Solar eclipse is a natural phenomenon. Contemporary people pay attention to the solar eclipse, or out of the need to explore the mysteries of nature, or out of curiosity about astronomical phenomena, few people associate it with the etiquette system. However, in ancient China, people's attention to solar eclipse led to the appearance of stylized solar eclipse rescue ceremony, which made solar eclipse one of the few natural phenomena that could have an impact on the traditional ritual system.
First, the formation of etiquette related to solar eclipse
The ancients in China attached great importance to solar eclipse, which has a long history. For example, there are many records about solar and lunar eclipses in Oracle Bone Inscriptions with Yin deficiency syndrome. In the Oracle Bone Inscriptions of Wu Ding, there are 10 solar eclipses. " [1] These records reflect the importance attached by the Yin people to the solar eclipse.
In fact, people in Xia dynasty noticed the solar eclipse earlier than in Yin dynasty. In this regard, the records in Shangshu Andrew can be used as an example:
However, when xi subverted Juede, he was addicted to wine and debauchery, and the officials on the shore retired to the second place, disturbing the discipline of heaven and abandoning Juesi. It's the new moon in autumn. Chen Fu gathers in the room and drums, letting her husband go and Shu Ren go. He's a dead officer, ignorant and unconscious, so he should be punished by the late king.
In this passage, Confucius explained some technical terms: "Chen, the meeting of the sun and the moon, the house, the place of the second house, the collection and the combination." Known to be unsuitable for today's food. " Therefore, "Chen Fu gathers in the room" here refers to the solar eclipse. This article is about the famous "erosion of Confucian classics" in history, and the quotation is part of Yin's campaign against when it was published. The excuse of the crusade is that the person in charge of observing and reporting astronomy failed to predict the solar eclipse because of his alcoholism. It is generally believed that Andrew is a late document, so this record may be unreliable. Moreover, it is incredible to say that people in the summer can accurately predict the solar eclipse. However, this eclipse has been recognized by modern people as the oldest record in the world. [2] What happened before and after this solar eclipse in the Xia Dynasty can be handed down and remembered by future generations. No matter whether the record itself is distorted or not, it shows that the Xia people attach importance to the solar eclipse, which is beyond doubt.
Going back, people in primitive times will also pay attention to solar eclipses. As J.A. Krevilev, an expert in the history of religion in the former Soviet Union, said: In primitive times, "everyday phenomena may not attract the special attention of primitive people. Every day makes him feel indifferent, because this phenomenon has not destroyed his life order, but the eclipse will arouse his interest, fear and surprise. " [3] Here, although it is impossible to have conclusive literature support, it is reasonable and credible for people in primitive times to pay attention to the solar eclipse.
People in primitive society don't know the real reason of solar eclipse. They think that the solar eclipse is violated by some kind of animal, so once the solar eclipse happens, they will beat gongs and drums to help the sun drive away the invaders. ([2], p. 120) This formed the primitive ceremony of saving Japan. The essence of this ceremony is a kind of witchcraft. The ancestors of primitive people imagined that they could scare away those animals that violated the sun by simulating the way of driving away wild animals on the ground. Because the eclipse is generally not long, it will gradually continue to contact, and people think that this ceremony has played a role. So whenever there is a solar eclipse, similar activities will be held, which makes it gradually become a custom.
With the development of knowledge, people gradually realize that the internal cause of solar eclipse is not so simple, and the animal eating day may be out of the will of the emperor, symbolizing that there will be disaster in the world. This inspires people to think that it is obviously not enough to beat gongs and drums to drive away animals that devour the sun during the solar eclipse. We should also ask God to let the sun shine again and not bring disaster to mankind. In this way, in the solar eclipse rescue ceremony held by people, sacrifices and begging were added. [2] This combination of witchcraft and sacrifice constitutes the basic form of salvation in ancient solar eclipse. When the country came into being, this ceremony was recognized by the rulers, and corresponding regulations were formulated and implemented by official organizations. Therefore, solar eclipse rescue has evolved from a popular custom to a part of the national etiquette system.
