17 Primary Sources: Ancient East Asia
The Book of Songs on the Mandate of Heaven
Selections from the Shu Jing (The Classic of History, 6th century BCE) on the Mandate of Heaven
Sima Qian, The Records of the Grand Historian
Fu Xuan: Poem on Woman c. 3rd, Century CE
The Tale of Mulan, the Maiden Chief c. 502-556 CE
China — Philosophy and Religion
Confucianism
Confucius, The Analects (excerpts)
Excerpts on Humanity, Propriety, Governance, and Rites
Some General Selections on Filial Piety and Humaneness [PDF]
Confucius, The Great Learning
Mencius/Mengzi, Selections from the Mencius
Xunzi/Hsun-tzu: Selections from the Xunzi
Ban Zhao (Pan Chao): Lessons for A Woman: The Views of A Female Confucian, c. 80 CE
Daoism/Taoism
Laozi , Daodejing, (selections)
Zhuangzi/Chuang tzu (4th century BCE)
Legalism and Sun Tzu
Han Fei Tzu (d. 233 BCE): Selections from the Writings of Han Fei. c. 230 BCE
Sunzi (Sun Tzu), The Art of War (excerpts)
Buddhism in East Asia
The Sutra of Forty-Two Chapters, c. 67 CE.
Extract from the Lotus Sutra: The Nature of the Buddha
Extract from the Lotus Sutra: On Faith
Japan, Korean, Viet Nam, and Elsewhere
Chinese Accounts of Rome, Byzantium, and the Middle East, c. 91 B.CE – 1643 C.E
Iryôn’s Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms (Samguk yusa): The Tangun Legend [PDF] (legend of events of c. 2333 BCE)
Excerpts from The Complete Compilation of the Collected Writings about the Departed Spirits of the Viêt Realm: Sovereigns, The Tru’ng Sisters [PDF], ca. 39-43 CE.
Si Vuong (137-226 CE): Si Vuong (Shi Xie) [PDF]