儒教文化研究-The Relationship between Directions and the Four Seasonal Points A study of the Equinoxes and Solstices in “Yao dian”.pdfVIP

The Relationship between Directions and the Four Seasonal Points: A Study of the Equinoxes and Solstices in “Yao dian” * JI Hyunjoo Abstract This study examines the relationship between the equinoxes and solstices and the directional scheme in traditional ritual. For this purpose, the study focuses on “Yao dian” 堯典 (Canon of Yao), with a view to understanding the principles of directional assignments in Confucian rituals from the perspective of natural science, aided by traditional records of astronomical observations. That the four directions in “Yao dian” are related to the equinoctial and solstitial points in the sun’s movement cycle is shown by the tasks and the places assigned to the Xi 羲 and the He 和 families. The key directions in “Yao dian” are due east and due west, the locations where the sun enters and exits the horizon on the spring and fall equinoxes; the south towards which the sun ascends as it moves from spring equinox to summer solstice; and the north towards which the sun descends as it moves from fall equinox to winter solstice. The tasks and the places assigned to the Xi and the He families also correlate with their family and given names, and yin -yang cosmology plays a key role in identifying these correlations. Moreover, the equinoxes and solstices marked both seasonal divisions (jieqi 節氣) in time and cardinal points in space, specifically the four directions corresponding to zi 子, wu 午, mao 卯, and you 酉 among the 12 Earthly Branches (shier di zhi 十二地支). These directions were arranged in a circle reflecting the sun’s movement cycle, and constituted a directional framework that comprised yearly cyclical changes in both time and space. The directional scheme in * JI Hyunjoo: Senior Researcher,