Classics

The present arrangement of the cla ical books of China is supposed to have originated in the Sung dynasty. It includes nine works, five being called IMG:p134_2.png:Chinese characters ching and four being called Hf ghu. Ching signifies first the warp threads of a web; then, what is regular and a ures regularity. In regard to books it indicates they are authoritative on their subjects. The five Ching are canonical works, to be received as law. Shu merely means writings or books. The five Ching are 1, / Chiiig IMG:p134_3.png:Chinese characters Book of Changes. 2, Shu Ching IMG:p134_4.png:Chinese characters or Book of IMG:p134_5.png:Chinese characters 3, Shih Ching IMG:p134_6.png:Chinese characters or Book of Odes. 4, Li Chi jg IMG:p134_7.png:Chinese characters Record of llites. 5, Ch'un Ch'iu $ IMG:p134_8.png:Chinese characters Spring and Autumn. Of these only the Ch'un Ch'iu can properly be considered as the work of Confucius. The / Ching has appendices by him. The expre ion the Four Books IMG:p134_9.png:Chinese characters is an abbreviation for the Books of the Four Philosophers, H-f"JiS- They are, 1, Lun Yii IMG:p134_10.png:Chinese characters sg or Confucian.inahcti'; it is occupied with the sayings of Confucius. 2, Ta Hsiieh IMG:p134_11.png:Chinese characters The Great Learning,.supposed to be the work of Tskng, a disciple of Confucius. 3, Chung Yung tp IMG:p134_12.png:Chinese characters Doctrine of the Mean, ascribed to K'ung Chi grandson of Confucius. 4, Meng-tzfi, IMG:p134_13.png:Chinese characters The tvorks of Mencius. This arrangement is defective, inasmuch as the Ta Hsiieh and Chung Yung are found In the Zt Chi, being respectively Book 42 and Book 31 in that work. The oldest enumeration gives only the five Ching, sometimes made six Ching by the addition of the Yo Chi IMG:p134_14.png:Chinese characters gg Secord of Music, now one of the Books in Li Chi. Another enumeration gave nine Ching, and in the famous compilation of the Cla ics by the second emperor of the T'ang there are thirteen Ching; viz., /; Shih; Shu; three editions of Ch'un Ch'iu with annotations by Tso-ch'iu Ming;£t5BW, KUNG-YANG KaO IMG:p134_15.png:Chinese characters and KU-LIANG CH'iH IMG:p134_16.png:Chinese characters Chi; Chou Li IMG:p134_17.png:Chinese characters I®; / it- « Si Lun Yil IMG:p134_18.png:Chinese characters a dictionary; Hsiao Ching IMG:p134_19.png:Chinese characters. Cla ic of Filial Piety; and Meng-tzu: Of these Mencius, Lun Yii, Ta Hsiieh, Chung Yung and Hsiao Ching, were spoken of as Hsiao Ching, IMG:p134_20.png:Chinese characters IJJ Smaller cla ics. The only complete translation of the Four Books and Five Chi7tg is the English translation by Lecge, a 'monument of Anglo-Chinese scholarship.' Sec separate articles on each.