It is not clear when the rescue of the eclipse was regarded as part of the "ceremony". According to the article "Shang" quoted earlier, it seems that this was already the case in the Xia Dynasty. During the Spring and Autumn Period, saving Japan as a gift has become the consensus of politicians and thinkers. For example, in the twenty-fifth year of the Spring and Autumn Period, Zhuang Gong: "June is not new, and every day is a country food, drum and sacrifice." "Drum" is witchcraft, and "sacrificing society" is a sacrifice. What is recorded here is the official rescue ceremony, which shows that this solar eclipse rescue has formed a ritual system. Zuo Zhuan explains this article: "Very. However, on the first day of the first month, I (Yin Qi) quit. Every day, I have food, so I use money in society and beat drums in North Korea. " Zuo Zhuan thinks that the solar eclipse in some months is a strange phenomenon, and some fixed rituals should be taken to save it. These fixed rituals are called "rites". "Zuo Zhuan Zhao Zhuan Gong Ten Years" has a more clear record of this:
In summer and June, there is food every day. I wish you all the money. Zhao Zi said: If there is food every day, the emperor will not raise it, and the princes will spend money on the society and drum it up in the war: courtesy.
Zhao Zi's words showed that people had regarded saving the solar eclipse as a fixed etiquette system at that time.
Among the ancient thinkers in China, Confucius paid more attention to etiquette, and he also expressed his views on the relationship between solar eclipse and etiquette. "Book of Rites" Volume 18 Ceng Zi asked the seventh article to describe a dialogue between Confucius and his disciples, the content is:
Ceng Zi asked, "When a vassal travels and sees the son of heaven, he is a beginner, but he can't finish the ceremony. How many people will be abolished? " Confucius said, "Four". "Excuse me?" He said, "The fire in the temple, the solar eclipse, the funeral afterwards, and the loss of clothes in the rain will all be wasted. If the princes are there and there is an eclipse, then saving the day from the emperor has its own color and its own soldiers. "
It is of course a great event for the princes to appear before the emperor collectively. If it were not for special circumstances, they would not give up halfway. Confucius divided these situations into four categories, among which the solar eclipse was impressively juxtaposed with the big temple fire and its subsequent funeral, which showed that he attached importance to the rescue of the solar eclipse.
The relationship between solar eclipse and etiquette is not limited to solar eclipse rescue, but also involves other aspects of social life. For example, Laozi, who is revered as the founder of Taoism, once expressed his original views on the relationship between solar eclipse and etiquette, and his thoughts left a deep impression on Confucius. On one occasion, Confucius and Laozi arranged funerals for people together. On the way to the coffin, there was an eclipse. Laozi said to Confucius, "Qiu, stop crying and listen to change." It is a ceremony. " [4], from a ceremonial point of view, Lao Tzu stopped the coffin and waited until the eclipse was over before moving on. Confused by this, Confucius asked Laozi when he went back: The coffin was finished and he couldn't go back. Once an eclipse occurs, it is impossible to predict its end sooner or later, so he might as well move on. Lao tze explained:
If you don't get the fleas out, don't stay. Look at the stars and walk, only sinners and people who have lost their parents! If you have food every day, you know you can't see the stars. 〔4〕
Kong explained the implication, saying, "Only sinners and people who scrambled to look at the stars at their parents' funerals, now if they look at the stars, they will be frivolous and close to sinners." [5] "So, on the way to the funeral, once you encounter a solar eclipse, you must" stop crying and listen to change, and do it tomorrow. " "
The descriptions of Lao Dan and Kong Qiu in The Book of Rites may not be true, but at least it shows that in the author's mind, solar eclipse and etiquette are inextricably linked, from the ceremony of emperors to the funeral of ordinary people. On the other hand, it can be seen from these discussions that people didn't know much about the law of solar eclipse at that time, so these rituals were mostly formulated as emergency measures. The Book of Songs pointed out: "In ancient times, there were six calendars of Huangdi, Zhuan Xu, Xia, Yin, Zhou and Lu, and there was no solar eclipse." Since it is impossible to predict in advance, the eclipse rescue has to be stipulated as an emergency measure. This is an important feature of the relationship between solar eclipse and ritual in pre-Qin period.
