A Dialectical Analysis of the Tripartite Qualities of 'Dao' in the Guanzi: Intricacy, Expansion, and Solidity

I. Can the Cultivation of Vital Energy Truly Reach the Realm of "Like Shen"$48

This is the most fundamental question left by Neiye. The entire passage describes an ideal realm from cultivating vital energy to encompassing all things and resonating like Shen. But can this realm truly be achieved$49

Based on historical records from the pre-Qin period, certain individuals were indeed considered to have reached extremely high levels of cultivation. Zhuangzi, "Free and Easy Wandering" (逍遙遊), describes: "On Mount Miao Gu She, there dwells a Spirit-person. Their skin is like ice and snow, their grace like a young maiden. They do not eat grains, but inhale the wind and drink the dew. They ride the clouds, herd flying dragons, and roam beyond the Four Seas"—this is a literary description, but it reflects the pre-Qin imagination of the realm of "grasping Qi as if it were Shen."

More realistic descriptions are found in Zhuangzi, "The Carefree Life" (養生主), with the story of Cook Ding dissecting an ox: "What I love is the Dao; it has gone beyond mere technique. When I first began dissecting oxen, I saw only the whole ox. After three years, I no longer saw the whole ox. Now, I encounter it with my spirit rather than my eye; my senses stop and my spirit moves." Cook Ding, through long practice, reached the state of "encountering it with his spirit rather than his eye"—his senses stopped, but his spirit was active. Although this is expressed in the context of the specific skill of dissecting oxen, the underlying principle of cultivation is entirely consistent with Neiye.