Liu Shi (六事, Liù Shì, lit. "Six Affairs") refers to six hierarchically ordered categories of sacrificial offerings presented to ancestral spirits in the Zhou state temple. From the most solemn full presentation (肆) reserved for royal ancestors, to the regular food offering (馈) of seasonal rites, each of the six forms corresponded to a specific ritual moment and the rank of the ancestor being honored. Recorded in the Zhouli (周礼) with commentary by Zheng Xuan (郑玄), the Liu Shi classification directly informed the Taoist liturgical hierarchy of offerings in the Zhengyi tradition.
六事 Liu ShiSix Offering CategoriesZhouli 周礼Ancestral Temple 宗庙Zhou Sacrifice 周祭
Key Takeaways
• Liu Shi (六事, Liù Shì, lit. "Six Affairs") denotes six categories of sacrificial offerings in the Zhou ancestral temple, recorded in the Zhouli (周礼), "Chun Guan: Da Zong Bo" (春官·大宗伯).
• The six ritual acts: 肆 si (presentation of whole animals), 献 xian (wine offering), 裸 guan (libation), 馈 kui (food offering), 享 xiang (enjoyment offering), 祀 si (general sacrifice) — each corresponding to a specific ritual moment.
• The offerings were hierarchically ordered: the most solemn (肆, full presentation) was limited to great sacrifices to royal ancestors; simpler forms (馈, food) served regular seasonal offerings.
• In the Zhengyi tradition, the Liu Shi hierarchy directly parallels the distinction between grand jiao (大醮), medium offerings, and simple supplication rites.
Definition
Liu Shi (六事, Liù Shì, lit. "Six Affairs") refers to six hierarchically ordered categories of sacrificial offerings presented to ancestral spirits in the Zhou state temple. The term is recorded in the Zhouli (周礼, "Rites of Zhou"), "Chun Guan: Da Zong Bo" (春官·大宗伯), with authoritative commentary by Zheng Xuan (郑玄). Each of the six offering forms corresponded to a specific ritual moment in the ancestral temple ceremony and the rank of the ancestor being honored — from the most solemn full presentation reserved for royal ancestors to the regular food offerings of seasonal rites.
Classical Sources
The Zhouli (周礼), "Chun Guan: Da Zong Bo" (春官·大宗伯) records:
"以肆献裸享先王，以馈食享先王。"
"Present the four types of offerings and the libation offering to the former kings; present the food offering to the former kings."
Zheng Xuan (郑玄) provides the authoritative classification of the six ritual acts, explaining their specific contexts and the hierarchy of ancestors to whom each was appropriate. The Liu Shi passage is part of the Zhouli's systematic account of the Da Zong Bo (大宗伯, "Grand Master of Ceremonies") official's duties, who oversaw the full cycle of ancestral temple offerings.
The Six Offering Categories
肆 Si — Full Presentation: The most solemn offering form, involving the presentation of whole animals laid out in full. Reserved for the greatest sacrifices to royal ancestors. The completeness of the presentation — nothing withheld, nothing reduced — mirrors the completeness of the ancestral virtue being honored.
献 Xian — Wine Offering: The formal presentation of wine to the ancestral spirit. The wine is poured, elevated, and offered with a verbal invocation. Wine was the primary medium of communication with the ancestors — its fragrance and spirit carrying the offering to the divine realm.
裸 Guan — Libation: The pouring of fragrant wine (鬱酒, chang jiu) onto the ground or altar to summon the ancestral spirit. The libation precedes the main offering, calling the spirit to attend and receive what follows. The most intimate of the six forms — the spirit is drawn down by the fragrance.
馈 Kui — Food Offering: The presentation of cooked food to the ancestral spirit. Used for regular seasonal offerings when the full ceremonial apparatus of the great sacrifice was not employed. The food offering sustains the ongoing relationship between the living and the ancestors.
享 Xiang — Enjoyment Offering: The offering in which the ancestral spirit is invited to enjoy the presented food and wine. The enjoyment offering marks the moment of divine acceptance — the spirit partakes, and the sacrifice is complete.
祀 Si — General Sacrifice: The broadest category, encompassing the full range of sacrificial acts. Used as a general term for the ancestral temple sacrifice when the specific form is not designated. The foundation upon which all the other five categories rest.
Zhengyi Tradition Parallels
In the Zhengyi tradition, the Liu Shi classification of offerings directly parallels the Taoist liturgical distinction between grand jiao (大醮), medium offerings, and simple supplication rites. The Taoist ritual process preserves the same hierarchical logic: the most elaborate rituals are reserved for the highest celestial deities, while simpler offerings serve the departmental and local spirits. The Zhengyi canon's classification of offering types — from the grand jiao to the individual petition — reflects the same principle of correspondence between the rank of the deity and the elaborateness of the offering.
The history of Taoist fasting and offering rites traces how the Liu Shi's hierarchical offering system was absorbed into the Taoist liturgical framework. The Zhengyi school's systematic preservation of classical offering categories reflects its role as the inheritor and transformer of the ancient Chinese sacrificial tradition.
Primary Sources: Anonymous, Zhouli (周礼), "Chun Guan: Da Zong Bo" (春官·大宗伯), Warring States period. With Zheng Xuan (郑玄) commentary. — Chen Yaoting (陈耀庭), compiler, Encyclopedia of Taoism (道教大辞典), Shanghai: Shanghai Cishu Chubanshe, entry "Liu Shi" (六事).
