A Deep Study of Xunzi's 'Jie Pi' Chapter: On the Cognitive Foundations of the Mind—Emptiness, Unity, and Tranquility

Chapter Two: Emptiness (Xu) – Not Allowing What Is Already Stored to Harm What Is About to Be Received

Section 1: The Dialectic of "Stored Knowledge" (Zang) and "Emptiness" (Xu)

Master Xunzi initiates his discussion of "Emptiness" with a profound insight:

"The Mind has never been without stored knowledge (zang 臧), yet there is what is called Emptiness (xu 虚)."

Zang means stored, accumulated. The Mind is never empty; it is constantly accumulating existing knowledge, experience, and memory. This is the basic state of the Mind. Yet, precisely on the premise that "the Mind has never been without stored knowledge," Master Xunzi posits the necessity of "Emptiness."

Here lies a most exquisite dialectical relationship: Emptiness does not mean the absence of accumulation, but accumulation that is not restrictive.

"Man is born with knowledge (zhi 知), and with knowledge comes accumulation (zhi 志); accumulation here means storage (zang 臧); yet there is what is called Emptiness; not allowing what is already stored to harm what is about to be received is called Emptiness."

Let us analyze the logic of this passage step by step:

First Level: "Man is born with knowledge (zhi)"—Humans innately possess the capacity for cognition. This affirms Master Xunzi’s belief in the inherent cognitive instinct of man. For a human to be human, they are born capable of knowing.

Second Level: "With knowledge comes accumulation (zhi)"—Cognitive activity generates memory and accumulation. Zhi here means "to remember" or "to store."

Third Level: "Accumulation here means storage (zang)"—Memory is storage. The Mind continuously stores the results of cognition; this is its natural function.

Fourth Level: "Yet there is what is called Emptiness"—But the Mind still requires "Emptiness."

Fifth Level: "Not allowing what is already stored to harm what is about to be received is called Emptiness"—If one prevents existing storage from obstructing the reception of new input, this is called Emptiness.

Why would existing knowledge "harm" future reception$13 This warrants deep investigation.

Section 2: Why Does "Already Stored Knowledge" Harm "Future Reception"$14

Why did Master Xunzi believe that existing accumulations of knowledge could impede the acceptance of new knowledge$15 This insight implies a profound understanding of the limitations of human cognition.

Human cognition possesses a natural tendency: to frame the unknown using the known. Once we have formed a conception about something, we tend to use that existing conception to understand all new related phenomena. This tendency is useful in most situations—it helps us make quick judgments and reactions. However, at critical junctures, it becomes a serious obstacle—it prevents us from seeing the object as it truly is.

At the beginning of Jie Bi, Master Xunzi lists numerous examples of "obscuration by a single corner, leading to darkness regarding the Great Principles":

"Mozi was obscured by utility (yong 用) and did not know culture (wen 文); Master Song was obscured by desire (yu 欲) and did not know attainment (de 得); Master Shen was obscured by law (fa 法) and did not know worthiness (xian 贤); Master Han Fei was obscured by position (shi 势) and did not know knowledge (zhi 知); Master Hui was obscured by rhetoric (ci 辞) and did not know substance (shi 实); Zhuangzi was obscured by Heaven (tian 天) and did not know man (ren 人)."

Master Mo, deeply versed in the principle of utility, was thereby obscured by utility and failed to see the value of culture; Master Zhuang, profoundly understanding the principle of Heaven, was thereby obscured by Heaven and failed to see the needs of man. The "obscuration" of each thinker stemmed precisely from their respective "storage"—it was precisely because they possessed deep accumulation and refined knowledge in one area that their vision was limited.

This is the concrete manifestation of "allowing what is already stored to harm what is about to be received." Existing knowledge forms a framework that, while helping us understand the world, also limits the manner in which we understand it.

Master Laozi spoke of this:

"In the pursuit of learning, add daily; in the pursuit of the Dao, diminish daily. Diminish, and diminish again, until non-action (wu wei 无为) is reached." (Dao De Jing, Chapter 48)

"In the pursuit of learning, add daily" (wei xue ri yi 为学日益)—the process of study is one of constant accumulation, the process of zang. However, "in the pursuit of the Dao, diminish daily" (wei dao ri sun 为道日损)—the pursuit of the Great Dao requires constant subtraction, removing that existing knowledge which might obscure the Great Dao. This deeply resonates with Master Xunzi’s concept of "Emptiness"—both saw the obscuring effect that the accumulation of knowledge can bring.

