*3.2. The Layer of Emotions*

The second layer embedded in *cheng*'s relationship with sacrificial ritual is psychological emotion and attitude of sincere reverence (*jing* ᮜ) and fear (*wei* ⭿) toward the gods/spirits. Although the character *cheng*2 comprises the categorical constituent of *yan* (word), not *xin* (heart-mind), psychological sentiment is also an extremely significant factor. According to the *Classic of Ritual*, during a sacrificial ritual, from the king of Zhou to the common people, everyone must fast and dress up, reverently and repeatedly kowtowing to the impersonator of ancestral spirits and exhorting him to enjoy the offerings, even though the impersonator would be much younger (usually played by a grandson) and lower in social position than the ritual hosts (Zheng and Jia 2000a, 44.967a-46.1035b). The *Guoyu* ഻䃎 (Discourses of the States) records Guan Shefu's 㿰ሴ⡦ words on sacrificial ritual, saying: "Who dares not be fearful in serving the many gods?" ަ䃠ᮒнᡠᡠㄦㄦ, ԕһⲮ⾎, and "Who dares not fast solemnly and reverently devote oneself to the gods?" ަ䃠ᮒн啺㚵ᮜ, 㠤血ᯬ (Lai 2000, 18.804). According to the *Analects* (3.12):

Confucius made sacrifice to the ancestral spirits as if the spirits were present, and made sacrifice to the gods as if the gods were present. The master said, "If I cannot take part in a sacrifice, it is as if I did not sacrifice." ⾝ྲ൘, ⾝⾎ ྲ⾎൘. ᆀᴠ: ''੮н㠷⾝, ྲн⾝."

When Confucius took part in a sacrifice, he was always sincerely reverent as if the spirits and gods were indeed present. Confucius had a famous saying of "showing reverence to the spirits and gods while keeping distance from them" ᮜ公⾎㘼䚐 ѻ (*Analects,* 6.22); his disciple Zizhang ᆀᕥ said, "One must think about reverence when making the sacrifice" ⾝ᙍᮜ (*Analects,* 19.1). According to the *Records of Ritual*, sacrificial rituals must "offer one's devoted reverence" 㠷ަᘐᮜ, and "to do one's utmost is called reverence" ⴑѻ䄲ᮜ (Zheng and Kong 2000, 49.1571a, 1573a-b). The same ritual classic also contains many more discussions of the importance of *jing* (reverence) in sacrificial rituals. As a result, *cheng*2 and *jing* are often used together or else combined to form the compound *chengjing* 䃐ᮜ (sincere reverence). For example, the *Records of Ritual* states that a superior person's (*junzi* ੋᆀ) attitude toward ritual is "to present one's reverence, sincerity, and submission" 㠤ަᮜ㘼䃐㤕. Later, the literary theorist Liu Xie ࢹठ (b. ca. 465) said this: "The style of supplicatory writing must be sincere and reverent. . . . Ban Gu's writing for the sacrificial ritual to Mount Zhuoxie displays sincere-reverence of supplication" ⽸ѻᔿ, ᗵ䃐ԕᮜ. ... ⨝പѻ ⽰⏯ኡ, ⽸ѻ䃐ᮜҏ (Fan 1958, pp. 176–77).
