An Inquiry into the Core of Xunzi's 'On Rites': The Origin of Rites, Textual-Structural Logic, and the Way of Elevation and Reduction

Section 7 "This ensures that desires do not exhaust material things, and material things are not subjugated by desires": Dynamic Balance between Desire and Material Things

"This ensures that desires do not exhaust material things, and material things are not subjugated by desires." (Shi yu bi bu qiong hu wu, wu bi bu qu yu yu.)

This sentence is one of the core propositions in Master Xunzi’s theory of Rites, and its profound insight warrants repeated reflection.

"Desires do not exhaust material things" (yu bu qiong hu wu)—Material resources will never be entirely depleted by human desire. That is, material resources can always supply human desires; there will never be a situation where resources are completely exhausted.

"Material things are not subjugated by desires" (wu bu qu yu yu)—Material things will never expand to the point of completely consuming all resources. That is, desire will never swell to the point of overwhelming all material things.

These two phrases express a dynamic state of equilibrium: Desire does not exhaust resources, and resources are not subdued by desire. The two maintain a tension, a relationship of mutual constraint and mutual support.

Why is it "not exhaust" (bu qiong) rather than "equal to"$11 Why is it "not subjugated" (bu qu) rather than "unrelated"$12 Because Master Xunzi deeply recognized that the relationship between desire and material things is not a static relationship of equal measure but a dynamic interaction. Desire is constantly changing, and material resources are also constantly changing. The task of Rites is not to establish a fixed balance once and for all, but to continuously maintain this dynamic equilibrium—ensuring that both remain in a state of "not exhausting" and "not subjugated."

This concept of dynamic balance is exceedingly profound. It implies that Master Xunzi is not seeking a rigid, static order but a flexible order capable of adapting to change. This echoes the Daoist concept of "dynamic harmony" in many ways.

Laozi states:

"Is not the way of Heaven like the bending of a bow$13 What is high, it presses down; what is low, it raises up. What is excessive, it diminishes; what is deficient, it supplements. The way of Heaven diminishes the excessive and supplements the deficient. The way of man is otherwise: it diminishes the deficient to serve the excessive. Who can have excess to serve the world$14 Only the one who possesses the Dao." (Laozi, Chapter 77)

The "way of Heaven" (Tian zhi Dao) described by Laozi—pressing down the high, raising up the low, diminishing the excessive, supplementing the deficient—is precisely a mechanism of dynamic equilibrium. When one side becomes too much, it is curtailed; when one side is insufficient, it is supplemented. This deeply resembles Master Xunzi’s dynamic balance between desire and material resources—they interact, constrain, and support each other.

The difference is that Laozi attributes this dynamic balance to the "Way of Heaven"—Nature itself possesses this self-regulating capacity; whereas Xunzi attributes it to the "Establishments of the Former Kings"—it must be realized through active institutional design. This is the fundamental divergence between Daoist "non-action" (wu wei) and Confucian "active effort" (you wei)—Daoism believes Nature has self-regulating ability and thus advocates letting things be; Confucianism believes human society differs from Nature and requires active institutional construction to maintain order.

However, if we analyze closely, Master Xunzi’s designed institutions (Rites) aim precisely at achieving a "Nature-like" balance—"the two support each other and grow." Does this imply that although Xunzi advocates for "active effort," the goal of this effort is to attain a state of "Nature"$15 That is, the best institution is one that mimics the self-regulating mechanism of the natural world$16

This hypothesis can be supported by another passage in Master Xunzi’s work. In Tian Lun (Discourse on Heaven):

"The movement of Heaven is constant; it does not exist for Yao, nor perish for Jie. Respond to it with order, and there will be auspiciousness; respond to it with chaos, and there will be misfortune."

The constant laws of Heaven do not depend on sage kings or perish because of tyrants. Responding to these laws with proper governance leads to auspiciousness; responding with chaos leads to misfortune. Here, "responding with order" (ying zhi yi zhi) is the construction of artificial institutions; but this construction must "respond to" (ying) the constant laws of Heaven.

Therefore, although Xunzi emphasizes the artificial nature of Rites, he does not believe Rites can violate the Way of Heaven. The "establishment" (zhi) of Rites must be based on the laws of Heaven and Earth. "This ensures that desires do not exhaust material things, and material things are not subjugated by desires"—this dynamic balance itself might be the manifestation of the Way of Heaven in human society.

From the perspective of the I Ching, the proposition "desires do not exhaust material things, and material things are not subjugated by desires" is extremely close to the spirit of the Tai (Peace/Concord) Hexagram:

"Tai: Small things go out, great things come in. Auspicious and successful."

Tai Hexagram has the Earth above and Heaven below, symbolizing the harmony and intercourse of Heaven and Earth. Yang energy rises, and Yin energy descends; the two interact and blend, allowing all things to flow smoothly and prosperously. This state of Yin-Yang interaction is a vivid depiction of the dynamic balance Master Xunzi describes between desire and material resources—the two communicate, constrain, and support each other.

The Tuan Zhuan for the Tai Hexagram states:

"When Heaven and Earth mingle, all things are connected. When superiors and inferiors interact, their intentions are the same. Internally Yin, externally Yang; internally strong, externally yielding; internally the superior man, externally the lesser man."

When Heaven and Earth interact, all things connect; when superiors and inferiors interact, intentions align. This state of "interaction" (jiao)—mutual exchange and action—is a vibrant portrayal of "the two support each other and grow."