*3.3. The Layer of Materials*

The third layer embedded in *cheng*'s relationship with sacrificial ritual has to do with materials in offering abundant oblations to the gods and spirits. It is also essential to completing the sacrificial ritual that the oblations be sincerely presented and the spirits (impersonators) be fully filled and satisfied.

The *Records of Ritual* says, "The sacrifice to heaven held in the suburb uses the particular victim (calf), and the sacrifice to earth uses the grea<sup>t</sup> victim (ox). . . . This is to value the implication of sincerity. . . . To use a calf is to value sincerity" 䛺⢩⢢ 㘼⽮でབྷ⢒,... 䋤䃐ѻ㗙ҏ.... ⭘⣒, 䋤䃐ҏ. The sacrifice to heaven is more significant than the one to earth, so why does the ritual use smaller victim? According to Zheng Xuan's annotation, a calf has not ye<sup>t</sup> known the distinction between male and

female and therefore represents purity and sincerity (Zheng and Kong 2000, 25.892a; 26.927a). Guan Shefu's discourse on ritual mentioned above further indicates that to offer victims in a sacrificial ritual is "to connect to spirits with sincerity" ᧕䃐Ҿ ⾎ (Lai 2000, 18.803). The numerous manuscripts of sacrificial records excavated at Baoshan वኡ, Wangshan ᵋኡ, Geling 㪋䲥, and so on all record in detail the victims, wines, and foods presented to the spirits in sacrifices (W. Chen 2009, pp. 91–117, 271– 85, 395–445). In the *Jade Plaque of Qin Yin Praying for Healing Illness* discussed above, the king of Qin used various jade articles to pray to the spirit of Mount Hua and promised that if his illness was healed, he would offer the spirit the sacrificial victims of ox, sheep, and pig, as well as artificial chariots, horses, and human figures. The *Classic of Ritual* lists varied kinds of abundant offerings, stating how foods are "filling the tripods" ሖҾ唾, "filling the basket" ሖҾ㈊, "filling the bowl" ሖҾ䉶, and "filling the plate" ሖҾⴔ before the ceremony. The text also describes how the impersonator is urged to eat and drink during the ceremony, from "one time" to the maximum of "fifteen times," during which the impersonator "pronounces he is full" 伭 again and again, while the supplicant urges repeatedly, "Your grand impersonator has not ye<sup>t</sup> been full" ⲷቨᵚሖ (Zheng and Jia 2000a, 47.1036a-48.1076a, 49.1077a-50.1133a).

The character *shi* ሖ comprises *mian* ᆰ (room) and *guan* 䋛 (shell-money, goods), which symbolizes a room full of wealth and thus means richness and fullness (Xu 1963, p. 150b). In the above cases, *shi* is used to describe two kinds of activities during a sacrificial ceremony: the first is to fill various food containers with the offerings so as to display the abundant and substantial offerings to the spirit; the second is to urge the impersonator of the spirit to eat and drink so as to make his belly full. The "Thich Tribulus" (*Chuci* ᾊ㥘) poem from the *Classic of Poetry* (no. 209) describes a sacrificial ritual to the ancestral spirits hosted by the king of Zhou, vibrantly describing such activities:

Stanza III

They attend to the furnaces with reverence; They prepare the trays, which are very large, Some for the roast meat, some for the broiled. The consorts are still and reverent, Preparing the numerous dishes. The guests and visitors, Present the cups and drink all round. Every form is according to ritual propriety; Every smile and word are as they should be. The spirits arrive, And respond with grea<sup>t</sup> blessings, Myriads of years as the reward. ว⡘䑆䑆, ⛪ᆄ⻙, ᡆ⠄ᡆ⛉. ੋ႖㧛㧛, ⛪䉶ᆄᓦ. ⛪䌃⛪ᇒ, ⦫䞜Ӕ䥟. ܰংᓖ, ㅁ䃎ং⦢. ⾎؍ᱟṬ, ԕӻ⾿, 㩜༭᭨䞒. Stanza V The ceremony having been completed, The bells and drums having informed it, The filial descendent goes to his place, And the supplicant makes his announcement, "The spirits are drunk; The grand impersonator rises." The drums and bells escort his withdrawal, And the spirits thus return. All the majordomos and consorts Remove the offerings without delay. The uncles and cousins

All stay for the private feast.

ܰᰒۉ, 䦮啃ᰒᡂ. ᆍᆛᖲս, ᐕ⾍㠤: ⾎ާ䞹→, ⲷቨ䔹䎧. 啃䦮䘱ቨ, ⾎ ؍㚯↨. 䄨ᇠੋ႖, ᔒᗩн䚢. 䄨⡦ݴᕏ, ۉ䀰⠅⿱.

In stanza three, the majordomos and consorts of the royal house reverently prepare foods and drinks and fill them into large containers and dishes, all of which observes ritual propriety. The spirits are invoked to come and bestow blessings upon the king and the royal house. In stanza five, the spirits are full and drunk, and the ceremonies are perfectly completed. These descriptions vividly show how the sumptuous sacrificial feast pleased the spirits, thus "connecting to gods with sincerity."<sup>5</sup>