Section 3: The Ancient Origins of "Emptiness": The Usefulness of a Vessel Lies in its Emptiness

It must be strongly emphasized that Master Xunzi’s "Emptiness" is absolutely not "emptiness" in the sense of "nothingness."

Master Xunzi explicitly states, "The Mind has never been without stored knowledge (zang)"—the Mind is never empty; it always has accumulation. "Emptiness" does not demand the purging of all existing knowledge and experience, but rather demands that this existing accumulation not obstruct the perception of new things.

This is an active, dynamic "Emptiness," not a passive, static "Void."

To use an analogy: A good scholar has read a thousand books and accumulated vast learning. But when faced with a completely new problem, he can temporarily set aside his existing preconceptions and observe, think, and judge with an open mind. His "Emptiness" is not forgetting his existing learning, but refusing to be constrained by it.

A passage from the Analects can mutually confirm this view:

"The Master cut off four things: conjecture (yi 意), certainty (bi 必), rigidity (gu 固), and self (wo 我)." (Analects, Chapter 9.4)

"No conjecture"—not guessing based on whim. "No certainty"—not absolutizing. "No rigidity"—not being obstinate. "No self"—not being self-centered. These four "No’s" represent the "Emptiness" practiced by Master Kong. Master Kong’s learning was unsurpassed in his time, yet he managed to avoid conjecture, certainty, rigidity, and self-focus—this is the best footnote to "The Mind has never been without stored knowledge, yet there is what is called Emptiness."

Consider another passage:

"The Master said: 'Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.'" (Analects, Chapter 2.15)

"Learning" (xue 学) is receiving new input from the outside; "Thought" (si 思) is digesting and integrating it internally. If one only learns without thinking, the learning becomes disorganized and cannot form a coherent understanding; if one only thinks without learning, one remains confined to existing knowledge and falls into peril. The combination of learning and thinking maintains a balance between "storage" (zang) and "emptiness" (xu)—there is accumulation, yet one is not bound by it.

Section 4: The Relationship Between "Emptiness" and "Reception" (Shou) – The Openness of Cognition

Master Xunzi constructs a pair of concepts, "already stored" (yi zang) and "about to be received" (jiang shou 将受), to reveal the core function of "Emptiness": maintaining the openness of cognition.

The character shou (受) has rich meanings in pre-Qin texts. Shuowen defines shou as "to hand over to another," meaning to receive or accept. In cognitive activity, shou refers to the Mind's acceptance and absorption of external information.

Why must the Mind constantly "receive"$16 Because the world is constantly changing and rich; it cannot be exhausted by any existing body of knowledge.

Master Laozi said:

"Renewal from day to day is called Great Virtue." (Zhou Yi, Appendix A)

And:

"When exhausted, one changes; with change, there is smooth passage; with smooth passage, there is permanence." (Zhou Yi, Appendix B)

The world is perpetually changing, and cognition must follow suit. If the Mind is filled completely with existing knowledge and loses the capacity to "receive," it becomes like stagnant water unable to accept the inflow of fresh water.

Master Laozi addresses this profoundly:

"Attain the utmost in emptiness, hold fast to stillness. Ten thousand things arise simultaneously; by observing their return, I see their recurrence. All things flourish, yet each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness; stillness is called returning to destiny. Returning to destiny is called constancy; knowing constancy is called illumination (ming 明). Not knowing constancy, one acts recklessly and meets with disaster." (Dao De Jing, Chapter 16)

"Attain the utmost in emptiness" (zhi xu ji 致虚极)—pushing emptiness to its extreme. Only by reaching the extreme of Emptiness can one accommodate the simultaneous arising of all things and observe the cyclical pattern of their return. This deeply echoes Master Xunzi’s idea of "not allowing what is already stored to harm what is about to be received."

Section 5: The Difficulty of "Emptiness": Why is it hard for people to be "Empty"$17

If "Emptiness" is so important, why is it often difficult for people to achieve it$18

Master Xunzi provides a profound analysis in the latter half of the Jie Bi chapter. He lists various phenomena of "obscuration," illustrating how human cognition is obstructed by different factors:

"Whenever one observes things with doubt, and the center of the Mind is unsettled, the external things cannot be clear. If our deliberation is unclear, one cannot definitively affirm or deny."

When the Mind is unsettled by doubt, one’s perception of external things becomes blurry. Judgments made at such times are unreliable.

