136 A CASK OF RITUALISM 



Chiao in the first moon was that for grain and harvest. 

 Though the privilege of a Chiao was bestowed on Lu yet the 

 privilege he thinks did not imply that the imperial cere- 

 monials could be used. He is inclined to think the Lu Chiao 

 therefore corresponded to the Chow invocation for grain; 

 and he confirms this view by saying that Lu, in imitation of 

 Chow, cast the usual horoscopes for the first Hsin* day in 

 the month ; if that for the first month was not propitious 

 then they cast one in the first month for the second month 

 and so on three times. If all three were unsuccessful then 

 the Chiao for that year was not observed. 



Dr. Yeh after dealing with various authorities and 

 sundry evidences returns to the attack on Dr. Cheng's 

 position. He says Dr. Cheng was neither clear on the value 

 of the Chiao nor on the great quinquennial sacrifice of Ti. 

 His words he maintains are altogether confused; and it is 

 in vain he tries to get support from the two odes the Yuan 

 and Ch'ang Fa; the words of these seem, to countenance 

 his view, but in reality they do nothing of the kind. 



In connection with this theme much has been made of 

 nine statements in the Chronicles, or The Spring and Autumn 

 Classics. All these statements refer to mishaps connected 

 with the Chiao services of Lu. These are merely records of 

 inauspicious divination for the Chiao day; or of times when 

 the animals had the mouth disease ; or of occasions when 

 the young and tender horns were bitten by venomous mice, 

 the victims dying in consequence. The details of these 

 discussions and the references to the sacred animals are full 

 of interesting matter but need not detain us just now, except 

 in this that these mishaps may be looked upon as the dis- 

 pleasure of Heaven at the unauthorised celebration of the 

 sacrifice byLu; and was a way used by Confucius of indirectly 

 administering reproof to Lu, which he did not care to do 

 openly and directly. It is very clear that Confucius was 

 of opinion that the practice of Lu was incorrect. There are 

 many references to the matter. 



In one place he exclaims "I behold the institutions of 

 Chow injured by Yii and Li" — two emperors who reigned in 



*Hsin ^ day. Three explanations may be offered for the use of 

 the Hsin day for the Chiao. These three meanings spring from the 

 significance of the character itself. 



1. — Hsin was used because it happened to be the day on which 

 Chow first worshipped Heaven. It became the red letter day in the 

 religious calendar. 



2.— Hsin means Neic : therefore the Chiao was held on the first 

 (new) Hsin in the New year. 



3. — Hsin means labour, attention to, earnest effort in ; — hence the 

 Chiao should be held on a day indicative of labourious attention. 



