Thirteen classics
The Thirteen Classics ( Chinese 十三 經 , Pinyin Shisan jing ) are the canonical books of Confucianism . Most of the Confucian classics were not edited by Confucius (Kongzi 孔子) himself, but by his students, some not until the Han period , when Confucianism was elevated to the status of a state philosophy. Some of them also come from older, pre-Confucian traditions. They are made up as follows:
The five classics (wujing 五 經) were:
- I Ching (Yìjing 易經) - The Book of Changes
- Shijing 詩經 - The Book of Songs
- Shujing 書 經 (Shangshu 尚書) - The Book of Documents
- Liji 禮記 (Lijing 禮 經) - The Book of Rites (contains The Great Learning大學, Measure and Middle中庸)
- Chunqiu 春秋 - The spring and autumn annals
The four books ascribed to Confucius expanded the five classics into the nine classics (jiujing 九 經):
- Zhouli 周禮 - rites of the Zhou
- Yili 儀禮 - etiquette and rites
- Xiaojing 孝經 - classic of filial piety
- Lunyu 論語 - The Analects of Confucius
Under Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty唐太宗, the four books, the Xiaojing Book of Filial Piety and the Erya Dictionary were elevated to classics. After the great learning and measure and middle belong to the book of rites, thirteen classics resulted :
- Mengzi 孟子 - Mengzi
- Erya 爾雅 - approaching what is appropriate
- Gongyangzhuan 公羊 傳 - Commentary by Gongyang Gao 公羊 高 on Chunqiu
- Guliang Zhuan 穀梁 傳 - Commentary by Guliang Shu 穀 梁淑 on Chunqiu