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

Section 4: Coming of Age and Transition from "Individual" to "Family Member"

The Pre-Qin coming-of-age ceremony ($\text{guān lǐ}$, 冠礼) marked the crucial transition of a person from an "individual" to a "member of society" and a "family member."

The Li Ji, Guan Yi states:

"That which makes a man human is ritual and righteousness. The beginning of ritual and righteousness lies in rectifying one's outward appearance, aligning one's countenance, and conforming one's speech. When the appearance is correct, the countenance aligned, and the speech conforming, then ritual and righteousness are complete. By this, rulers and ministers are corrected, father and son are made affectionate, and elder and younger are harmonized. When rulers and ministers are correct, father and son affectionate, and elder and younger harmonious, then ritual and righteousness are established. Therefore, it is said: The capping ceremony is the beginning of ritual. Thus, the sages of antiquity held the capping ceremony in high regard."

"The capping ceremony is the beginning of ritual" ($\text{guān zhě, lǐ zhī shǐ yě}$, 冠者，礼之始也)—The capping ceremony is the beginning of all rites. Why$21 Because capping signifies that a person has formally become a "human"—not a human in the biological sense (that happens at birth), but a human in the ethical sense (one with ritual and righteousness). And becoming an ethical human means formally taking on the roles and responsibilities of a family member.

The capping ceremony was held in the ancestral temple—this again links the "family" with the "sacred." The ancestral temple is the place for sacrificing to ancestors, and holding the coming-of-age ceremony there implies: A person's growth is not just a personal matter but also a matter of the clan; becoming an adult means continuing the ancestors' lineage and spirit, taking responsibility for the continuation of the family.