A Study On Dadai Liji

Dadai Liji(The Rites by Dai De)was a ritual literature compilation compiled by the Western Han ritualist Dai De. Dai De and Dai Sheng learned from the ritual doctor Hou Chang and researched the seventeen-section Etiquette during the emperor Wu period of Western Han Dynasty. While learning and spreading the Etiquette, Dai De and Dai Sheng also chose some ritual literature as reference and supplementary materials respectively, which were the forty-nine-section Rites and the eighty-five-section Dadai Li ji. Compared to the Rites, fewer people researched Dadai Liji, which lost more than half to the Southern Song Dynasty. Because of its abstruse origin and development, scholars such as Chen Zhensun grave doubt about its academic value. In the Republic of China Period, the famous scholar Hong Ye confined to the "ancient writing classic study" and "up-to date writing study", holding the conclusion that Dadai Liji was written in the Eastern Han Dynasty, which affected scholars’use of it much more. By studying Dai De’s life experience on the basis of predecessors’research, this paper held that Dadai Liji was compiled by Dai De himself really. Through researching each article of Dadai Liji, we believed that they were written respectively by Confucian scholars from the Spring-autumn Period to the Western Han Dynasty and they were important materials of studying the theory of rite and Confucianism.This paper is divided into six chapters. Chapter I mainly researched Dai De’s life experience and the time when Dadai Liji was written. In order to research the completion time, we must have a clear understanding of the compiler Dai De’s life and academic experiences. Section I, through the life experience of Hou Chang、 Dai Sheng and Liu xing(Xin Du Wang),which were closely related to Dai De, we approximately inferred that Dai De was born in about the first year of Tianhan in emperor Wu or so (100BC). He learned from Hon Chang from the last stage of emperor Wu to emperor Zhao roughly, the time he past away was about the second year of Yangshuo in emperor Hancheng period (37BC). Section II, we refuted some scholars’view that Dadai Liji was written in the Eastern Han Dynasty and believed that it was compiled by Dai De exactly and it was written after Dai De was appointed as grand tutor of Xin Du Wang, that was after37BC. Section III, we classified all chapters of Dadai Liji and demonstrated its important academic value.Chapter Il is The Research of the Lost Papers in Dadai Liji. Section I described the spread history of Dadai Liji from the Eastern Han dynasty to the Sourthern Song dynasty. I affirmed that Dadai Liji which originally had85papers retained only40papers in the sourthern song dynasty. Section II introduced the research of Dadai Liji’s lost papers in history, and mainly focused on Wunei Yixiong, Ruan Tingzhuo and Liu Xiaodong’s research. Section III studied quotations from Dadai Liji of the literature of past dynasties, and certified that these are Dadai Liji’s lost papers which contains six papers, namely Shifa, Sanfubianchu, Wenwangshizi, Bianmingji, Zhengmu and Jifa. Due to the deficiency of the existing literature, I can’t find out the names of other lost papers. Section IV studied the reason of the lost of Dadai Liji, I believe there are two main two reasons for the lost of Dadai Liji, one is the Dadai Liji couldn’t obtain officianl recognition, the other is it’s content had divorced from its historical situation.Chapter III, Ritual literature in Dadai Liji,mainly discoursed the contents and completion time of Zengzi containing10sections、Kongzi San Chao Ji containing7sect ions、Wei jiangjun Wenzi、Zizhang Wen Ruguan、Wenwang Guanren and Wuwang Jianzuo. Zengzi was Zengzi’s speech records recorded by his disciples and further disciples and it was precious materials of researching Zengzi’s doctrine. Kongzi San Chao Ji was a book written by Confucian scholars on the pretext of Confucius in order to propagate Confucianism. Weijiangjun Wenzi which on the pretext of dialogues between Zigong and Weijiangjun Wenzi, evaluated the eight disciples of Confucius. From this article we could see the evaluation thoughts when Confucianism evaluated people. Both Wenwang Guanren and Wuwang Jianzuo were literature imitating of classical styles written by scholars during the Warring States Period. The former was about how to identify the character of others and grante suitable official post in accordance with their talents. The latter narrated a story on the pretext of Wu Wang consulted Jiang Shang statecraft and Wu Wang made inscribed motto to alert himself.Chapter IV, Educational literature in Dadai Liji, we discoursed Wudi De and Dixi which described the ancient imperial descent were written by scholars of the late Warring States Period. They took many legendary ancient emperors into one system and were the thought reflection of the unified empire of the late Warring States Period formed gradually. Dai De chose Quanxue and Li San Ben from Xunzi which written by Xunqing, the Confucian masters of the late Warring States Period. We refuted the statement that all the same chapters between Xunzi and Dadai liji were Xunzi collected from Dai brothers’Rites.We thought that the two chapters were written by Xunzi exactly and was elected into Dadai liji by Dai De. Benming and Yi Benming explored the Yin-yang doctrine, fully reflected the integration of Confucianism and Taoism.Chapter V, Political literature in Dadai Liji, we discoursed that Baofu and Lica were collected from Jiayi’s Xinshu by Dai De. Baofu discoursed the role of Taifu in Prince culture, while Lica discoursed the importance of rite. We considered that Chaoshi and Shengde were closely related to Zhou Rites, they were ritualists’ re-creation when they researched Zhou Rites which was discovered by He Jian Xian Wang, and they contained the political ideals of the Confucian.Chapet VI is The Change of Recognition of Personal Quality from Individual’s Appearance—From Dadi Liji to Nine Grades Official Selection System. Section I is the method of selecting officials under nine grades official selection system. it discussed the change of official selection system during the Wei Jin and the Southern and Northern dynasties. Section II is the principle of official selection in nine grades official selection system. I compared the methods, principles, procedures of official selection in Renwuzhi with Wenwang Guanren. And it shows that official selection in the Wei Jin and the Southern and Northern dynasties had great progress than the Pre-qin Periods. This had historical significance.