Second, the solar eclipse rescue etiquette and solar eclipse forecast
With the progress of science, people know more and more about the law of solar eclipse, and gradually develop to be able to predict solar eclipse. This makes Chaozhou opera have enough time to prepare for the rescue of the eclipse, and the corresponding rescue ceremony is out of the original state of emergency and becomes complicated. This is the direct result of the scientific progress of solar eclipse rescue etiquette. For example, the solar eclipse rescue ceremony in Han Dynasty is:
The weather has changed, so it is necessary to cut sheep to worship the society and turn the tide. Every day, the deacon is crowned long, the clothes are light, the leader is in the clothes, and the pantyhose are saluting, like a story. 〔6〕
Compared with the pre-Qin period, this ceremony is more complicated in dress requirements. In the Jin Dynasty, the rescue of solar eclipse became completely complicated and stylized:
Since Jin was appointed, Sun and Moon joined forces, Taishi was in New York, and Shangshu was in charge for three days, announcing martial law inside and outside. Zhiyu's "Doubt" says: Whoever saves the eclipse will save Yang. During the solar eclipse, the emperor entered the main hall in plain clothes, and the police were tight inside and outside. He went to the gv 10, and when it changed, he played drums at the door. Hearing the drums, the courtiers all dressed in red rushed to the courtiers with swords. All three commanders stood in front of his family, each with a sword. Wei Yan and Qing drove around the palace to wait for the defenders, and went on and on. Drums are also played in the club, and gifts are used. I also use red silk as a rope to tie the club, so I wish Stone the responsibility. (society), the god of Goulong, the son of heaven is above all others, so he speaks and blames it. Day after day, it's okay. 〔7〕
Such a ceremony can be called grand and grand, far from the previous temporary emergency measures. Here, it is difficult to have order without rehearsing in advance, not to mention the fact that Shangshu has to "martial law for three days inside and outside". Therefore, this form of solar eclipse rescue cannot be organized and implemented without advance forecast. Since the Jin Dynasty, although the solar eclipse rescue ceremony has changed from generation to generation, its scale and procedure are basically similar to those of the Jin Dynasty, which is related to the more accurate solar eclipse forecast.
With the accuracy of the solar eclipse forecast, the rescue ceremonies held in various places have been further standardized. For example, the etiquette of solar eclipse rescue in Qing dynasty experienced such changes:
Eclipse Rescue was customized in the first year of Shunzhi. In the event of a solar eclipse, officials from Beijing and North Korea went to the Ministry of Ritual for rescue. In the fourteenth year of Kangxi, Qin counted minutes and seconds, and the Ministry of Rites worked with him to verify the accuracy and understand the documents of lawsuits in various provinces. At the time of the eclipse, the Eight Banners of Manchu and Mongolian Han Army were in charge of the guard and rescue ceremony, and Shuntianfu was sent to the Ministry, ... "[8]
The premise of formalizing the etiquette of solar eclipse rescue in the Qing court is the progress of astronomy: Qin can not only accurately predict solar eclipses, but also calculate the specific occurrence time and different food portions of solar eclipses in various places according to relevant principles. Due to the spread of western learning in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, astronomy in the Qing dynasty was far more developed than that in its previous dynasty, and this calculation can be completed more accurately. Therefore, it was not until the Qing Dynasty that the local ceremony of saving Japan was incorporated into the national ritual system.
