Abstract: "Ritual nature" is the basis of ecological aesthetics in The Book of Rites. "The law of man lies in ceremony" and "the unity of man and nature" are the manifestations of ecological aesthetics in the Book of Rites. Social existence takes "ceremony" as beauty, including artistic thought, in which "music" is a typical expression of "ceremony" as an ecological aesthetic thought. The core idea of "Rite" is consistent with the ancient China's "Unity of Heaven and Man" and Laozi and Zhuangzi's philosophy.

Keywords: ceremony; Music; Religion; Harmony between man and nature; Ecological aesthetics

The Book of Rites is a master of humanistic thoughts from the pre-Qin period to the early Han dynasty, and it is also one of the important sources of China's history of aesthetic thoughts, to be exact, one of the sources of the history of ecological aesthetics. In the previous studies of ecological aesthetics in ancient China, from the thoughts of Laozi and Zhuangzi to the works of landscape literature since Wei and Jin Dynasties, the discussion mainly focused on pure artistic thoughts, and the study of aesthetic thoughts related to the Book of Rites was only a part of the Book of Music. The aesthetic object of ecological aesthetics is not only the pure art "higher than life", but also the way of human existence. In addition, the ancient people in China lived and lived in the singing of life. Just like the Book of Songs, there is no difference between literature, history and philosophy, so there is no difference between pure artistic thought and non-artistic thought. Therefore, under the general trend of ecological aesthetics, we should broaden our research horizons and re-grasp the ecological aesthetic value of The Book of Rites.

First, "courtesy lies in heaven" and "courtesy lies in heaven"

The core point of the Book of Rites is "ceremony", but the content of "ceremony" in the Book of Rites includes philosophy, morality, law, politics, religion, etiquette, utensils, art and many other aspects, which can be said to be the general name of culture. Because of this, many scholars refer to the civilizations of the Spring and Autumn Dynasties as "ritual and music" civilizations. Therefore, accurately understanding and grasping "Li" has become the key to study the aesthetic thought of The Book of Rites. So, what is the essence of "ceremony"? Book of rites? Li Yunyou has a proverb:

Therefore, the husband ceremony must be based on the freshman year, dividing heaven and earth, transforming yin and yang, transforming four seasons and listing ghosts and gods. Its fate, its official in heaven. The husband's ceremony must be based on heaven, moving to another place, and the things listed, which change from time to time, and the residents also pay attention to raising, and their behavior is based on goods, words, drinks, food, crowns, faintness, mourning, sacrifice, shooting, keeping, offering and hiring. [ 1]

Confucius said, "The husband's gift is that the king inherits heaven and treats others with kindness, so the loser dies and the winner lives." ..... is a husband's gift, which must be in the sky, confused in the ground, listed in ghosts and gods, in order to mourn, sacrifice, shoot, royal, crown, faint, face and hire. Therefore, the sage showed it with courtesy, so it is right for the country of the world to get it. " [2]

"Freshman", also known as "Taiyi", is often used in China's ancient discourse to refer to the chaotic qi before the division of heaven and earth, that is, the origin and noumenon of all things in the universe, which Taoism calls "Tao". Since "freshman" is the origin of all things in the universe, it is also the origin of "ceremony". Therefore, "the ceremony must be based on the freshman year." "Freshman" is divided into heaven and earth, which is transformed into Yin and Yang, and Yin and Yang are divided into four seasons, and the ghosts and gods in charge of everything are arranged between heaven and earth. Therefore, there are also sayings that "the ceremony must be based on the sky, the movement must be based on the ground, the things must be listed, and the time changes and adapts to the art" and "the ceremony must be based on the sky, the confusion must be based on the ground, and the column must be based on ghosts and gods". In other words, the ultimate source of "ceremony" is closely related to the creation of all things in the universe and directly comes from the way "heaven and earth" operate. Book of rites? "Four Sides Mourning" said: "All rites, the body of heaven and earth, and the method of four seasons are yin and yang, which is in line with human feelings, so it is called ceremony." [3] "Li" is a universal existence with isomorphic relationship with heaven and earth, four seasons and yin and yang. Xunzi? There is such a passage in the Book of Rites:

There are three kinds of rites: heaven and earth, the foundation of sex; Ancestors are the foundation of class; Jun and Shi are the foundation of governing the country. There is no heaven and earth, no ancestors, no monarch, no teacher. The three are partial to death, and there is no one to live in. Therefore, the ceremony, the matter of heaven and the matter of the earth, the ancestors first and spoil the teacher, is also a three-ceremony. [4]

This passage tells us directly that "the gift comes from heaven". "Ben" means "evidence" and "Ben", that is, the origin of "ceremony" is "heaven and earth", which is objective and natural in today's words. The "heaven and earth" here is the foundation of all life and the carrier of all things, just like the Book of Rites? The Doctrine of the Mean says:

Today, there are many things in the sky, and they are endless. The sun, the moon and the stars are all related, and everything is covered. Today, the husband's land, a pinch of soil, is wide and thick, carrying Hua Yue but not heavy, vibrating the river and the sea without venting, and everything is carried. [5]

This is just as Confucius said: "What does the sky say? At four o'clock, everything is born. " "Heaven" is the place where everything can be repeated, that is, the nature of "all things are born in four seasons". "Everything is based on the sky, and people are based on their ancestors, so they are worthy of God." (The Book of Rites? Suburban special sacrifice ") [6]

Since "propriety is based on heaven", the formulation of "propriety" should of course follow the principle of the operation of heaven and earth. Book of rites? Ritual refers to yue:

When a saint does things, he must take heaven and earth as the foundation, yin and yang as the end, four seasons as the handle, the sun, the moon and the stars as the discipline, the moon as the quantity, the ghosts and gods as the disciples, the five behaviors as the quality, the etiquette as the instrument, the human feelings as the field and the four spirits as the livestock. [7]

It can be seen that the "ceremony" in the Book of Rites is "ceremony in heaven" and "ceremony is determined by heaven". Zeng Fanren believes that the most basic proposition in Laozi and Zhuangzi's philosophical aesthetics is "Taoism is natural", which contains profound ecological wisdom, and reveals the law of harmony between man and nature and inaction from the general root of the birth and birth of all things in the universe [8]. From the essence of "Rite", the core idea of "Book of Rites" is no different from "Taoism is natural". "Rite is nature (heaven)" is the basis of ecological aesthetics in The Book of Rites.

Secondly, "human law is based on ceremony", and "heaven and man" are "one" because of "ceremony"

If there are four major cultures or civilizations in the world, namely Christianity, Islam, India and China, then the cultural ontology of Christianity is "God, Nature and Man", Islam is "God and Society", India is "God and Life" and China culture is "Nature and Society". What connects nature and society is "ceremony". "Ceremony" is the law of heaven, and the law of man is the law of ceremony. Only in this way can we take "ceremony" as the medium and act according to "heaven" to achieve the requirement of "harmony between man and nature" In the Book of Rites, there is a concept from national political activities to personal daily life, that is, the activities of "rites" are done according to God's will. Here are a few examples to prove it.

1. As a "ritual" of the political system, it follows "heaven". Book of rites? Li Yunyou has a proverb:

So, the reason why you hide is also. Therefore, the husband's government must be based on the sky and eat to kill it. Life fell to the food in the society, to the benevolence in the ancestral temple, to the prosperity in the mountains and rivers, and to the five-sacrifice system, so the saint hid himself firmly. [9]

Therefore, saints participate in heaven and earth and govern politics in ghosts and gods. Where there is, the order of ceremony is also; Play what you like and be ruled by the people. So it is natural to make money from time to time. People are taught by their parents. Four gentlemen are using it, so you stand in an innocent place. [ 10]

