Zizhang asked, “The Book of Documents says, ‘When Gaozong was in mourning, he did not speak for three years.’ What does this mean?”
The Master replied, “It was not only Gaozong – this was the practice of all ancient people. When a ruler died, all officials managed their own duties and submitted to the Chief Minister for three years.”
Note
This dialogue explains the Confucian understanding of the “three-year mourning period,” highlighting its dual role in moral ethics and political order.
Zizhang quoted the Book of Documents about King Gaozong of Shang “not speaking for three years,” possibly interpreting it as a personal vow of silence. Confucius clarified that this was not a unique act by Gaozong, but a standard ritual practice in antiquity. The phrase “not speaking” did not mean literal silence, but rather that the new ruler refrained from personally handling state affairs or issuing decrees during mourning, as a sign of deep respect and grief for his predecessor.
The statement “all officials managed their own duties and submitted to the Chief Minister” shows that governance continued smoothly during the mourning period: officials performed their roles under the unified leadership of the Chief Minister (equivalent to a prime minister), ensuring political stability. This illustrates that for Confucians, li (ritual/rites) was not merely emotional expression but a structural mechanism for social order.
By emphasizing “this was the practice of all ancient people,” Confucius sought to restore and uphold pre-Zhou ritual traditions, viewing them as both humane (rooted in filial piety) and politically prudent (preventing chaos during succession). The three-year mourning period thus served as both the ultimate expression of filial devotion and a wise institutional design for orderly power transition.
This passage aligns with Confucius’s teaching in Analects 1.9: “Be cautious in dealing with death and mindful of ancestors, and the people’s virtue will return to fullness.” Through solemn mourning rites, moral sentiment is cultivated; it also reflects the Confucian ideal of “governing through ritual” – where li is not just ceremony, but the foundation of statecraft.
In short, Confucius clarifies: “Not speaking for three years” is not passive silence, but an active adherence to ritual, a cultivation of filial heart, and a safeguard for political continuity – the organic unity of ethics and governance.
Further Reading
Zengzi said, “Be cautious in dealing with death and mindful of ancestors, and the people’s virtue will return to fullness.” Analects 1.9 (Xue Er)
Both link proper mourning rites to moral education and social harmony.
Zai Wo asked, “Three years of mourning – isn’t that too long?…” The Master said, “You are unfeeling! A child remains in his parents’ arms for three years after birth…” Analects 17.21 (Yang Huo)
Defends the three-year mourning period as rooted in natural human affection and filial duty.
The Master said, “If those in high position are not generous, if rituals are performed without reverence, if one is not grieved at funerals – how can I bear to look at such things?” Analects 3.26 (Ba Yi)
Stresses that ritual must be grounded in genuine emotion – linking external rites (like mourning silence) to inner sincerity.
子張曰：「《書》云：『高宗諒陰，三年不言。』何謂也？」子曰：「何必高宗，古之人皆然。君薨，百官總己以聽於冢宰，三年。」
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