Under the condition of ancient traditional science, it is impossible to predict the solar eclipse completely and accurately, which leads to a question: what should I do when the solar eclipse conflicts with the celebration of the DPRK? Because the solar eclipse is in the new moon, and the celebrations in North Korea can only be held on the first day of the first month, that is, the first day of January, which may lead to conflicts. This happened in the Jian 'an period of the Eastern Han Dynasty:
During the Jian 'an period of the Han Dynasty, Taishi said that the emperor's solar eclipse would happen, and the courtiers doubted whether it would happen, so they went to consult Yu Xun, a minister in the official department. Liu Shao, the planner of Guangping, sat on the ground and said, "I am careful to protect the stove. I still miss the weather because of the good history of ancient times." When a vassal travels to see the son of heaven, he can't be polite at first, but he will be eroded in one place. However, saints hang down the system, do not abolish different gifts, or disaster, or push fallacies. "If you and others are kind and follow it, the meeting will be as old as before and one day will not be eroded. Shao thus became famous. 〔7〕
In the Jin Dynasty, people began to criticize Liu Shao's views. A Jin Minister Cai Mo wrote an article refuting Liu Shao. He believes that the solar eclipse forecast will definitely go wrong, but it should not be used as an excuse to hold a celebration at the expected time of the solar eclipse. He said:
Disaster is auspicious, so I blame you. The king paid great attention to precepts, so he gave up pleasure with plain clothes, retired from bed, lowered his duties to a hundred officials, cut drums with money and saved them with his hands. It's better to be cautious than to doubt waste! 〔7〕
The purpose of saving the solar eclipse is to show the sincerity of the monarch and his subjects to the sky, and we should not be skeptical, but rather believe in it, so we can call it piety. Cai Mo also laughed at Liu Shao for quoting the Book of Rites, saying:
Wen Tianqi is coming. The celebration will be a good ceremony. According to the Book of Rites, the princes could not complete the ceremony of entering the DPRK, which means that Japanese officials do not predict that the princes will enter the DPRK, but they will know their ears when they see the eclipse. Don't smell it first, don't waste it. 〔7〕
The provisions of the Book of Rites were formulated in view of the fact that Japanese officials could not predict the solar eclipse. Since it is predictable, first aid preparation should be given priority. Cai Mo's exposition sets the tone for the relationship between solar eclipse rescue and Chaoqing: even if it is not certain that the solar eclipse will inevitably occur, solar eclipse rescue should be the most important. This idea was affirmed by people at that time.
However, to completely solve the contradiction between solar eclipse rescue and celebration, the most fundamental way out is to improve the accuracy of solar eclipse forecast. In view of this, the authorities in all previous dynasties asked civil servants to accurately predict the solar eclipse, and they would be punished if they made mistakes, even if they didn't know much about the laws of the sun and the moon. Although the record in the first chapter of Shangshu Andrew was remembered by later generations, it undoubtedly expressed this idea. Here's another example:
In March of the second year of Justice, Wei Guigui, the Taishi Duke, performed an eclipse instead of a lunar eclipse. When King Wen of Jin was a general, he blamed historians for not checking. Historians replied: "At the new moon, either the sun covers the moon, or the moon covers the sun and blocks the sun, making the situation lose money, so it is called an eclipse. When the sun covers the moon, it will pass by the moon, which means that the yin does not invade the yang, although it remains the same. If the sun and the moon hide from each other, they will have something to eat, and there is no skill. " ... the rule of sitting down is that you can't teach, not be in charge. "It is a check.
The demonstration of official history shows that people at that time were not very clear about the law of the sun and the moon, and the prediction of solar eclipse was still in the exploratory stage. Even so, Si Mazhao should be severely punished for failing to predict Tai Shigong. Although this was done under the pretext of a surname, in the history of China, many astronomical officials were punished for their mistakes in predicting solar eclipses, which fully demonstrated that the authorities attached importance to solar eclipse prediction.
In order to escape punishment, civil servants spared no effort to explore the law of solar eclipse. In the traditional calendar, the solar eclipse occupies a considerable space, which fully shows that the ancients attached importance to this issue. Thanks to the unremitting efforts of astronomers in past dynasties, the ancient people in China have deepened their understanding of the law of solar eclipse and made more and more accurate predictions. This in turn promoted the refinement of the etiquette of solar eclipse rescue. In the middle and late period of feudal society in China, officials were no longer concerned about whether the solar eclipse could happen, but how much food they ate, so as to decide whether to hold a rescue ceremony. For example, according to Ming History:
In October of the fourth year of Chongzhen, the sun was bright and ugly. The new law predicted that the sun would eat for two minutes and twelve seconds, not in the south of the sky, but in the north of the desert. For example, if the capital sees less than three points of grain, it will not be saved.
As you can see here, the threshold for eclipse rescue at that time was 3 points. Below this threshold, no rescue ceremony will be held. The reason for this regulation is, of course, the improvement of prediction accuracy. And this regulation itself puts forward higher requirements for solar eclipse forecast. It is not difficult to imagine how much responsibility civil servants have to bear if the predicted food intake is less than 3 points and the actual food intake is greater than 3 points. This prompted civil servants to further explore the law of solar eclipse and make the forecast more accurate. In this way, the rescue and forecast of the ancient solar eclipse in China interacted, influenced, intertwined and developed with each other.
