A Study Of Confucian Temple Worship

The Confucian Temple, as a ceremonial construction, is not only the special venue for offering sacrifices to Confucius and ancient sages and scholars, but also one important carrier of the spread of Confucianism. Its develoment process to some extent represents the honours Confucius received in different periods. The Confucian Temple is expanded from one corner of Queli Street to the whole country, and develops from one consanguine ancestral temple into one nonconsanguine Confucian Temple. The twists and turns in these processes are all closely related with Confucius’s influence and the specifications of worshipping Confucius. The differences of buildings between the Confucian Temple, the Duke Zhou Temple, Taigong of Qi Temple reflect some differences within Confucianism, and different popularity of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism at the national and civil levels.There is a pair of reciprocal relations between those who receive sacrifices and those who offer sacrifices in the Confucian Temple. Those who receive sacrifices are worshipped and have divine authority, while they are sujected to interventions from people who offer sacrifices. In the Confucian Temple worship history, Confucius’s posthumous title has undergone severl changes.The symbol of those who receiving sacrifices has alternated many times between memorial tablets and statues, while the position and direction of receiving sacrifices and the crown and attire system have also been revised many times. Changes in the form of receiving sacrifices is associated with various locations of Confucius’s status of receving sacrifices in past dynasties. Those receiving sacrifices include not only Confucius but also a large group of associates, who form a strict hierarchy with four classes:Associates, Philosophers, past sages and past Confucianists. Changes between classes are very strict, and the decision is firmly in the hands of the Court. The associates’qualifications, class division, position and direction and order have not been constant and fixed, but have frequently changed with times. Establishing Enlightening Sage Shrine is originally meant to solve the conflicts between teaching order and order of human relatins, whereas it has become an independent remembrance and worship mode which aims at worhipping Confucius’s ancestors since the first day of establishing.Those who offer sacrifices include not only sages’ and Confucianists’ descendants who have blood ties with those who receive sacrifices, but also members of political and religious systems who have no blood ties with them. The honors received by sages’and Confucianists’descendants with Yansheng Duke as the head in every dynasty are attributed to their ancestors. Yansheng Duke Mansion is actually a mansion that is built for worshipping Confucius. The Kong Family Mansion will hold more than fifty major and minor ceremonies, and most departments in the mansion are established for worshipping. Members of political and religious systems lead by the Emperor cover officials at all levels from central to local governments and Confucian scholars. The people who participate in the ceremonies include officials offering sacrifices, master of ceremony, musicians and dancers, superviser, associates offering sacrifices, who are in charge of specific jobs.Sacrifices and sacrificial vessels are major parts in preparation, and are the most important means of communication between gods and human beings as well. There are strict rules for the quantity, categoty and making method, and sacrificial vessels cannot be put at random. The music and dance worshipping Confucius specialized for worshipping Confucius has special content and form and focus on advocating Confucianism and rite and music education. The changes in musical instruments and rows of dancers illustrate the changes of specifications in worshipping Confucius.Although the rites and ceremonies for worshipping Confucius are tedious and boring, every ritual procedure is elaborately designed and worked out and embodies profound implications. The worship rituals cover such contents as worship timing, fasting requirements, the site of ritual positions, ceremony performing procedures, cooperation between people, interaction between rites and music. The worship procedures have been followed from generation to generation with few changes, while what has been changed is only the addition and deletion in ritual details whenever necessary. In the process of development and evolution, the worship ceremony has also absorbed some Taoist and Buddist ritual factors, which illustrates the mutual influence among them. The forms of worshipping Confucius have changed a lot since the foundation of the Republic of China. Kneeling is changed into bowing, and the Three Sacrifices are changed into flowers. Nowadays the Confucius’s birthday celebaration that is held annually in Qufu basically follows this form.In the modern society, what on earth should we do to worship Confucius? Should we fully restore the ancient rituals to explore and realize the cultural heritage values and aesthetic values? Or should we make a new set of ritual procedures that conform to modern modes of expression and the pace of modern life in terms of time? That is to be further explored in practice.