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: "Seeing" (Jian) in the State of "Great Clarity and Brightness"
Master Xunzi repeatedly uses the character jian (见, to see) when describing the state of "Great Clarity and Brightness":
"Nothing having form is unseen (bu jian 不见).""Sitting in a room, one sees (jian 见) the Four Seas."
This character jian deserves careful examination. In pre-Qin thought, jian refers not only to physical sight but also to spiritual insight. Physical sight is limited—it can only see things in the present and nearby; spiritual sight is infinite—it can "see" things far away, in the past and future, and the subtly hidden.
Master Zhuangzi has a famous passage in Yang Sheng Zhu (Nourishing Life):
"When I first began to butcher oxen, I saw the whole ox before me. After three years, I no longer saw the whole ox. Now, I meet the ox with my spirit and do not see it with my eyes; my senses stop, and my spirit moves."
Cook Ding’s butchering—initially he saw the entire ox; after three years, he no longer saw the whole ox—he saw the spaces between the bones and sinews. Eventually, he no longer looked with his eyes, but "met the ox with his spirit" (yi shen yu 以神遇)—his spirit connected directly with the inner structure of the thing.
Cook Ding’s "meeting with spirit" is a state of "Great Clarity and Brightness"—no longer relying on superficial sensory observation, but directly grasping the inner essence of things.