Rong Qiqi

The entry here describes the Three Pleasures of Rong Qiqi.⁴ Mainly through the many retellings of this story Rong Qiqi (6th/5th c. BCE) became an exemplar for living naturally and spontaneously. He thus seems to have been a role model centuries later for the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. Illustrations often showed him together with them.

Qin illustration 13 in Taiyin Daquanji says it is Rong Qiqi's Double Moon (雙月 Shuangye) qin.

The biography of Rong Qiqi in Qin Shi begins as follows:

Rong Qiqi was a recluse of Lu. When Confucius was traveling around 泰山 Mount Tai he saw Qiqi wearing a rough fur coat, playing the qin and singing. Confucius sat down and asked him why he seemed to be so happy. (Qiqi) answered, There are many reasons why I am happy.: People are the most valuable things, and I am a person.
Men are ranked above women and I am a man.
Most people don't survive infancy but I am 90.
Most people are poor and await death: I am like them. Confucius listened further to his qin and discussed happiness with him for three days....

Translation incomplete. Further details in preparation.

Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1. 榮啟期 Rong Qiqi
Sources as well as Qin Shi include:

15559.74/5;
列子天瑞 Liezi, Heaven's Gifts; a shorter version of the story here.

十二國史 Shi'er Guo Shi, quoted in 琴書大全 Qinshu Daquan, Folio 16, #9.
Audrey Spiro, Contemplating the Ancients. Numerous entries.
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2. 12 lines (Return)

3. Brick relief image
Detail of brick relief images of Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove at a Nanjing tomb. These images also show Xi Kang playing the qin backwards; however, Ruan Xian is playing his ruan lute correctly.
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4. Three Pleasures (三樂 San Le)
10.1682 mentions the Three Pleasures of three ancients:

Mengzi (孟子，盡心上)
Zengzi (韓詩外傳，九)
Rong Qiqi

The most famous of these, at least amongst qin players, seems to have been the latter. Many sources mention a melody called Three Pleasures.

San Le as melody title (also 三樂圖 San Le Tu, 三樂譜 San Le Pu, 三樂操 San Le Cao)
The titles San Le Tu (Schemata for Three Pleasures) and San Le Pu (Tablature for Three Pleasures) seem to refer to the same story. The title seems to have been quite common, bu there is no information on how many versions might have existed in the past, and it is not on Zha Guide's active list. An entry in Qinshu Daquan Section 11 ascribes the melody to Rong Qiqi and gives a similar account to here, while its Section 13 (#14) lists San Le amongst shang mode melodies. Qinshu Cunmu #2 三樂圖 San Le Tu traces the many occurences of the title. (See also mention of a Three Pleasures Song (三樂歌 San Le Ge) in a poem by Yelü Chucai.)
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