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 3: Why must one "Adhere to the One" to achieve "Transformation without changing Qi; Change without changing Zhi"$1

This is an extremely crucial question. Let us deduce the logic:

Premise 1: "Transformation" (Huà) and "Change" (Biàn) are processes directed outward. Nurturing things and adapting to affairs both require the outward expenditure of essence/vital energy and intelligence.

Premise 2: Outward expenditure inevitably leads to internal depletion. This is the reason for "Transformation leading to Qi depletion" and "Change leading to Zhi depletion."

Premise 3: To avoid depletion, there must be an inexhaustible internal source.

Conclusion: The "One" is this inexhaustible internal source. "Adhering to the One" (Zhí Yī) is the practice of holding onto this source so that it does not run dry.

Why is the "One" an inexhaustible source$2 Because the "One" is the Dao's initial unfolding, and the Dao is "infinite." 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, but its function is endless. The "One," as the initial unfolding of the Dao, likewise possesses this quality of "inexhaustible use."

To use an analogy: Water source to a river. If a river flows outward without a continuously replenishing source, it will eventually dry up. The "One" is the source of the mind. "Adhering to the One" is maintaining the connection to that source. As long as the source flows, the river can flow endlessly without depletion. Similarly, as long as "Adherence to the One is not lost," essence/vital energy and intelligence can be expended outward boundlessly without dissipation.

The Laozi, Chapter 5, states: "Between Heaven and Earth, is it not like a bellows$3 It is empty yet does not collapse; it moves and constantly emits more. Too many words lead to exhaustion; it is better to guard the Center." The space between Heaven and Earth is like a bellows: its internal void never collapses, and the more it moves, the more breath emerges. This is the perfect metaphor for the effect of "Adhering to the One"—by guarding the "One" (the void-like source), one emits more vital energy and intelligence the more one uses it, without running out.

Conversely, what happens if one does not adhere to the One$4

Without adhering to the One, the mind scatters. When the mind scatters, essence and vital energy scatter with it. Essence and vital energy scatter, leading to "Transformation leading to Qi depletion"—nurturing things while losing one's own vital essence.

Without adhering to the One, the mind becomes chaotic. When the mind is chaotic, intelligence becomes confused along with it, leading to "Change leading to Zhi depletion"—adapting to affairs while losing one's own wisdom.

The famous lines in Laozi, Chapter 12, illustrate this: "The five colors make men's eyes blind... the pursuit of rare goods makes men's conduct crooked. Therefore the Sage attends to the belly and not to the eye; thus he rejects the one and chooses the other."

"Attends to the belly and not to the eye"—attending to the interior and not the exterior, guarding the root and not chasing the branches. "Rejecting the one and choosing the other"—rejecting external distractions and maintaining internal fullness. This is another expression of "Adhering to the One."