The meaning of this passage is "ruling by heaven", and the monarch mainly relies on "destiny", "going down to the society, down to the ancestral temple, down to the mountains and rivers, down to the five sacrifices", and can't issue decrees according to his own will, thus "standing in an innocent place". The ancients imitated nature and constructed human events according to the laws of heaven. They start with human nature and human feelings, use "ceremony" to summon people's conscience, show the goodness of people's hearts, and make people return to goodness. I hope that people's daily behavior and social life can "follow the sky" and make the social structure harmonious and orderly. Book of rites? Liu Yun once painted an ideal blueprint for a harmonious society:

The trip to the avenue is also for the public, choosing talents and talents, and honesty. Let the old have a sense of belonging, the strong and useful, and the young have their own strengths. Those who are sorry, widowed, lonely, widowed and disabled all have a sense of dependence. Men have their share and women have their reward. Don't hide on yourself; You don't have to do it for yourself. Therefore, it is called "Datong" to seek closure but not prosperity, and thieves do not do it, so leaving the house is not sealed. [ 1 1]

Here, the "road" of learning from nature can be implemented, the world is owned by the people, everyone stresses honesty and advocates harmony, people are in their proper places, work together and enjoy themselves, and the whole society is orderly and peaceful. This is the "Great Harmony Society".

2. In daily life, "Li" corresponds to different "Li" at different times, occasions and objects. The basis of formulating "rites" is the natural characteristics of "heaven", which is also the thought of acting according to "heaven" in the Book of Rites? Different activities correspond to different seasons in the moon sequence:

Don't change heaven, don't be a Jedi, and don't mess with other people's discipline. When Meng Chunxing is in summer, it rains from time to time, plants and fleas fall, and the country is sometimes afraid. When autumn comes, there will be a pandemic, and wind and rain will always come, and the weeds Artemisia will flourish. Water will be lost in winter, and the snow and frost will be heavy, so the first one will not enter. [ 12]

Another example is the dress and etiquette ceremony at the time of sacrifice, which also corresponds to "heaven":

The memorial day regards the king as the sky, and there are two days in ten, so the number of days is also; It's expensive to take a vegetarian car. There are two flags on ten sides, and the sun and the moon stand in the dragon seal, shaped like the sky. (The Book of Rites? Special Sacrifice in Suburbs ") [13]

There are two pictures in ten miles, so there are two months in ten miles. The posture should conform to the rules, the curve should conform to the square, the ankle of the negative rope should be straight and the bottom should be balanced. (The Book of Rites? Deep clothes ") [14]

Twelve is the cycle in the calendar, symbolizing that "king" represents the sky and is the master of all things in the world. A typical example is The Book of Rites? Arrangement of guest seats in rural drinking;

The host respects the guests, so he sits in the northwest and assists the guests in the southwest. Guest, take people as righteousness. So take the northwest. Master, take people with kindness and sit in the southeast; While sitting in the northeast, assisting the host. [ 15]

The meaning of drinking is not "drinking", but "ceremony", "not only diet, but also salute. This is why you are expensive and cheap. " (The Book of Rites? Rural drinking water ") This arrangement is based on:

The two sides are worlds apart. Intermediaries, like yin and yang. Three guests are like Three Lamps District. Let number three be like the third day of this month. Sit around like four o'clock. The strict spirit of heaven and earth began in the southwest and flourished in the northwest. The dignity of heaven and earth is also the loyalty of heaven and earth. The warmth of heaven and earth makes it flourish in the northeast and southeast. The virtue of heaven and earth is also the benevolence of heaven and earth. [ 16]

The Book of Rites regards people's daily activities as the epitome of "heaven", and builds a communication bridge between "ceremony" and "heaven" by simulating nature and cooperating with actions, words and ritual vessels. "Unity of Heaven and Man" is an ecological aesthetic expression in The Book of Rites.

Third, take "ceremony" as beauty

We say that the aesthetic thought of The Book of Rites is embodied in the ceremony, not that the ceremony as a social norm is beautiful only if it meets the requirements of the main melody, but that the ceremony, as an ecological aesthetic thought, runs through all aspects of human existence, including artistic thought.

