Chapter Two: Following the Calendar of the Xia—The Operation of the Way of Heaven and the Foundation of Human Affairs

1. What is "Time" (Shi)$23

The Master’s first answer to Yan Yuan was "Follow the calendar of the Xia." This sequence is by no means accidental. In the Master's governing strategy, "time" is placed first, before carriages, before caps, before music. Why$24

Because "time" is the fundamental link between Heaven and humanity.

"Time," on the surface, appears to be just a calendar—when a year starts, how the four seasons are divided. But in the pre-Qin world, "time" was much more than a technical tool for measurement; it was the earthly mapping of the operation of the Way of Heaven, the most basic way for humans to communicate with the universe.

The Book of Changes (I Ching), Qian Hexagram, Tuan Zhuan states:

Great is the generative power of Qian, to which all things owe their beginning, and which permeates all Heaven. Clouds move and rain spreads, things take their forms. The great brilliance reaches its end and beginning, the six positions are established through time, and the sage rides the six dragons in time to manage Heaven. The Way of Qian changes, each thing rectifying its nature and life.

Here, "the six positions are established through time" and "rides the six dragons in time to manage Heaven" emphasize the sequential nature of the Way of Heaven. The Way of Heaven is not static; it unfolds and changes with time. All things rectify their nature by following this sequence.

The Book of Changes, Kun Hexagram, Wen Yan also says:

Kun is extremely gentle, yet its movement is firm; it is extremely still, yet its virtue is square. Following and having a leader, it is constant, containing all things and transforming them in brilliance. Is not the Way of Kun submissive$25 It follows Heaven and moves in time.

The phrase "following Heaven and moving in time" reveals the essence of "time"—it is the way the Earth submits to the Way of Heaven. Human calendars are, in essence, the institutionalized expression of "following Heaven and moving in time."

So, why the "calendar of the Xia"$26

2. Differences in the Calendars of the Three Dynasties

To understand "follow the calendar of the Xia," one must first know how the calendars of the Three Dynasties (Xia, Shang, and Zhou) differed.

The clearest record is in the Liji: Liyun:

Confucius said: "I wish to observe the Way of Xia, so I went to Qi, but it was not sufficient to verify; I obtained the calendar of Xia there. I wish to observe the Way of Yin, so I went to Song, but it was not sufficient to verify; I obtained the Kun-Qian divination there."

Here the Master explicitly states, "I obtained the calendar of Xia there." This shows that the Master had conducted specialized investigation into the Xia calendar.

The core difference between the calendars of the Three Dynasties lies in the setting of the "first month" of the year:

The Xia Dynasty took the Yin month (equivalent to the first lunar month today) as the beginning of the year; the Shang Dynasty took the Chou month (equivalent to the 12th lunar month) as the beginning; the Zhou Dynasty took the Zi month (equivalent to the 11th lunar month) as the beginning.

This is the so-called "Three Beginnings"—Xia starts with Yin, Shang with Chou, Zhou with Zi.

The monthly ordinance system recorded in the Liji: Yueling, though its date of composition is debated, embodies a time concept based on "farming as the core," consistent with the spirit of the Xia calendar:

In the first month of spring, the sun is in the constellation of Yingshi... the east wind thaws the ice, hibernating insects begin to stir...

This passage describes the "first month of spring," which is precisely the Yin month—the first month of the Xia calendar. In this month, "the east wind thaws the ice, hibernating insects begin to stir"—the earth comes back to life, and all things germinate. Taking this month as the start of the year aligns perfectly with the rhythm of nature.

3. Why "Follow the Calendar of the Xia"$27—Natural Way and Human Convenience

Why did the Master advocate using the Xia calendar instead of the Shang or Zhou calendars$28 This question concerns a fundamental philosophical issue: on what basis should human institutions be established$29

The answer is: the natural Way of Heaven.

