it was listed as one of the "Nine Classics," and in the Song it was included among the "Thirteen Classics," becoming required reading for scholars.

Editor's review

"Tan Gong Xia" is an important chapter of the Book of Rites; this book presents it in the Bashu Shushe collated edition, making this Confucian institutional text accessible to readers. The chapter often records the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples, involving ritual practice, mourning and sacrificial ceremonies, and the way of government; the narrative is concise and rich in dialogue, containing both institutional records and vivid fragments of personal conduct. Understanding the Tan Gong chapter requires placing it in the textual formation of the Book of Rites: Dai De and Dai Sheng respectively compiled the Da Dai Liji and the Xiao Dai Liji; after Zheng Xuan annotated the Xiao Dai Liji, that edition became prevalent, was listed among the Nine Classics in the Tang, and entered the Thirteen Classics in the Song. This book is suitable as a textual basis for studying individual chapters of the Book of Rites; when reading, one should use commentaries and knowledge of ritual background and avoid quoting passages in isolation. Readers interested in ancient ritual institutions, pre-Qin Confucian thought, and the history of classical scholarship may begin with this chapter to appreciate the combination of narrative and principle in ritual texts.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students of ancient literature and history studying individual chapters of the Book of Rites
Readers concerned with pre-Qin Confucian ritual institutions and thought on government
Researchers needing the text of Tan Gong for annotation or papers

Not a good fit for

Beginning readers hoping for vernacular stories or light popular introductions
General readers with little interest in ancient ritual institutions and classical texts

Reading tips

First read a relevant introduction to the Book of Rites to understand the place and nature of the Tan Gong chapter within the whole.
Use traditional commentaries such as Zheng Xuan's annotation to understand paragraph by paragraph, paying attention to the accurate meaning of ritual terms.
Excerpt and classify the questions and answers between Confucius and his disciples in the chapter to appreciate the combination of ritual practice and ideas of government.

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
檀弓下第四

FAQ

What is the relationship between "Tan Gong Xia" and the Book of Rites?

"Tan Gong Xia" is one chapter of the Book of Rites. The Book of Rites was compiled by Dai Sheng of the Western Han in forty-nine chapters and circulated alongside the Da Dai Liji compiled by Dai De. After Zheng Xuan annotated the Xiao Dai Liji, that edition gradually became a classic, was listed as one of the Nine Classics in the Tang, and was included in the Thirteen Classics in the Song.

Can this book be read without a foundation in classical studies?

It can be read, but with some difficulty. "Tan Gong Xia" often records ritual ceremonies and personal words and deeds, and the terminology and background require annotation for support. It is advisable first to understand the basic nature and formation of the Book of Rites, then read paragraph by paragraph with the help of commentaries; one should not skip the background and read straight through.

Is the content of the book mainly stories of Confucius educating his disciples?

The chapter indeed often records the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples, involving ritual practice and the way of government, but Tan Gong as a whole is rich in content and also includes institutional records such as mourning and sacrificial ceremonies; it should not be simplistically summarized as educational stories and must be understood in light of the structure of the whole chapter.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.