1. "Rite" is a secular religion. Book of rites? The Sacrifice System says: "There are five rites, none of which is more important than sacrifice." [17] Shuo Wen Jie Zi: "Li, Lu Ye. So, everything is blessed by God. From the explanation, I am also vocal. " Duan Yucai's Note: "Ritual words are from the sign, flattering, and ritual vessels." [18] (quoted from Li Zehou) [19] From the perspective of philology, the word "Shi" is mostly related to sacrifice, so Xu Shen's explanation is credible. It can be seen that "ceremony" is originally a ritual activity to worship ancestors and worship God. "Blessing God" is a typical religious or witchcraft ceremony. In addition, the Book of Rites also contains a lot of discussions on religious sacrifices (including ancestral temples in suburban communities, funeral systems, etiquette regulations and their significance, etc. According to its origin and realistic characteristics, we call it secularized religion. To say that it is a secular religion means that it has some characteristics of religion and has functions similar to morality and law. "Rite" is modeled after and derived from natural principles, and it has absolute authority, so it is often regarded as the "norm" of social operation. "Who treats others, don't rush to ceremony ("the book of rites? Sacrifice system "). "[20]" The Book of Rites, Liu Yun "yue:

Therefore, etiquette is also very important to people, so it is also a meeting to keep fit. Therefore, health preservation and death are also the grand finale of ghosts and gods. Therefore, it is also a big sinus to obey the human feelings. Therefore, only saints can't be polite, so if you are evil, you must go to the ceremony first. [2 1]

Some scholars commented: "In the history of the world, the vitality of any culture and system can be compared with China's' ceremony'." [22] Therefore, the feudal society in China is also called "rule by courtesy" society. In other words, this "ritual" is actually a "law" that was summed up and precipitated by the ancients. In fact, there are indeed many "rites" that later became "customary law". But "courtesy" is different from the general moral law. It not only adjusts the social relationship between people, but also adjusts people's beliefs like religion, that is, the relationship between man and God, which affects people's world outlook.

From the origin of "ceremony", "ceremony" and "beauty" of art are naturally inseparable. Like Edward? Taylor said: "Witchcraft itself is not art, but witchcraft breeds and affects art" [23] From the religious point of view, the relationship between "ritual" and "beauty" of art is also very close. Lin Sumei believes that "ceremony" belongs to the religious category, and "beauty" belongs to the artistic and aesthetic category. The relationship between religion and art or aesthetics, one of which is contradictory and the other is inextricably linked, has won the favor of religious scholars and art aesthetics scholars. Both religious scholars and aestheticians generally believe that religious fanaticism and aesthetic ecstasy are ways for people to get rid of the real environment and reach the state of ecstasy, and they are also means to achieve a refined psychological state. Rites have aesthetic significance, especially the Confucian culture of rites and music, which can be regarded as a set of "models of beauty" [24]. Mr. Lin also proved that "beauty" and "ceremony" are related to religion from the etymology. It can be said that the beauty embodied in the Book of Rites in social life has the beauty of religious art because of its systematic "ritual" characteristics, and the ecological beauty of "harmony between man and nature" because of its spirit of "law in heaven". This aesthetic feature is more prominent in Yue Ji.

2. Similarity between "Le" and "Li"

Yue Ji is a collection of articles about the beauty of rites and music in The Book of Rites. It is the earliest and most specialized aesthetic document in ancient China, and its research object is not only music, but the whole artistic aesthetics represented by music. Zhang Enpu believes that "Yue Ji" is an article devoted to the criticism of literary theory [25]. There is no doubt that "music" belongs to a typical art category. Scholars have discussed a lot about the aesthetic thought of "music", so I won't repeat it here. Our main concern is the aesthetic essence of "ceremony" and "music".

