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 7: "Stillness" and "Clarity and Brightness"
Master Xunzi calls the comprehensive effect of "Emptiness, Singularity, and Stillness" the "Great Clarity and Brightness" (Da Qing Ming):
"Emptiness, Singularity, and Stillness—this is called Great Clarity and Brightness."
"Clarity" (qing 清) means purity without impurities or interference. "Brightness" (ming 明) means illumination, penetration, and insight. "Great Clarity and Brightness" is the ultimate pure and insightful state.
In this state, the Mind becomes a perfect mirror, accurately reflecting all things.
Master Xunzi then describes the cognitive capacity in the state of "Great Clarity and Brightness":
"Nothing having form is unseen, nothing seen is unanalyzed, nothing analyzed loses its proper place. Sitting in a room, one sees the Four Seas; dwelling in the present, one discusses antiquity. Broadly observing the myriad things, one knows their true feelings; comparing and correlating governance and disorder, one comprehends their standards; weaving heaven and earth and assigning offices to the myriad things, dividing and cutting the Great Principles, the universe is brought within."
This passage paints a stunning picture: In the state of "Great Clarity and Brightness," all things with form can be seen, what is seen can be analyzed, and what is analyzed can each be put in its proper place. This is comprehensive, accurate, and orderly cognition—no omissions, no errors, no chaos.
"Sitting in a room, one sees the Four Seas; dwelling in the present, one discusses antiquity."
One can understand affairs in the Four Seas without personally traveling there, and discuss past events without having lived through them. Why is the Mind capable of transcending spatial and temporal limitations in this state$32 Because although things are distributed across different times and spaces, the "principles" (li) contained within them are interconnected. If the Mind grasps the "principles," it can extend from the self to others, from near to far, and from present to past—this is not supernatural power, but the power of rational deduction.
"...weaving heaven and earth and assigning offices to the myriad things, dividing and cutting the Great Principles, the universe is brought within."
From the true feelings of all things to the standards of governance, from the warp and weft of Heaven and Earth to the entirety of the cosmos, all are clearly presented within the "Great Clarity and Brightness" of the Mind.
This is almost a description of omniscience—yet Master Xunzi emphasizes that this is not supernatural ability, but the natural manifestation of the Mind’s potential when the condition of "Emptiness, Singularity, and Stillness" is met, and the "obscurations" are removed.