Third, the role of political factors in the etiquette of solar eclipse rescue
Eclipse rescue is based on a wrong ideological etiquette system, which thinks that the eclipse is a disaster, so it needs rescue. Accurate prediction of solar eclipse means mastering the law of solar eclipse, which leads to a problem: once you master the law, you will no longer believe in the so-called theory of solar eclipse disaster and do not need to do any "rescue", but the rescue ceremony of solar eclipse in ancient China continued until the end of feudal society. Why?
The reason is not science, but the politics of feudal society.
At first, solar eclipse rescue was just a folk custom. The reason why it evolved from a custom to a ritual system was because its focus shifted from heaven to earth. What people want to "save" is not the sun in the sky, but the things in the world. For example, "A section of Oracle Bone Inscriptions in the 0/3rd century BC/KLOC" means: Is it unlucky to have a solar eclipse at dusk? [10], the so-called "unlucky" certainly refers to this world. Therefore, the ultimate goal of solar eclipse rescue is to eliminate the disaster that solar eclipse may bring to the world.
In the eyes of the ancients, the solar eclipse not only symbolizes bad luck, but also is very unlucky. "Poetry Xiaoya at the Turn of October" wrote: "At the turn of October, the sun is shining high, and there is food every day, which is also ugly." Ugly people are evil and fierce; Even Confucius. Poem Xiaoya Luming Literature: "I have a guest, De Yin Kong Zhao." Zheng Zhu said, "Confucius, He, Zhao and Ming Ye." Thus, as early as in the Book of Songs, the solar eclipse has been regarded as an extremely unlucky symbol.
The reason why the solar eclipse is regarded as unlucky is because the ancients have a deep-rooted concept: the sun symbolizes the monarch. This eclipse means that the monarch is hurt, which is of course unlucky. Therefore, in the event of a solar eclipse, it is necessary to organize rescue. Here, the purpose of saving Japan is to save the monarch, or to help him avoid disaster, or to help him turn over a new leaf. This is the main reason why the rescue of the ancient solar eclipse in China can last for a long time.
We can see this more clearly through the relevant comments of the ancients in history. For example, Zuo Zhuan records that there was a solar eclipse in June of the seventeenth year of Duke Zhao of Lu, and the person in charge of offering sacrifices asked the ruler for the money needed to save the eclipse. His request was supported by courtier Zhao Zi, who believed that saving Japan was a ceremony and the money needed should be paid. However, the then ruling minister Ji disagreed. The reason is: "only in the first month, I don't do it. I have food every day, so I use money to cut drums." The rest are not. " [1 1] Ping Zi thinks that the solar eclipse rescue is indeed a etiquette system, but only on the first day of the first month, when Yin Qi was not sprouting, there was an solar eclipse, which was an abnormal phenomenon and symbolized a disaster, so rescue was needed. Moreover, it was June, and there was no need to save it according to the ceremony. In this regard, Zhu Shi explained:
Also this month. We have gone too far before the sun arrives, and there will be disaster on the third day. As a result, hundreds of officials dropped things, but you didn't lift them. When you move, you play drums, you wish with coins, and you use historical words. Therefore, "Xia Shu" said: "Chen does not gather in the room, but beats drums, and the husband runs away." This month's new moon is also called Xia Meng in summer and April. 〔 1 1〕
Zhu Shi thought that Ping Zi didn't understand the meaning of "the first month", so he explained that your so-called first month was this month. The sun has passed the vernal equinox, but it has not yet reached the summer solstice. A lunar eclipse at this time is a disaster and needs rescue. In particular, he pointed out that there was a famous "book erosion" this month. June in the weekly calendar is equivalent to April in the summer calendar, which is the so-called Zhengyang month. Things have been clear, Ping Zi still refused, so the theorist Zhao Zi saw the problem:
Zhao Zi retreated, saying, "Your master will have different aspirations, but you will not.". 〔 1 1〕
In the Tang Dynasty, Confucius wrote Zuo Zhuan's Justice, explaining: "When the sun is eclipsed, when the yin invades the yang, if I invade the monarch, I will help the monarch to suppress the minister. Ping Zi refused to save the eclipse, but he didn't care. " [12] If you don't care about your own affairs, you just don't take yours as your own. In other words, if you refuse to rescue the eclipse, you will be regarded as misconduct by public opinion and suspected of spying on artifacts. In history, no matter whether ambitious or not, no one wants to be accused of being "not a gentleman". On the other hand, the emperor himself hopes to further highlight his special identity through the ceremony of saving Japan. The combination of these two factors made the solar eclipse rescue, as a ritual in the history of China, last until the end of feudal society with a long history.
