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

Section 1: Master Zhuangzi’s View of the Heavenly Dao (Tian Dao)

"Master Zhuangzi was obstructed by Heaven, unaware of Man." (庄子蔽于天而不知人。)

This is Master Xunzi’s fundamental critique of Master Zhuangzi, and the highest-level critique among the six obstructions.

The thought of Master Zhuangzi centered on "Heaven" (Tian, 天). In Master Zhuangzi’s philosophy, "Heaven" has rich meanings:

First, Heaven as Nature. The "Heaven" Master Zhuangzi speaks of primarily refers to Nature—the spontaneous, self-so state, independent of human artifice. In Zhuangzi, "Autumn Floods" (Qiu Shui), through the dialogue between the River Earl and the Lord of the Northern Sea, Master Zhuangzi elaborates this thought: "Oxen and horses have four feet; this is called Heaven; leading a horse by the head, putting a ring through an ox's nose—this is called Man. Therefore, it is said: Do not use Man to destroy Heaven, do not use cause to destroy destiny, do not use attainment to sacrifice fame. Guard it diligently and do not lose it; this is called returning to one’s true nature." (牛马四足，是谓天；落马首，穿牛鼻，是谓人。故曰：无以人灭天，无以故灭命，无以得殉名。谨守而勿失，是谓反其真。) Oxen and horses naturally have four legs; this is "Heaven" (Nature). Putting a halter on a horse or a ring through an ox’s nose is "Man" (Human artifice). Master Zhuangzi advocates "not using Man to destroy Heaven"—do not use human constructs to destroy natural states—"guard it diligently and do not lose it; this is called returning to one’s true nature."

Second, Heaven as the Heavenly Dao. The "Heaven" Master Zhuangzi speaks of also refers to the fundamental law governing the cosmos—the Heavenly Dao. In Zhuangzi, "The Great Teacher" (Da Zong Shi), the characteristics of the "Dao" are described: "The Dao has feeling and has faith; it is non-acting and formless; it can be transmitted but not received, obtainable but not seen; it is its own root and base, existing since before Heaven and Earth. Spirits and gods, Heaven and Earth are born from it." (夫道，有情有信，无为无形；可传而不可受，可得而不可见；自本自根，未有天地，自古以固存；神鬼神帝，生天生地。) This "Dao" transcends all things and is the ultimate source of all existence. The highest goal for man, according to Master Zhuangzi, is to know and follow this "Heavenly Dao."

Third, Heaven as Naturalness. The "Heaven" Master Zhuangzi speaks of also refers to the original state of human nature—a state untainted by social norms, moral education, or artificial structures. In Zhuangzi, "Horse's Hooves" (Ma Ti), Master Zhuangzi describes an ideal "Heavenly" state: "Those people possess constant nature; they weave to clothe themselves and plow to eat; this is called sharing the same virtue. Uniting without faction, this is called 'Heavenly Release' (Tian Fang)." (彼民有常性，织而衣，耕而食，是谓同德；一而不党，命曰天放。) People possess their natural character, weaving for clothes and plowing for food; this is called "shared virtue." Uniting without faction is called "Heavenly Release," the unconstrained expression of nature.

Master Zhuangzi’s view of the "Heavenly Dao" indeed reveals a crucial dimension—the existence of the natural order and its priority over artificial order. In a society that is overly artificial, institutionalized, and norm-bound, human nature is suppressed, and vitality is restricted; the society becomes rigid and lifeless. Master Zhuangzi reminds people to return to "Heaven," to nature, to their original nature—this is undoubtedly a valuable intellectual resource.

However, the problem is that Master Zhuangzi pushed "Heaven" to an extreme, to the point of negating all value of "Man." He advocated for following Heaven to such an extent that he dismissed all human endeavors—rites, music, institutions, morality, education—as distortions and harms to natural disposition.