Master Xunzi offers a series of vivid examples:

"One walking in deep darkness sees a recumbent stone as a crouching tiger, and sees a standing tree as a standing man: Darkness obscures their vision (ming 明)."

Darkness obscures visual clarity, causing people to mistake stones for tigers and trees for men. This is interference with the sensory function by the external environment.

"One drunk crosses a ditch a hundred paces wide, mistaking it for a narrow stream; he lowers his head to exit the city gate, mistaking it for a small doorway: Alcohol disorders their spirit (shen 神)."

Alcohol disturbs the spirit, causing the drunkard's judgment of distance and size to be completely distorted. This is interference by a physiological factor.

"One who stares with pressure on the eyes sees one as two; one who blocks the ears hears silence as clamor: External forces disorder their organs."

Pressing the eyes causes double vision; blocking the ears causes auditory illusions. External force (shi 势) directly interferes with sensory function.

"Looking at an ox from a mountaintop makes it look like a sheep, and one searching for a sheep will not walk down to tether it: Distance obscures the large."

"Looking at a tree from the foot of a mountain, a tree ten ren (fathoms) high looks like a chopstick, and one searching for chopsticks will not go up to break it: Height obscures the long."

Distance distorts the perception of size; height distorts the perception of length. These are distortions caused by spatial limitations.

"When the water moves, the reflection shakes; people cannot reliably judge beauty or ugliness: The motion of the water is subtle (xuan 玄)."

When water ripples, the reflection wavers; people cannot use it to judge appearance. The subtle motion of the water distorts the image.

"A blind person looks up and sees no stars; people cannot determine existence or non-existence based on this: The lack of sensory acuity confounds."

A blind person looking up sees no stars, yet one cannot conclude that stars do not exist based on this. The absence of sensory capacity does not imply the non-existence of the object.

These examples vividly illustrate how human cognition is interfered with and distorted by various factors (darkness, alcohol, external force). On a deeper level, a person's existing knowledge, emotional inclinations, and vested interests similarly interfere with and distort cognition—this is why "Emptiness" is so crucial, and yet so difficult.

The fundamental reason people find it hard to achieve "Emptiness" is that existing knowledge and experience become deeply integrated into our mode of cognition, serving as the "default framework" for observing and understanding the world. Breaking through this framework requires immense self-awareness and effort.

Section 6: The Practical Significance of "Emptiness"

In Master Xunzi’s system, "Emptiness" (xu) is not just a cognitive concept but also a concept of practical cultivation (gongfu 工夫)—it points toward a mental state requiring continuous refinement and practice.

Master Xunzi says:

"Those who have not yet attained the Dao but seek the Dao are called Empty, Singular, and Still. Putting this into practice (zuo zhi 作之): then the one who needs the Dao will enter the Mind."

"Putting this into practice" (zuo zhi): When one puts this into practice, if one achieves "Emptiness," then the Dao will enter one's Mind (ren 人, read as ru 入). Here, "Emptiness" is an active effort of cultivation, not merely a passive cognitive state.

The Guanzi, in the Nei Ye (Inner Cultivation) chapter, offers similar discourse using the metaphor of a dwelling place (she 舍) for the Mind, emphasizing the importance of emptiness:

"The Mind in the body is the position of the ruler. The nine apertures (jiu qiong 九窍) have their duties, which are the divisions of the officials. When the Mind occupies its Way, the nine apertures follow the principles. If desires and pleasures abound and overflow, the eyes do not see colors, and the ears do not hear sounds. Therefore, it is said: If the superior departs from the Way, the inferior loses its function."

The Mind is like the ruler in a dwelling place, and the nine apertures are like officials in their respective posts. If the Mind is filled with desires and pleasures, the senses cannot function properly. This "abound and overflow" (chong yi 充益) is another expression of "allowing what is already stored to harm what is about to be received."

And again:

"The nature of the Mind is to seek advantage and peace, to be tranquil and settled. If it is not agitated, not disturbed, harmony will naturally form."

The Mind’s true nature seeks tranquility. Not agitating it, not disturbing it—this is also an expression of the cultivation of "Emptiness."

Therefore, the cultivation of "Emptiness" can be summarized in two aspects: First, "removing"—eliminating factors that interfere with cognition; Second, "guarding"—preserving the openness and clarity of the Mind. With removal and guarding proceeding together, one can truly achieve "not allowing what is already stored to harm what is about to be received."