The purpose of saving Sun is to help the monarch. This awareness not only offsets the positive influence of scientific development on this ritual system, but also promotes the solar eclipse rescue to become more Bangladeshi. For example, in the Spring and Autumn Period, people didn't think that all solar eclipses symbolized disaster, which was proved by the records in Zuo Zhuan:
(21st year of Zhao Gong) In autumn and July, there is food every day. The public asked Yu Zishen: "What is it? What is the blessing? " Right: "From two o'clock to two o'clock, there is food every day, which is not a disaster. The trip to the sun and the moon is also divided into the same way; To, phase also. Other months are disasters. " 〔 1 1〕
Zi Shen was a famous astrologer at that time, and his understanding was representative. In his words, there is an idea that if the solar eclipse occurs naturally according to the laws of the sun and the moon, it is a natural phenomenon and does not pose a disaster to the world. Since it is harmless to the world, there is certainly no need to organize any rescue.
In the Tang Dynasty, people's understanding of the law of solar eclipse was much clearer than that in the Spring and Autumn Period, but the explanation of its sociological significance was not as good as Zi Shen's. Confucius, a great scholar, once emphasized that "eclipses are different" according to the records in Zuo Zhuan, for the following reasons:
If you have food every day, you will be invaded by a minister. If there is food in the cloud, then the king has a festival to kill. Why? In this way, we can know that although it is a little bit, it is not without disasters [14]
Any time a solar eclipse occurs, it is a disaster. Since it is a disaster, of course, we should organize rescue. Rusong Lu Jiuyuan said more clearly:
A day's food, the depth of food, is known to the family, covered, and doubtful. However, when heaven and man are in harmony, the reality is empathetic, although there are several ways. The sun is yang, the sun is king and the father, and food changes. 〔 15〕
The solar eclipse has its own laws, and people can grasp this law and accurately predict the solar eclipse, but this does not mean that it has nothing to do with personnel, because the sun symbolizes the monarch on the earth. Once a solar eclipse occurs, it means that the monarch has been violated and needs to organize rescue. Through these discussions, we deeply feel that the influence of science is limited on the issue of solar eclipse rescue. Only when people completely abandon the political and moral concepts of feudal society and the ideological basis of the theory of induction between man and nature can science finally bring the feudal solar eclipse rescue ceremony to an end.
In history, there are many factors related to the etiquette of saving Japan. Let's take the Northern Song Dynasty as an example. There was a solar eclipse in the first year of Kangding, Song Renzong. The Biography of Fu Bi in Song Dynasty recorded one thing related to this solar eclipse:
In the first year of Kangding, there was an eclipse. The invitation banquet was cancelled, and the museum gave the North Ambassador wine and food. Take power. Bi said, "It would be a shame for the imperial court if Qidan did this." The emperor was deeply sorry to hear that the Khitan fruit had gone to dinner.
According to the etiquette, the eclipse should be stopped early and the banquet should be cancelled, but Song Renzong didn't accept Fu Bi's opinion and didn't want to do it. Afterwards, I learned that Liao, far away in the north, did it meticulously according to the rules of etiquette. When the news came, Song Renzong was very remorseful and felt that what he had done was disgraceful. Isn't it ridiculed that the "barbarian country" is still so "indomitable" but indifferent to the serious "disaster" of the solar eclipse? It is precisely because of this awareness that 19 years later, on New Year's Day in Jiayou's fourth year, when a similar situation appeared, he arranged a letter in advance:
During next year's solar eclipse in Zheng Dan, it will avoid the main hall of Dinghai, reduce the dinner and entertain the Khitan envoys. 〔 16〕
During this eclipse, Song Renzong left the main hall for five days. This is a typical embodiment of the orthodox role in the solar eclipse rescue ceremony.
