Xunzi's 'Jie Bi' (Unveiling Concealment): On the Wholeness of the Dao, Cognitive Limitation, and the Fortune of Being Unobstructed
This paper offers an in-depth interpretation of the 'Jie Bi' chapter in Xunzi, investigating the epistemological origins of the 'calamity of obstruction' described by the Pre-Qin philosophers. By analyzing the concept that 'the Dao is constant in its entirety yet utterly transformative,' the essay reveals the dilemma of human cognition being fixated on 'a single corner' and elucidates the transcendental value of Confucius's 'benevolence and wisdom unhindered,' aiming to understand how to escape cognitive bias.
Section 2: From "Bi" to "Ming"—The Process of Dissolving Obstruction
The opposite of "Bi" is "Ming" (Brightness). Among the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching, the counterpart to Ming Yi is Jin (晋, Progress/Advance). Jin has Li (Fire/Light) above Kun (Earth) below—Fire rises above the Earth; light shines forth—this is Jin, the state of "Ming."
The process from "Ming Yi" to Jin is the process from "Bi" to "Ming"—from light being concealed to light shining forth again.
The Jin, Commentary on the Image (Xiang Zhuan), states: "Light rises above the earth, thus Jin. The gentleman uses this to manifest his bright virtue." (明出地上，晋。君子以自昭明德。) "Light rises above the earth" (Ming chu yu di shang)—this is "dissolving obstruction." "The gentleman uses this to manifest his bright virtue" (Junzi yi zi zhao ming de)—this is the "blessing of unobscuredness."
Note the character "Self" (Zi, 自) in "manifesting his bright virtue by himself"—"dissolving obstruction" is ultimately a process of self-awakening—it is not an external force forcibly removing the obstruction, but one recognizing the existence of the obstruction and transcending it oneself. Master Xunzi’s "Jie Bi" chapter is precisely the theoretical tool to facilitate this self-awakening—it does not "dissolve the obstruction" for you, but helps you realize the existence of obstruction and then "dissolve it" yourself.
The Great Learning begins by stating: "The Way of the Great Learning lies in manifesting the illustrious virtue, in renovating the people, and in resting in the supreme good." (Ming Ming De). "Manifesting illustrious virtue" aligns with the Jin hexagram’s "manifesting bright virtue by himself." And the prerequisite for "manifesting illustrious virtue" is precisely "dissolving obstruction"—only by removing the biases and selfish desires obscuring the mind can the inner "bright virtue" shine forth again.