A Dialectical Analysis of the Tripartite Qualities of 'Dao' in the Guanzi: Intricacy, Expansion, and Solidity
This paper provides an in-depth interpretation of the opening discourse on 'Dao' in the *Guanzi: Neiye*, analyzing the connotations and dialectical unity of its tripartite qualities: 'intricacy necessitates density, expansion necessitates ease, and solidity necessitates firmness.' It further explores their significance for self-cultivation and mental governance within the context of Pre-Qin and ancient thought.
II. "Pursue excess and your virtue will become thin" (逐淫泽薄)
"Yin" (淫) means excess or overflow. "Ze" (泽) means moisture or nourishment; here it should be understood as contamination or indulgence. "Bo" (薄) means thin or superficial. "Pursue excess and your virtue will become thin" should be understood as: expel excessive desires and distance yourself from superficial contaminations.
Another interpretation suggests "Zhuyin, Zebo" (逐淫、泽薄), meaning: pursuing lewd matters will make one's virtue thin. This is a warning—if one does not guard goodness but pursues excess, one's own virtue will become thin.
Regardless of the interpretation, the core meaning is consistent: Dao cultivators must distance themselves from excessive, superficial, and overflowing things, maintaining purity and depth within.
Laozi, Chapter Twelve, states: "The five colors blind the eye; the five sounds deafen the ear; the five flavors numb the palate; the chase and hunt madden the mind; rare treasures lead conduct astray. Therefore, the sage nourishes the belly and not the eye. So, he discards the latter and chooses the former." "Nourishing the belly and not the eye" is a vivid expression of "guarding what is good and not abandoning it; pursuing excess and your virtue will become thin"—nourish the inner self (belly), and distance yourself from the temptations of external sounds and sights (not the eye).