Fourth, the etiquette of solar eclipse rescue and the restriction of sovereign power
In the traditional ceremony of saving Japan, there is another factor at work, that is, courtiers tried to persuade the monarch and limit the power of the monarch through this ceremony. This factor is related to China's ancient theory of the induction between man and nature. The theory of heaven-man induction holds that: "the relationship between heaven and man is not a simple act of heaven on people, but human behavior, especially the emperor's behavior and political measures, will also be reflected in heaven." The emperor was ordered by heaven to educate and rule the people. If he goes against God's will, God will give a warning through mutation. If he is stubborn, it will bring even greater disasters and even arrange another agent. " [17] Of all the changes in the sky, the solar eclipse is the most serious, which is the so-called "husband is supreme, and the change of the sky is nothing more than an eclipse" [18]. So once there is an eclipse, it means that the emperor's behavior is improper. In this regard, the ancients had a lot of discussions. For example, in the Spring and Autumn Period, A Jin scholar Bo Xian thought that the solar eclipse was called "bad politics". Without politics and goodness, a country will bring disaster to itself. "[19] The so-called incurable, of course, refers to those in power. The monarch is the greatest ruler, so the eclipse can of course be considered as the monarch's fault.
It is precisely because the solar eclipse is God's reprimand to the emperor, so all the solar eclipse rescue ceremonies in the past dynasties stipulated the emperor's behavior in this etiquette, requiring him to be vegetarian, fast, abandon food and waste music, retreat to the main hall, and seriously reflect on himself until the end of the solar eclipse. Intellectuals hope that through this form, they will warn the emperors and make them feel afraid of the sky, and they will not be too reckless.
In ancient China, the emperor's power was supreme. This is one of the few choices that the ancients can take to limit the emperor's power to warn him in the form of solar eclipse rescue. Because of this, intellectuals attach great importance to this ceremony. Even though they realize that the solar eclipse is a natural phenomenon and has nothing to do with the emperor's administration, they still insist on the theory of solar eclipse disaster. Confucius in the Tang Dynasty made a clear confession:
However, the food of the sun and the moon can be inferred from the calculation. Although the number is self-evident, the clouds are different, and people's position is expensive, and they are afraid that their ambitions will change. Take the false spirit of saints as a warning. It's strange that my husband died suddenly and worked all night. It's strange, like moss. Therefore, it is fun to have musical instruments and drums, so it is also important to warn people about the weather changes. 〔 14〕
In northern Song Shenzong, someone told the Emperor publicly that the disaster had nothing to do with personnel. When Prime Minister Fu Bi heard about it, he was very dissatisfied:
Sometimes the emperor says that disasters are natural and have nothing to do with personnel gains and losses. Hearing this, he sighed and said, "If you are afraid of the sky, if you are not afraid of the sky, you can't do anything. T this will definitely make the traitor think of heresy, shake his heart and let him help him fight. There is nothing I can do. It is an opportunity to cure chaos and cannot be saved quickly. " Is to write thousands of words. 〔20〕
What I want to maintain is precisely the theory that Kong strongly advocates. His point is not whether the disaster is really related to personnel, but that he values this theory as a weapon to limit the power of the emperor, which is the key to the problem.