The Xia calendar begins in the Yin month, precisely when winter ends and spring begins. This time point is nature's most obvious "new beginning"—snow melts, grass buds, insects and fish move, birds return north. By using this as the start of the year, all human activities—farming, sacrifice, marriage, and war—can resonate with the rhythm of nature.

However, the Shang and Zhou calendars set the beginning of the year in the depths of winter. Although from an astronomical perspective, the Winter Solstice (Zi month) is the critical node of Yin-Yang transformation—as the Book of Changes, Fu Hexagram says, "Repeating its way, in seven days it returns"—from the perspective of human convenience, beginning the year in deep winter is disconnected from the lived experience of the people. Ordinary people do not feel the subtle change of Yin-Yang at the Winter Solstice; they feel that spring is coming and it is time to sow.

This is the Master’s deep intent: the primary duty of governing a state is to make the time system comply with the natural Way of Heaven, while also being easy for the people to understand and follow. This is a choice that both respects the Way of Heaven and shows compassion for human feelings.

4. "Time" and the Ancient Astronomical Tradition

From the perspective of ancient mythology and folklore, the establishment of "time" is inseparable from astronomical observation.

The Shangshu: Yao Dian records how Emperor Yao ordered the four sons of Xi and He to observe celestial phenomena and establish a calendar:

He commanded Xi and He, in reverent accordance with the wide heavens, to calculate and delineate the sun, moon, stars, and celestial bodies, and to respectfully deliver the seasons to the people.

The phrase "respectfully deliver the seasons to the people" is crucial. "Respectfully" implies that creating a calendar is not a casual matter but a sacred act; "deliver" implies that time is not created by humans but bestowed by Heaven; "seasons to the people" explains the purpose of this system—farming, sacrifice, and social life.

The Master advocating "Follow the calendar of the Xia" is essentially returning to this oldest time tradition based on natural rhythms. The Xia year-start matches the "eastern planting" (spring plowing) season described in Yao Dian, which is no coincidence. The Xia Dynasty was considered the closest to the rule of Yao and Shun, and its calendar best preserved the spirit of "respectfully delivering the seasons."

5. "Time" as the Foundation of Agrarian Civilization

Why is "time" placed first in the strategy of "governing a state"$30

It must be understood through the fundamental position of "time" in pre-Qin thought.

Mencius: Liang Hui Wang I records:

If you do not interfere with the farming seasons, grain will be more than can be eaten. If fine nets do not enter the pools, fish and turtles will be more than can be eaten. If axes enter the mountain forests only in season, timber will be more than can be used.

Mencius uses "time" three times ("farming season," "in season"), emphasizing that all human economic activities—planting, fishing, hunting, logging—must follow natural rhythms. This is why "time" is first: without the correct time system, agriculture cannot function; without agriculture, the state has no material foundation.

Xunzi: Wang Zhi also states:

Spring plowing, summer weeding, autumn harvesting, winter storing—if these four do not lose their time, then the five grains will never be exhausted and the people will have surplus food.

This further confirms the foundational position of "time" in national governance.

6. The Meaning of the Word "Follow" (Xing)

There is one more word worth pondering: "Follow" (xing). The Master said "Follow the calendar of the Xia," not "use" or "adopt."

The word "follow" (xing) in pre-Qin classics carries the meaning of practice or implementation, but its deeper meaning is "path" or "road"—as in the "firmness of the Heavenly Way." "Following the Xia calendar" is not just adopting the calendar of the Xia Dynasty, but embarking on a path that takes natural Heaven as its guide. This word "follow" is consistent with the Doctrine of the Mean: "The Way cannot be departed from for an instant."

The Analects: Xue Er records the Master:

To govern a state of a thousand chariots, be reverent in affairs and faithful, practice economy and love for the people, and employ them according to the seasons.

"Employ them according to the seasons"—using the people according to the rhythms of nature. This is exactly the spirit of "Follow the calendar of the Xia."