When fasting for ritual purification, one must wear a special clean garment made of plain cloth. During the fast, one must change one’s usual diet and also move to a different place to sit or sleep.
Note
This passage highlights the Confucian emphasis on ritual fasting as more than mere physical preparation – it is a holistic process of mental and spiritual purification before sacrifice. Wearing a dedicated “bright garment”, altering one’s diet (e.g., abstaining from alcohol and meat), and relocating one’s living space are not empty formalities. Rather, they are intentional disruptions of daily routine designed to cultivate a state of solemnity, clarity, and reverence. As Confucius states elsewhere, “When sacrificing, it is as if the spirits were present” (Analects 3.12). True sacrifice depends on inner sincerity; the external disciplines of fasting serve as practical means to quiet distractions and focus the mind wholly on the sacred act. This integration of outer conduct and inner attitude reflects the Confucian view that ritual embodies the Way (Dao) – ritual is not hollow performance but a transformative path for moral cultivation and communion with the transcendent.
Further Reading
“When sacrificing, it is as if the spirits were present.” The Master said, “If I do not participate in the sacrifice myself, it is as if I had not sacrificed at all.” Analects 3.12 (Ba Yi)
Both stress that ritual efficacy depends on genuine presence and inner reverence – not just outward participation. Fasting prepares the mind for this authentic engagement.
The things the Master was cautious about: fasting, war, and illness. Analects 7.13 (Shu Er)
Places diet fasting among the three most serious matters in life, underscoring its spiritual and ethical weight.
齊，必有明衣，布。齊，必變食，居必遷坐。
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