It cannot be said that it is invalid for intellectuals to use "catastrophic" phenomena such as solar eclipse to restrain the power of the monarch. In the history of China, the vast majority of emperors were able to avoid the temple in plain clothes during the solar eclipse according to their own etiquette, and sometimes even wrote letters for their crimes, announced an amnesty, and asked their subordinates to call a spade a spade and recommend talents. As Jiang said, even if a bad king pretends to be "virtuous", he usually doesn't dare to ignore these behaviors and ceremonies-"If there is no major event in the world, if it doesn't exist, he will sit still and wait for the country to die." [2 1] In this respect, Wendi is the most admired by Confucian scholars. BC 178, there was a solar eclipse, and Wendi wrote:
Lian Wenzhi: People's livelihood has it, so we should establish a monarch to raise it and govern it. If the master is not virtuous, the policy is unfair, and the disaster from heaven will be cured. 1 1 It gets dark every month, and there is food every day. If you see it in the sky, what a catastrophe! The ancestral temple, whose skin is protected, is entrusted with the title of king of literati, which is somewhat embarrassing. The world is in chaos, only one person is in power, and I am still in power. It is not a great virtue to unite and not cure the children. It is also bright when you are tired. Therefore, it is better to realize your own shortcomings and what you know and see, and publish them, and give some examples of virtuous people who can speak out and persuade them to correct their incompetence. 〔22〕
Emperor Wendi blamed himself for the solar eclipse, showing a rare spirit of self-blame. His practice set a precedent for later emperors to "blame themselves" when encountering major disasters. In addition, with the promulgation of Emperor Wen's imperial edict, the system of selecting talents, that is, citing virtuous and upright people, has since entered the historical dance of the Han Dynasty.
On the other hand, for the emperor, sending a letter to ask for his own words during the eclipse can also show his generosity, respect for heaven and ceremony, and speak frankly. Therefore, they are still unwilling to give up this practice, even though they know that the occurrence of the solar eclipse has nothing to do with their own management. For example, Emperor Xiaowen's remarks in the Northern Wei Dynasty are typical:
The sun and the moon are thin and the yin and yang remain unchanged. The sage is afraid to let you go and set a commandment. Therefore, they call it an eclipse in Xiu De, and the eclipse will be punished. After the night of the eclipse, the punishment should be cautious, so as to answer God's will. 〔23〕
Emperor Xiaowen knew that transporting food to help the poor was "the sage was afraid of letting the monarch go, so he set a commandment", but he did not abolish this ceremony. On the contrary, according to the etiquette system, he asked his lieutenants to formulate corresponding measures. This shows that emperors are not disgusted with the practice of restricting power by relying on the etiquette of food and rescue, because this restriction is illusory and unrealistic after all.
Intellectuals hope to warn the monarch with the help of solar eclipse rescue, and the monarch also takes this opportunity to reprimand his deputy, which is also a long-standing tradition:
"Spring and Autumn Biography" said: There is food in the sky, and the son of heaven plays drums in the country and is responsible for the public. The vassals beat drums at the court, but retreated and blamed themselves. 〔24〕
"Blame it on the public" means "the son of heaven plays drums in the country" in the etiquette of saving the nation from extinction. Emperors paid more attention to this morality. Even Emperor Wendi, who has a good reputation in history, did not forget to say "My family was still at arm's length only in the two or three dynasties" when he issued a letter of repentance for the eclipse, so that the ruling ministers could share some responsibilities.
In the Han dynasty, this "duty for the public" was often manifested in the dismissal of ministers, especially prime ministers, because of the solar eclipse. Such things happen from time to time, so that a ceremony is formed:
For example, Chun said that Notes on Hanshu has greatly changed the world, and the world is bigger than it. The emperor asked his attendants to hold a festival, ride four white horses, give them ten toasts and a cow, and tell them to blame. The emissary was halfway, the Prime Minister fell ill, and the emissary came back, which was not for nothing. Ministers felt sorry for the Prime Minister and fell ill. 〔25〕
The so-called "great change of heaven and earth" is of course the first solar eclipse, because "great change of heaven is nothing more than an solar eclipse." [18] Although this ceremony will become a mere formality, it is very practical when there is a gap between the emperor and the prime minister. For example, when the Han Dynasty became emperor, a series of natural changes took place, and the prime minister Zhai Jinfang didn't know what he should do. At this time, he received ten bottles of wine and a cow from the emperor, so he committed suicide that day and became a victim of "acting king".
The concept of solar eclipse in ancient China is inextricably linked with traditional etiquette. As a ritual system, solar eclipse rescue can last for several generations and is influenced by many factors, among which feudal politics is at work: it is bound by the idea of loyalty to the monarch, but also needs to limit the power of the monarch or reprimand the ministers. A clear understanding of these problems will help to correctly understand the relationship between science and society in ancient China.