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 3 The Prototype of Order: From Heaven/Earth to the Human Realm

In ancient mythology, there was a natural order between Heaven and Earth—the sun and moon had their paths of movement, the four seasons had their rhythm of succession, and all things had their laws of growth. This natural order was the prototype for the ritualistic order in the human world.

The Shang Shu, Yao Dian records Emperor Yao "respectfully transmitting the correct times" (jing shou ren shi)—respectfully informing the people of the celestial times:

"He then commanded Xi and He, to diligently observe the vast Heaven, to record the movements of the sun, moon, and stars, and respectfully transmit the times to the people. He assigned Xi Zhong to the eastern region, called Yang Valley. Respectfully attending the rising sun, he harmonized the eastern labors... At midday, the star Niao (The Bird) marked mid-spring. The people began to clear the fields, and birds and beasts multiplied... He assigned Xi Shu to the southern region... At noon, the star Huo (Fire) marked midsummer. The people followed suit, and birds and beasts shed their winter coats... He assigned He Zhong to the western region, called Mei Valley. Respectfully seeing the sun set, he harmonized the western harvest... At midnight, the star Xu (The Empty) marked mid-autumn. The people were at ease, and birds and beasts grew fine fur... He assigned He Shu to the northern region, called You Du. He arranged the setting sun in the north... The shortest day marked midwinter. The people sheltered, and birds and beasts grew thick fur."

Emperor Yao commanded the Xi and He clans to manage the astronomy and agricultural timing of the four regions (East, South, West, North) respectively. Each region had clear astronomical markers (midday, longest day, midnight, shortest day), specific constellations (Bird, Fire, Empty, Pleiades), and definite seasonal characteristics (mid-spring, midsummer, mid-autumn, midwinter)—everything was perfectly ordered.

This astronomical and calendrical order was the prototype for human ritual order. Heaven has the laws governing the movement of the sun, moon, and stars; the human world has the behavioral norms of Rites and Righteousness. The order of Heaven is natural—it requires no human intervention; the order of the human world is artificial—it requires "the Former Kings to establish Rites and Righteousness to differentiate among them." But the artificial order takes the natural order as its model—"emulating the clarity of Heaven, adapting to the nature of Earth."

The I Ching, Xi Ci Zhuan states:

"In ancient times, when the lord Bao Xi ruled the world, he looked up to observe the celestial patterns, and looked down to observe the laws of Earth. He observed the markings of birds and beasts and the suitability of the Earth. He took things near him as examples and things far from him as models. From this, he first created the Eight Trigrams, to connect with the virtue of the spirits and to classify the emotions of the myriad things."

Lord Fuxi observed the patterns of Heaven and Earth, observed the markings of birds and beasts, and took things near and far as models, thereby creating the Eight Trigrams—to connect with the virtue of the spirits and classify the emotions of the myriad things. The Eight Trigrams can be seen as the most primitive form of "measure and boundary"—they divide Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things into eight basic types, each with its specific nature and law. This spirit of classification and norm-setting is the source of the spirit of Rites.