An Inquiry into the Core of Xunzi's 'On Rites': The Origin of Rites, Textual-Structural Logic, and the Way of Elevation and Reduction

Section 2 Spirits of Heaven and Earth and the Sacredness of Rites

In ancient belief, Rites were not only human order but also the sacred laws between Heaven and Earth. The sacredness of Rites derived from human reverence for the spirits of Heaven and Earth.

The Guo Yu, Chu Yu Xia records a crucial dialogue—Guan Shefu discusses the "Severing of Earth and Heaven" (Jue Di Tian Tong):

"In ancient times, the people and the spirits did not mix. When the people’s spirits were not distracted, and they could maintain sincerity and correctness... the enlightened spirits would descend; among men, males were called Xie (shamans), and females Wu (sorceresses). ... When Shao Hao declined, the Nine Li confused virtue, and people and spirits mixed indiscriminately, unable to be distinguished. Everyone performed sacrifices, every household had its shaman, without a central authority. The people were depleted of proper offerings and did not know their blessings. Offerings were without measure, and people and spirits shared the same place. People profaned the sacred oaths, lacking solemn authority. When the spirits were too familiar with men, they did not reject their actions. Auspicious births did not descend, and there was nothing to offer; disasters repeatedly arrived, and the vital force was not exhausted. Zhuanxu received this mandate, and ordered the Southern Chief (Zhong) to oversee Heaven to be in charge of the spirits, and ordered the Fire Chief (Li) to oversee Earth to be in charge of the people, commanding them to return to the former constants, without trespassing upon each other’s domain. This is called the severing of Earth and Heaven."

The core meaning of "Severing of Earth and Heaven" is: the authority to communicate with spirits was concentrated in specialized shamans, rather than allowing everyone to sacrifice arbitrarily. This is the earliest practice of "measure and boundary" in the religious sphere—who was qualified to sacrifice and how to sacrifice were clearly stipulated.

What was the consequence of "Offerings were without measure" (Zheng xiang wu du)$8 "Disasters repeatedly arrived, and the vital force was not exhausted" (Huo zai jian zhen, mo jin qi qi)—Calamities came one after another, and the vital force was never fully expended. This logic is entirely consistent with Xunzi’s "when seeking lacks measure and boundary, contention cannot be avoided; contention leads to chaos, and chaos leads to destitution"—only Xunzi argues this from the social level, whereas the "Severing of Earth and Heaven" narrative argues it from the religious level.

This record reveals the source of the sacredness of Rites: Rites were initially the laws of communication between humans and the spirits of Heaven and Earth. Because Rites involved the divine realm, they possessed supreme sacredness—to violate Rites was to offend Heaven and Earth, with dire consequences.

Although Master Xunzi shows a tendency toward "demystification" in his Tian Lun (Heaven does not exist for Yao, nor perish for Jie), he still respects the sacredness of Rites. In Li Lun, he details the various observances of sacrificial rites and emphasizes that the purpose of sacrifice is "repaying the source and returning to the beginning"—repaying the grace of Heaven, Earth, and ancestors. This spirit of "repaying the source" originates from the ancient reverence for the spirits of Heaven and Earth.