Straw dogs or grass dogs (simplified Chinese: 刍狗; traditional Chinese: 芻狗; pinyin: chú gǒu), figures of dogs made out of straw, were used as ceremonial objects in ancient China, as a substitute for the sacrifice of living dogs. Chú gǒu has been used figuratively to refer to anything discarded after use.[1]
Chapter 5 of the Tao Te Ching makes use of the phrase chu gou (芻狗) to compare living beings to straw dogs. This metaphor is used to explain the non-humanity (不仁bu ren) of Heaven and Earth:[2]
天地不仁 以萬物為芻狗 聖人不仁 以百姓為芻狗
Heaven and Earth are not humane. They regard all things as straw dogs. The sage is not humane. He regards all people as straw dogs.[note 1]
However, some translators prefer to interpret this phrase as two separate words, "straw" (芻) and "dogs" (狗), rather than together, as "straw dogs" (芻狗).[3]
This verse is usually interpreted as an expression of the Taoist rejection of the principle of ren (仁), one of the Five Constant Virtues in Confucianism, variously translated as "humanity", "benevolence", "partiality", or "kind acts".[3][4]Su Zhe's commentary on the verse explains: "Heaven and Earth are not partial. They do not kill living things out of cruelty or give them birth out of kindness. We do the same when we make straw dogs to use in sacrifices. We dress them up and put them on the altar, but not because we love them. And when the ceremony is over, we throw them into the street, but not because we hate them."[5]
Zhuangziedit
Another Taoist text, the Zhuangzi provides a more detailed description for the treatment of the straw dogs in its 14th chapter, "The Turnings of Heaven":[6]
Before the grass-dogs [芻狗chu gou] are set forth (at the sacrifice), they are deposited in a box or basket, and wrapt up with elegantly embroidered cloths, while the representative of the dead and the officer of prayer prepare themselves by fasting to present them. After they have been set forth, however, passers-by trample on their heads and backs, and the grass-cutters take and burn them in cooking. That is all they are good for.
The image of the straw dogs is again used to criticise Confucianism, as the Zhuangzi goes on to compare Confucius, in his insistence upon the ancient rites, to a fool who attempts to reconstitute the trampled straw dogs, "replace them in the box or basket", and "wrap them up with embroidered cloths".[3][4]
^Chen Guying ed. Laozi zhu yi ji ping jie 老子注譯及評介 (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1984) at 78.
^ abcSearle, Callisto. "The Hermeneutics of Contentious Imagery: What Exactly the Zhuangzi Has to Say about the Straw Dogs in the Laozi" (PDF). Religions. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
^ abNelson, Eric Sean. "Responding with Dao: Early Daoist ethics and the environment" (PDF). Philosophy East and West: 301–302. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
^Pine, Red (1996). Lao-tzu's Taoteching. San Francisco: Mercury House. ISBN1-56279-085-4.
^In Chinese: 夫芻狗之未陳也，盛以篋衍，巾以文繡，尸祝齊戒以將之；及其已陳也，行者踐其首脊，蘇者取而爨之而已。Legge, James. Sacred Books of China: The Texts of Taoism.
February 16, 2024
straw, this, article, about, chinese, ceremonial, objects, other, uses, straw, dogs, disambiguation, grass, dogs, simplified, chinese, 刍狗, traditional, chinese, 芻狗, pinyin, chú, gǒu, figures, dogs, made, straw, were, used, ceremonial, objects, ancient, china, . This article is about the Chinese ceremonial objects For other uses see Straw Dogs disambiguation Straw dogs or grass dogs simplified Chinese 刍狗 traditional Chinese 芻狗 pinyin chu gǒu figures of dogs made out of straw were used as ceremonial objects in ancient China as a substitute for the sacrifice of living dogs Chu gǒu has been used figuratively to refer to anything discarded after use 1 Contents 1 Use as a metaphor 1 1 Tao Te Ching 1 2 Zhuangzi 2 See also 3 Notes 4 ReferencesUse as a metaphor editTao Te Ching edit Chapter 5 of the Tao Te Ching makes use of the phrase chu gou 芻狗 to compare living beings to straw dogs This metaphor is used to explain the non humanity 不仁 bu ren of Heaven and Earth 2 天地不仁 以萬物為芻狗 聖人不仁 以百姓為芻狗 Heaven and Earth are not humane They regard all things as straw dogs The sage is not humane He regards all people as straw dogs note 1 However some translators prefer to interpret this phrase as two separate words straw 芻 and dogs 狗 rather than together as straw dogs 芻狗 3 This verse is usually interpreted as an expression of the Taoist rejection of the principle of ren 仁 one of the Five Constant Virtues in Confucianism variously translated as humanity benevolence partiality or kind acts 3 4 Su Zhe s commentary on the verse explains Heaven and Earth are not partial They do not kill living things out of cruelty or give them birth out of kindness We do the same when we make straw dogs to use in sacrifices We dress them up and put them on the altar but not because we love them And when the ceremony is over we throw them into the street but not because we hate them 5 Zhuangzi edit Another Taoist text the Zhuangzi provides a more detailed description for the treatment of the straw dogs in its 14th chapter The Turnings of Heaven 6 Before the grass dogs 芻狗 chu gou are set forth at the sacrifice they are deposited in a box or basket and wrapt up with elegantly embroidered cloths while the representative of the dead and the officer of prayer prepare themselves by fasting to present them After they have been set forth however passers by trample on their heads and backs and the grass cutters take and burn them in cooking That is all they are good for The image of the straw dogs is again used to criticise Confucianism as the Zhuangzi goes on to compare Confucius in his insistence upon the ancient rites to a fool who attempts to reconstitute the trampled straw dogs replace them in the box or basket and wrap them up with embroidered cloths 3 4 See also editPaper tigerNotes edit All people here translates 百姓 lit hundred families all things translates 萬物 lit myriad things References edit 刍狗 in Chinese Chen Guying ed Laozi zhu yi ji ping jie 老子注譯及評介 Beijing Zhonghua shuju 1984 at 78 a b c Searle Callisto The Hermeneutics of Contentious Imagery What Exactly the Zhuangzi Has to Say about the Straw Dogs in the Laozi PDF Religions Retrieved 18 June 2022 a b Nelson Eric Sean Responding with Dao Early Daoist ethics and the environment PDF Philosophy East and West 301 302 Retrieved 21 June 2022 Pine Red 1996 Lao tzu s Taoteching San Francisco Mercury House ISBN 1 56279 085 4 In Chinese 夫芻狗之未陳也 盛以篋衍 巾以文繡 尸祝齊戒以將之 及其已陳也 行者踐其首脊 蘇者取而爨之而已 Legge James Sacred Books of China The Texts of Taoism Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Straw dog amp oldid 1182230813, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
