丧礼与《诗经》悼亡诗

丧礼反映了上古先民的丧葬礼俗,表达了事死如事生的观念,更是对于人生最后阶段的高度重视。丧礼的存在强调了对于个体生命归宿的尊重,对于个体生命价值的肯定,同时亦包含着对个体生命一生行为品质的总结。丧礼表达的是生命终结时的恭送情怀。丧礼的重要特征是体现孝道,这是君子品德的重要体现。“人为歌声以助哀”的《诗经》悼亡诗,体现了臣对君、子对父、妻对夫的情感,反映的是生命世界的伦理秩序。与此同时,丧礼与挽歌,反映了个体生命的意义和价值。丧礼的规格大小之别,不仅是生命世界等级秩序的体现,更是强调死者对于社会贡献大小的区别。丧礼越是隆重,个人的价值就越是充分,对于生者的示范意义就越大,事死如事生的意义就越明确,死者为大的意义就更加突显。

Funeral and Related Poems in The Book of Songs

Funeral is a mirror for burial custom of ancient people,by which they expressed their concept of "looking upon death as being alive" and put their high value on the last stage of life.It also embodies the esteem of individual end-result,the confirmation of their value,as well as the conclusion for their quality in the whole life.Deferential bearing to the ending of life,filial respect,and even virtues of a honor man all can be demonstrated through funeral ceremony.In The Book of Songs,elegies that convey mournful feelings in songs illustrate the emotion of minister to emperor,son to father,wife to husband,displaying the moral orders in the circle of life.And funeral plays the same role in demonstration of individual's meaning and value,as elegy does.The scale of holding funeral rites differs according to the social classes and contribution of the departed saints.