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All the ideas of the early Confucian were generalized in these called
the Confucian canon.
It's not the one canon.
Usually when we speak about the Confucian Canon, we speak about the nine main books.
Man made books consist of five classics and four books.
So five classics it's a compendium of Confucius
knowledge originating in Zhou dynasty.
So it was systematized during the Han Dynasty, and
it caused several books that were not written by Confucius.
But may be commented by Confucius.
The first one?
It's a book of changes.
The I Ching, which is venerated not only by Confucianists but also by Taoists.
Another one?
It's a book of Documents or Book of History, describing
several main events of the ancient history of China in different states.
The third book, it's a book of Odes, or Book of Poetry,
that includes different kinds of chanting, early chanting,
poetry, and some chanting for the ritual.
Another book, it's a book of the Records of Rites, or
the Book of Rites, which was very highly venerated by Confucius himself.
And finally it says Spring and Autumn Annals.
It's kind of gesitters of that period.
According to sun version, Spring and
Autumn Annals was written by Confucius himself.
So these five books combine historical approach,
the approach philosophical and religious approach.
And this book became a base for
the Confucius education in the Confucius schools and
this tradition to start this education from the Five Classics and four books.
Kept almost up to the 19th century.
So the Ideology of the Five Classics is very wide.
First of all it described the conduct inside the family.
The right rule of behavior, how to behave of a man,
of a woman, of a husband and wife.
Another one, it's individual, moral, and spiritual transformation.
How to transform, how to educate yourself according to Confucius tradition.
Another one is a description of the different kind of deities, ghosts,
spirits, and rituals that you have to pray for
these kind of spirits, and perform it for deities.
Another one, it's a different kind of philosophical text, and
philosophical passages explaining the order of things.
The development of the state and
how the ruler should behave in different situations.
Finally, it's a principle of moral conduct which became
a very important part of the Confucianism.
If you look to all these topics or all these themes, we can understand that
it is not the same as the, for example, Buddhist or Taoist canon.
Buddhist and Taoist canon usually speak about the very mystical things and
usually discuss the ideal of the communication between human and spirits.
And about the mentality of the spiritual person mediation, breathing exercises.
So Confucius classic, it's more about the moral behavior.
Beside five classics, or five canons, we can find so-called the four books, Sishu.
The main books of great philosophers of China.
Four books, for example,
includes Lúnyǔ by Confucius himself, [FOREIGN] and other books.
It was a general introduction to the Confucian thought.
And four books illustrate core values and belief system of Confucianism.
These books were selected by Zhu Xi,
Great neo-Confucianist of the medieval China during
the Song dynasty, and to save as an ideal way of behavior.
And to understand what is mean the Confucius The Confucianist ideas.
Zhu Xi commanded these books.
So mostly when we speak about Confucianism, we speak not about
the initial Confucianism of Confucius and of Manza of ancient times, but
first of all about the understanding of Confucianism by Zhu Xi.
So for the 17th century, all these books became an official curriculum for
the civil service examinations.
So if someone wanted to pass through official exams in different levels,
in three main levels, from the county level to the imperial level,
this person, first of all, should learn all these books and
to write a set, according to these books.
And when he quoted the passages of the four books and five classics,
one of the books that was included to the book it's called the Great Learning Daxue.