Xunzi's 'Jie Bi' (Unveiling Concealment): On the Wholeness of the Dao, Cognitive Limitation, and the Fortune of Being Unobstructed

Section 1: How Can Man Know$18

Master Xunzi’s theory of "Bi" raises a deeper philosophical question: How can finite man cognize the infinite Dao$19

Master Xunzi’s answer is: through the "Mind" (Xin, 心). "How does man know the Dao$20 I say: the mind." However, the mind itself is finite—it is limited by the senses, by experience, by language. How can a finite mind cognize the infinite Dao$21

Master Xunzi’s answer is: by being "empty, unified, and still" (Xu Yi Er Jing). Although the mind is finite, as long as it maintains this state, it can transcend its limitations and penetrate the entirety of the Dao.

Why can being "empty, unified, and still" allow a finite mind to comprehend the infinite Dao$22

Let us seek clues in pre-Qin texts.

The I Ching, Xi Ci Shang (系辞上), states: "The sage washes his mind with this, retreats into obscurity, and shares fortune and misfortune with the people." (圣人以此洗心，退藏于密，吉凶与民同患。) The sage "washes his mind"—cleansing it of prejudice and distracting thoughts—this is "Xu" (Empty). "Retreats into obscurity" (Tui zang yu mi)—retreating into the depth of the mind—this is "Jing" (Still). Through "washing the mind" and "retreating into obscurity," the sage’s mind reaches a special state, capable of "sharing fortune and misfortune with the people"—sympathizing with the fate of all under Heaven.

Again, the I Ching, Xi Ci Shang, states: "The Yi does not think, it does not act; it is silently still, and by responding, it pervades all things under Heaven." (Yi wu si ye, wu wei ye, ji ran bu dong, gan er sui tong tianxia zhi gu.) The principle of the Yi is "non-thinking" (not clinging to a specific mode of thought), "non-action" (not forcing a specific outcome), and "silently still" (inner composure). Yet, once it responds, it can "pervade all things under Heaven"—understand the causes and effects of everything.

"Silently still" corresponds to "Jing"; "non-thinking" corresponds to "Xu" (not being bound by existing cognitive frameworks); "responding and thereby pervading" (Gan er sui tong)—once an affinity is felt, penetration occurs—this is the cognitive state achieved after being "empty, unified, and still."

Thus, the reason being "empty, unified, and still" allows the finite mind to grasp the infinite Dao lies in "resonance and penetration" (Gan Tong, 感通). When the mind is in this state, it is no longer bound by any specific framework but is open to all possibilities. In this state of openness, the mind can establish a "resonance" with the Dao—a direct and comprehensive sensing of the Dao’s operation. This "resonance" is not a logical deduction but an integral intuition—it grasps the whole not by analyzing the parts, but by grasping the whole all at once.

This mode of cognition stands in sharp contrast to the cognitive style of the scholars of the six schools. Their method was analytical—each started from one perspective and grasped the Dao through analysis and deduction. However, since the Dao "is constant in its substance yet endlessly changing," the analytical method can only grasp one aspect, not the totality. Only the method of "resonance and penetration"—an integral intuition—can grasp the entirety of the Dao.