A Critical Analysis of 'Shen' and 'Zhi' in the Core Passages of the Guanzi's 'Nei Ye' and an Inquiry into Pre-Qin Theories of Mind and Nature

Section 4: Systematic Comparison of the "Dao's Pervasiveness" in Pre-Qin Thought

The assertion that "The Dao fills the world, universally present among the people" (Dào mǎn tiānxià, pǔ zài mín suǒ) is expressed widely in Pre-Qin literature.

(1) The Laozi's Doctrine of Pervasive Dao

The Laozi, Chapter 4, states: "The Dao is empty, yet its use is inexhaustible. Deep, deep, as if it were the ancestor of the myriad things." The Dao is void yet endless, profound like the source of all things.

The Laozi, Chapter 25, states: "There is something mixed and complete, born before Heaven and Earth. Silent! Empty! It stands alone and does not change, revolves without exhaustion. It can be the mother of Heaven and Earth. I do not know its name; I style it Dao, and style it Great." The Dao "revolves without exhaustion"—it circulates throughout Heaven and Earth ceaselessly.

The Laozi, Chapter 34, states: "The Great Dao is vast and expansive; it can go left or right. All things rely on it for life and it does not refuse them; it accomplishes its work and does not claim credit. It nourishes all things but does not act as their master; it can be named small. All things return to it and it does not act as their master, so it can be named Great. Because it never makes itself great, it achieves its greatness." The Dao is "vast and expansive" (fàn xī)—it overflows and pervades, capable of moving left or right—it is everywhere.

(2) Zhuangzi's Doctrine of Pervasive Dao

The Zhuangzi, Zhi Beiyou contains a famous dialogue:

"Dongguo Zi asked Zhuangzi: 'Where is this so-called Dao$1' Zhuangzi replied: 'It is everywhere.' Dongguo Zi said: 'Name a specific place.' Zhuangzi said: 'It is in the ants and lice.' 'How can it be so low$2' Zhuangzi said: 'It is in the sprouts and weeds.' 'How can it be even lower$3' Zhuangzi said: 'It is in tiles and bricks.' 'How can it be even worse$4' Zhuangzi said: 'It is in filth and urine.' Dongguo Zi gave no reply. Zhuangzi said: 'Your questioning was already inadequate to reach the substance. Just as asking about the watchman's urine, the lower it is, the truer it is. You must be utterly certain: there is nowhere it avoids. The Ultimate Dao is like this, and so are Great Words. Zhou all, Bian throughout, Xian everywhere—these three terms have different names but the same substance; their intent is One.'"

Zhuangzi asserts that the Dao is everywhere—in ants and lice, in weeds and sprouts, in tiles and bricks, and even in filth and urine. "Zhou, Bian, Xian—three terms with the same substance"—they all mean ubiquitous. This is the Zhuangzi version of "The Dao fills the world, universally present among the people"—the Dao is not only in lofty places but also in lowly places; not only near the Sage but also among the common people; not only in the palaces but also in the fields.

(3) The Yizhuan's Doctrine of Pervasive Dao

The Yijing, Xici Shang states: "One Yin and one Yang is called the Dao." Yin and Yang are everywhere—where is there no Yin and Yang between Heaven and Earth$5 Therefore, the Dao is everywhere.

The Yijing, Xici Xia states: "The Yi book is expansive and perfectly complete. There is the Dao of Heaven, there is the Dao of Man, and there is the Dao of Earth. Combining the Three Powers and doubling them, hence the Six (lines). The Six are nothing other than the Dao of the Three Powers." The Dao connects Heaven, Earth, and Humanity—from the Dao of Heaven to the Dao of Earth to the Dao of Man, all are manifestations of the Dao.

(4) The Huangdi Sijing's Doctrine of Pervasive Dao

The Huangdi Sijing, Dao Yuan states: "In the beginning of the Eternal Primordial, it was utterly identical with the Great Void. The Void was identical and became One; the Eternal One then rested." The Dao takes the "One" as its root, and the "One" fills the Great Void—the Dao is pervasive in the primordial state of the cosmos.

Synthesizing these comparisons, we see that the "Pervasiveness of the Dao" is a consensus in Pre-Qin Daoist doctrine. The Guanzi, Neiye's "The Dao fills the world, universally present among the people" is entirely consistent with related statements in the Laozi, Zhuangzi, Yizhuan, and Huangdi Sijing, collectively forming the grand panorama of Pre-Qin Daoist universality.