An Analysis of the Structure, Ethics, and Ontology of the 'Jia Ren' Hexagram in the Zhou Yi

Section 4: Ancestral Sacrifice and the Sacred Dimension of the "Family"

In ancient China, the "family" was not only the dwelling place of the living but also a sacred space connecting the living with the dead (ancestors).

Ancestral sacrifice held extremely important status in Pre-Qin society. The Zuo Zhuan, Cheng Gong XIII states:

"The great affairs of the state lie in sacrifice ($\text{sì}$, 祀) and warfare ($\text{róng}$, 戎)."

"Sacrifice" and "Warfare" are listed as the great affairs of the state, indicating the supreme importance of sacrifice. And one of the core objects of sacrifice was the ancestor.

At the family level, ancestral sacrifice was the most important religious activity. Through sacrifice, family members maintained a spiritual connection with their ancestors, received their blessings, and passed down the clan's values and traditions from generation to generation.

The Li Ji, Ji Tong states:

"Of all ways to govern people, none is more urgent than ritual. The Rites have five constant principles, and none is heavier than sacrifice. ... Therefore, the filial son's service to his parents has three ways: while they live, nourish them; when they die, mourn them; after mourning is complete, sacrifice to them. In nourishing, one observes their compliance; in mourning, one observes their grief; in sacrificing, one observes their reverence and timeliness. One who fully practices these three ways is the action of a filial son."

"While they live, nourish them; when they die, mourn them; after mourning is complete, sacrifice to them"—the filial piety toward parents runs through their entire life: sustenance while living, mourning upon death, and sacrifice after death. Sacrifice gives the meaning of "family" a dimension that extends beyond the living to include the deceased ancestors—the "family" thus becomes a community that transcends life and death.

This endows the "family" with a sacred dimension: the family is not just a place where a few living people get by; it is a sacred space that carries the spirit of the ancestors, continues the lineage, and transmits generational values.

The lower trigram Li (Fire) in the Jia Ren hexagram also holds a special meaning in the context of sacrifice. Fire is indispensable in sacrificial rites (burning offerings to produce smoke that ascends to the ancestors to "receive" the fragrance). The Shi Jing, Da Ya, Sheng Min describes the sacrificial scene of Hou Ji:

"I fill the vessels with grain, on the vessels and on the trays. As the fragrance begins to rise, the High God enjoys it. How rich is the aroma! Hou Ji began the sacrifices, so that there might be no fault or regret, even down to this day."

"As the fragrance begins to rise" ($\text{qí xiāng shǐ shēng}$, 其香始升)—the aroma of the offerings begins to ascend. This image of "fragrance rising" is another manifestation of "Wind arises from Fire," is it not$18 Fire burns the offerings, and the fragrance (Wind) rises upward, reaching the High God or the ancestors—this is the bridge between the "family" and the "sacred."