First of all, in Yue Ji, "Li" and "Le" are opposites. Without "Li", it is not "Le". In the Book of Music, wherever "music" is mentioned, it will be supplemented by "ceremony". "Music" is the element, link and expression of "ceremony". The so-called "music comes from it, courtesy works from the outside" [26] and "courtesy expresses its will, and music harmonizes its voice" [27]. "Ritual" is the only background for "music" to gain meaning and importance. "Musicians don't mean that Huang Zhong and Lu Da sing string songs." [28] "It is the prosperity of music, not the extreme of sound; The gift you eat is not the taste. " [29] This "music" is very "music", but it is "music" under the candlelight of "ceremony". "Music, ethics also. It is an old friend who knows the sound but doesn't know it, and the beast is also; Those who know each other but don't know how to be happy are ordinary people. Only a gentleman can know happiness. " [30] [3 1] "Le" activated the ceremony of "Li", and "Li" precipitated the value and significance of "Le". "Musicians, so I like Germany." [32] "Knowing happiness is a gift! Rites and music can be called virtue. " [33] This shows that the beauty of "music" comes from the beauty of "ceremony".

Secondly, the relationship between "music" and religion is as close as "ceremony". "Music" does not refer exclusively to music, but also includes other art forms such as poetry, songs and dance. "Rites and Music": "It's fun to dry feathers than to sound." Zheng Xuan's note: "Dry, shield, gas, axe, and martial arts. Feather, Zhai Yu, Luo, Luo Niu are also, and they are also. " [34] As Wang Guowei's "Examination of Song and Yuan Opera" said: "Witchcraft is a matter of god, and song and dance must be used" [35] Obviously, the origin of this "dance music" is related to witchcraft, religion and other sacrificial activities. Lin Sumei pointed out that as far as "music" is concerned, the "music" in the pre-Qin period also originated from witchcraft rituals, and its connotation is the emotional expression of poetry, song and dance. [36] There are many references to "rites and music" and "ghosts and gods" in the Book of Music, such as: "There are rites and music in the Ming Dynasty, and there are ghosts and gods in the seclusion." [37] "Rites and music are in harmony with heaven and earth, connecting yin and yang, and connecting ghosts and gods." [38] and so on.

Thirdly, like Li, Le is based on Heaven, and Le is based on Heaven. On the surface, "music" is made by people. In fact, its ultimate source, like "ceremony", is also "the nature of heaven and earth" "Happiness comes from nature, courtesy comes from earth" and "Happiness is the sum of heaven and earth"; Ceremony is the order of heaven and earth. "[39] The direct purpose of" music "is to make human society harmonious, but the ultimate goal is to pursue" harmony between man and nature ". As the saying goes, "Therefore, saints are happy to respond to heaven, and rituals match the land", "Great joy is harmonious with heaven and earth, and rituals are harmonious with heaven and earth." [40] Yes.

In a word, "music" is beautiful because of "heaven" and "ceremony", and "music" is a typical expression of "ceremony" as an ecological aesthetic thought. The core idea of "ceremony" is consistent with China's ancient thought of "harmony between man and nature" and the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi.

Four. conclusion

Western society attaches importance to religious culture, so western aesthetics is full of religious aesthetic thoughts. China society has always attached importance to the culture of "ceremony", but the relationship between "ceremony" and "beauty" has not been paid attention to. The reason is that our aesthetic vision is too narrow. Aesthetic feeling is limited to the emotional field independent of life, and the aesthetic object has nothing to do with the actual existence of things, but the classification or promotion of existing things. "In aesthetics, because of the concentration and purity of artistic beauty, traditional aesthetics often takes art as the core and excludes natural beauty and social beauty. [4 1] Non-utilitarian aesthetic propositions have been artificially expanded, pushed to extremes, increasingly divorced from life and cultural practice, and become narrow and rigid. Because the "ceremony" in the Book of Rites has a profound connection with the secular life of society, under the illumination of this aesthetic thought, people tend to focus on the political function, social function and feudal hierarchical concept embodied in the "ceremony", which of course has no aesthetic value.