Guodian Chu Slips
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The Guodian Chu Slips (Chinese: 郭店楚簡; pinyin: Guōdiàn Chǔjiǎn) were unearthed in 1993 in Tomb no. 1 of the Guodian tombs in Jingmen, Hubei. The archeological team suggested the tomb should be dated to the latter half of the Warring States period (mid 4th to early 3rd century BC). The texts would have been written on the bamboo slips before or close to the time of burial.
The tomb is located in the Jishan District's tomb complex, near the Jingmen City in the village of Guodian, and only 9 kilometers north of Ying, which was the ancient Chu capital from about 476 BC until 278 BC, before the State of Chu was over-run by the Qin. The tomb and its contents were studied to determine the identity of the occupant; an elderly noble scholar, and teacher to a royal prince. The prince had been identified as Crown Prince Heng, who later became King Qingxiang of Chu.
There are in total about 804 bamboo slips in this cache, including 702 strips and 27 broken strips with 12072 words. The bamboo slip texts consist of three major categories, which include the earliest manuscripts of received text Tao Te Ching, one chapter from Classic of Rites, and anonymous writings. After restoration, these texts were divided in to eighteen sections, and have been transcribed in to standard Chinese and published under the title Chu Bamboo Slips from Guodian on May 1998. The slip-texts include both Daoist and Confucian works, many previously unknown, nevertheless, the discovery of these texts in the same tomb has contributed fresh information for scholars studying the history of philosophical thought in ancient China. According to Gao Zheng from the Institute of Philosophy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the main part could be teaching material used by the confucianist Si Meng scholars in Jixia Academy. Qu Yuan, who was sent as an envoy in Qi, might have taken them back to Chu.
[edit] Contents
| ## | Chinese | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 01-03 | 老子甲、乙、丙 | Laozi Part A, B & C |
| 04 | 太一生水 | The Great One Generates Water |
| 05 | 緇衣 | Black Robes |
| 06 | 魯穆公問子思 | Duke Mu of Lu Question on Zisi |
| 07 | 窮達以時 | Misery and Success Depend on the Age |
| 08 | 五行 | The Five Conducts |
| 09 | 唐虞之道 | The Way of Tang and Yu |
| 10 | 忠信之道 | The Way of Loyalty and Good Faith |
| 11 | 成之聞之 | The Sage is of Heavenly Virtues |
| 12 | 尊德義 | Revering Virtue and Propriety |
| 13 | 性自命出 | Recipes for Nourishing Life |
| 14 | 六德 | The Six Virtues |
| 15-18 | 語叢一、二、三、四 | Thicket of Sayings Part 1, 2, 3 & 4 |
[edit] References
- Jingmen City Museum (1998). Chu Bamboo Slips from Guodian. Beijing: Wenwu Chubanshe. ISBN 7-5010-1000-5.
- Zhang Guangyu et al (1999). A Study on the Chu Bamboo Manuscripts of Guodian. Taipei: Yee Wen Publishing Co.. ISBN 7-5010-1000-5.
- Zhou Jianzhong (2000). "On the Owner of the No.1 Chu Grave in Guodian, Jingmen". Historical Studies Bimonthly.
