Library of Chinese Classics: The Spring and Autumn of Lu Buwei
Translated into English by Zhai Jiangyue
Translated into modern Chinese by Zai Jiangyue
Library binding book, vol. I, II, III, dimensions 960 x 640, 1/16
Publisher: Guangxi Normal University Press, 2005
ISBN: 7563353208 9787563353200
The Spring and Autumn Annals of Lu Buwei is a collection of writings written by the guests of Lu Buwei, the Prime Minister of the state of Qin, and edited by Lu Buwei himself during the late Warring States period.
This collection is divided into three parts, "the Twelve Records", "the eight Views" and "The Six Discussions", and it has one hundred and sixty articles altogether.
With this collection, Lu Buwei was trying to provide some references on the methodology of governing the people to the feudal regime that was going to unify China, so it is focused on topics such as the notion of government according to the sovereign's principles and his inferiors serving the sovereign whole-heartedly. The contents of The Spring and Autumn Annals of Lu Buwei are very complex and cover the areas of astronomy, geography, Yin, Yang, the Five Main Elements, climate, music, education, military affairs, regimen, agrology and agriculture. This collection also consists of a huge amount of historical material.
In the Zhou Dynasty, official historians recorded many historical facts about various kingdoms in simple and concise language, for example in Spring and Autumn Annals. Later, the historical recordings were developed into historical literature, which recounted the realities of the period in descriptive language, including Master Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals, Discourse of the States and Intrigues of the Warring States.
It was a time of great social changes at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period and the beginning of the Warring States Period. Many schools of thought contended with each other. Major schools of thought at the time included the Confucian School, Mohist School, Taoist School, Legalist School among many others, with Analects and Mencius, Mozi Zhuangzi and HanfeiZi as their representative works.
In the late years (around 221BC) of the Warring States Period (475-221BC), the prime minister of the Qin State, Lu Buwei organized to compile the collection of Eclectics. Lushi Chunqiu (Master Lu`s Spring and Autumn) was completed in 239BC on the eve that the Qin State would unify the other six states. The book included 200.000 words in 26 volumes and 160 chapters. It esteemed Taoists by affirming Laozi`s thought of objectivity and abnegating his negative ingredient. Besides, it absorbed the merits of the Confucians, Mohists, Legalists, and Militarists, and formed the system of politics, economy, philosophy, morality and military affairs. In order to offer the golden kingcraft for the long live of the Qin State, Lu Buwei integrated merits from the various schools of thoughts and summarized historical experience and lessons.
Master Lu's Spring and Autumn contains materialistic elements and many old stories, so it is of high theoretical and historical value. Sima Qian mentions Lushi Chunqiu in the same breath with Zhouyi (Changes of Zhou), Chunqiu (Spring and Autumn Annals), and Lisao (The Poem on Departure) when he wrote Shiji (The Records of the Great Historian).