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宗者，何謂也？宗尊也，為先祖主也，宗人之所尊也。《禮》曰：「宗人將有事，族人皆侍。」聖者所以必有宗何也？所以長和睦也。大宗能率小宗；小宗能率群弟，通於有無，所以紀理族人者也。宗其為始祖後者為大宗，此百世之所宗也。宗其為高祖後者，五世而遷者也，高祖遷於上，宗則易於下。宗其為曾祖後者為曾祖宗，宗其為祖後者為祖宗，宗其為父後者為父宗。以上至高祖皆為小宗，以其轉遷，別於大宗也。別子者，自為其子孫為祖，繼別也，各自為宗。小宗有四，大宗有一，凡有五。宗人之親，所以備矣。諸侯奪宗，明尊者宜之。大夫不得奪宗何？曰：諸侯世世傳子孫，故奪宗；大夫不傳子孫，故不宗也。《喪服經》曰：「大夫為宗子。」不言諸侯為宗子也。 |
| | Zong zhe, he wei ye? What is the meaning of "zong"? "Zong" means reverence; it refers to being the principal ancestor's representative, and it is what the members of a clan revere. The Li says: "When the head of the clan has matters to attend to, all the relatives shall wait upon him." Why is it that a sage must necessarily have a zong? It is to maintain harmony and order among the clan. The senior line can lead the junior lines; the junior lines can lead their younger brothers, facilitating mutual support and resources, which is how they maintain order among the members of the clan. The line that traces back to the founding ancestor is called the senior line (dazong), and this is the line revered by all generations for a hundred surnames. The line that traces back to one's great-grandfather is the junior line (xiaozong), which changes every five generations; as the great-grandfather moves upward in ancestral hierarchy, the zong shifts downward accordingly. The line tracing back to one's great-great-grandfather is called the "great-great-grandfather zong," the line tracing back to one's grandfather is called the "grandfather zong," and the line tracing back to one's father is called the "father zong." All lines above, up to the great-grandfather, are considered junior lines (xiaozongs), because they change over generations, distinguishing them from the senior line (dazong). A "biezi" is one who establishes his own descendants as a separate ancestral line; this continuation of the biezi lineage means that each such branch forms its own zong. There are four junior lines (xiaozongs) and one senior line (dazong), making a total of five. The relationships among the members of a zong are thus fully established. When feudal lords usurp the position of zong, it is clear that those who hold higher status should be given precedence. Why may a dafu (high-ranking official) not usurp the position of zong? It is said: Feudal lords pass their titles from generation to generation through their descendants, hence they may usurp the zong; high-ranking officials (dafu) do not transmit their positions to their descendants, and therefore are not considered zong. The Sangfu Jing says: "A high-ranking official (dafu) serves as the head of his zong." It does not say that a feudal lord is the head of his zong.
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族者何也？族者，湊也，聚也，謂恩愛相流湊也。生相親愛，死相哀痛，有會聚之道，故謂之族。《》曰：「」 |
| | "Zu" refers to what? "Zu" means convergence and gathering; it refers to the mutual flow of affection and unity among relatives. They show affection and love for one another when alive, and mourn deeply for each other upon death; because they share a bond of unity and gathering, they are called "zu." The Shangshu says: "Use kinship to unite the nine clans."
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族所以九何？九之為言究也，親疏恩愛究竟也，謂父族四，母族三，妻族二。父族四者，謂父之姓一族也，父女昆弟適人有子為二族也，身女昆弟適人有子為三族也，身女子適人有子為四族也；母族三者，母之父母一族也，母之昆弟二族也，母昆弟子三族也；母昆弟者男女皆在外親，故合言之。妻族二者，妻之父為一族，妻之母為二族，妻之親略故父母各一族。《禮》曰：「惟氏三族之不虞。」《》曰：「」，義同也。一說合言九族者，欲明堯時俱三也，禮所以獨父族四何？欲言周承二弊之後，民人皆厚於末，故興禮母族，妻之黨廢，禮母族父之族，足以貶妻族，以附父族也。或言九者，據有交接之恩也。若「邢侯之姊，覃公惟私」也。言四者，據有服耳，不相害所異也。 |
| | Why are there nine clans (jiu zu)? The term "nine" signifies thoroughness; it means that the closeness or distance of kinship and affection is fully accounted for. It refers to four clans from the father's side, three from the mother's side, and two from the wife's side. The four clans from the father's side refer to: one, the clan of the father's surname; two, the descendants through the father's daughters and brothers who have married and had children; three, the descendants through one's own daughters and brothers who have married and have children; four, the descendants through one's own sons' wives (daughters-in-law) who have married into their husbands' families and have children. The three clans from the mother's side refer to: one, the clan of one's maternal grandparents; two, the clan of one's maternal uncles; and three, the descendants of one's maternal uncle's sons. Maternal uncles include both male and female relatives who are considered part of the extended family outside the immediate lineage, hence they are mentioned together. The two clans from the wife's side refer to: one, the clan of the wife's father; and two, the clan of the wife's mother. The relatives on the wife's side are considered less closely related, so only her parents each form a separate clan. The Li says: "Only three clans should be prepared for unforeseen events." The Shangshu says: "Use kinship to unite the Nine Clans," which conveys the same meaning. One interpretation holds that when speaking of the "Nine Clans" collectively, it is to indicate that during Yao's time they were all three in number; why then does the Li specifically mention four clans from the father's side? It is to indicate that during the Zhou dynasty, following two periods of decline, people had become overly focused on superficial matters; thus, the rites were established to elevate the mother's clan while diminishing the influence of the wife's relatives. By emphasizing the father's and mother's clans in ritual practices, the status of the wife's family is de-emphasized, aligning it with the father's lineage. Some say that the number nine is used because it refers to clans connected by bonds of affection and relationship. Such as in the case of "the elder sister of Duke Xing, who was favored by Duke Tan." The reference to four is based on the presence of mourning rites (fu); this does not contradict the other interpretations, as they differ in their focus.
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