The Six Classics: the collective title of "Poetry", "Book", "Ritual", "Yi", "Music" and "Spring and Autumn". The extra one is "乐".
1. "Shi", also known as "The Book of Songs", is the first collection of poems in Chinese history. It collects 305 poems from the early Western Zhou Dynasty to the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period. And because the works in it can be sung with musical accompaniment, the Book of Songs is also called the first collection of music and songs in ancient my country.
2. "Shu", also known as "Shang Shu", is a political document collected by the Zhou royal family. "Shang Shu" can be divided into two categories in terms of content, sacrificial type and war type. In terms of stylistic form, it can also be divided into two categories, namely ascending memorials and descending edicts. The articles in "Shangshu" have a complete structure and clear levels. They are very particular about propositions and chapters, and many chapters are full of literary talent.
3. "Li", also known as "Zhou Rites" and "Zhou Officials", are the regulations and systems managed by the uncles of the Zhou royal family. The Duke of Zhou made rites and music in Luoyi, laying the foundation for Zhou rites.
4. "The Book of Changes" is the first of the group of classics. It is a philosophical work with profound ancient origins and profoundness. It is the source of Chinese philosophy. It is one-sided to regard it as a superstitious book. "Yi" originated from Hetu Luoshu. There were three "Yi" in ancient times: Lianshan, Guizang and Zhouyi. The first two copies were lost, so the I Ching is now equivalent to the Zhouyi.
5. "Music" is a musical work belonging to the Zhou royal family. Some people say that "Poetry" and "Music" are actually one. "Poetry" is a musical song, "Shi" is the lyrics, and "Le" is the notation. "Yue" is a collection of the essence of music from the Xia and Shang dynasties. It was compiled by the Duke of Zhou in Luoyi and revised by successive music officials of the Zhou royal family. Now "Yue" has been lost, and its original appearance cannot be known.
6. The name "Spring and Autumn" is the general name for history books by people in the pre-Qin Dynasty. In addition to the Zhou royal family, various countries also have historians. After Qin burned the books, all the national histories of various countries were destroyed. During the Western Han Dynasty, scholars used the excuse of hearing and organizing it into "Zuo Zhuan", "Gongyang Zhuan", etc. Han Confucians believed that the above books explained the "Spring and Autumn" written by Confucius. Extended information
The Six Classics first appeared in "Zhuangzi - Tianyun Chapter". It is a work compiled by Confucius, the founder of the Chinese Confucian school, in his later years. Later generations called it the "Six Classics". Among them, the "Yue Jing" has been lost, so it is usually called the "Five Classics".
The Six Arts and the Six Classics are two concepts that are both related and different. Whether from the perspective of the six classics or the six arts, it is wrong to equate the Six Arts and the Six Classics. The Six Arts is a general term for poetry, calligraphy, rituals, music, Yi, and Spring and Autumn from the perspective of curriculum. The Six Classics is a general term for poetry, calligraphy, rituals, music, Yi, and Spring and Autumn from the perspective of textbooks.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Six Classics
Baidu Encyclopedia-Six Arts