璧琮原始意义新考

The New Exploration of the Original Meaning of Jade Bi and Jade Cong.

玉璧、玉琮是我国古代最为重要的两种礼器。对于二者象征意义的解释,诸说纷呈,莫衷一是。事实上,无论从文献记载来看,还是从考古材料来说,它们都应与阴阳观念相关,是阴阳、天地、乾坤、父母、男女等抽象话语的外化形式。其中,玉璧是阴、坤、母、地、女等概念的物化,是地母女阴的象征;玉琮是阳、乾、父、天、男等概念的具象,是天神男根的象征。"以苍璧礼天,以黄琮礼地",乃出于先民交感天地、和合阴阳以祈求丰产增殖的美好愿望而已。

Jade Bi(璧) and Jade Cong(琮) are the two most important ritual utensils in ancient China.For the interpretation of the symbolism of both,there are many explanations.In fact,both from the view of literature,or of the archaeological material,they should be associated with the Yin(阴) and Yang(阳) concept,the outside form of the abstract discourse:Yin and Yang,Qian(乾) and Kun(坤),Heaven and Earth,father and mother,men and women.Where,Jade Bi is the materialization of the concept of Yin,Kun,mother,female,a symbol of Earth mother's genital;Jade Cong is the figurative concept of Yang,Qian,father,heaven,male,a symbol of Gods' genital.'Worship the gods by White Jade Bi,worship Mother Earth by Yellow Jade Cong' which is out of ancestors' wishes for intercourse of Heaven and Earth,harmony of Yin and Yang and praying for high grain yield and population proliferation.