A Deep Study of Xunzi's 'Jie Pi' Chapter: On the Cognitive Foundations of the Mind—Emptiness, Unity, and Tranquility
This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the core proposition in Xunzi's 'Jie Pi' concerning the nature of cognition: 'How does man know$41 By the mind. How does the mind know$42 By being empty, unified, and tranquil.' It systematically interprets the dialectical relationship and philosophical implications of 'emptiness' (xu), 'unity' (yi), and 'tranquility' (jing) in cognition, tracing their ancient intellectual origins to reveal the systematicity and sophistication of Pre-Qin cognitive theory.
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."