The Book of Rites, or Liji, does not arise from the pen of a single sage, but from a long, layered process of transmission within the Confucian tradition. Rather than being the work of one author, it is a composite collection shaped by multiple scholars over generations. Its contents reflect the gradual gathering and arranging of ritual teachings, social norms, and reflections that circulated within the Confucian school. In this sense, the text functions less as a solitary treatise and more as a living archive of ritual wisdom.

Traditional learning associates the text with Confucius and his followers, yet the heart of the matter is that many hands contributed to its formation. Various Confucian scholars selected, edited, and organized earlier materials, drawing on inherited teachings and practices. Over time, these efforts coalesced into the work that later readers recognize as the Book of Rites. The absence of a single named author mirrors the very spirit of ritual: it is communal, cumulative, and refined through shared practice.

Within this broader process, particular figures stand out as important early organizers. Among them, Dai De is remembered as a key editor who helped shape an influential version of the text. His work was further refined by his nephew, Dai Sheng, who abridged and reorganized the material. Their contributions exemplify how ritual knowledge was not only preserved but also consciously curated, so that what might have been scattered teachings became a more coherent guide to conduct and ceremony.

Seen in this light, the Book of Rites is best understood as the crystallization of a long conversation within the Confucian community. It gathers strands from earlier times and weaves them into a tapestry that reflects both continuity and careful redaction. The text’s authority, therefore, does not rest on the name of a single author, but on the depth of a tradition that allowed many voices to harmonize around the shared concern for proper ritual and ordered social life.