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 8 "The two support each other and grow, this is the origin of Rites": A Cosmological Vision of Co-existence and Mutual Growth

"The two support each other and grow, this is the origin of Rites." (Liang zhe xiang chi er zhang, shi li zhi suo qi ye.)

This final sentence of the section serves as the summary and the ultimate principle of Master Xunzi’s theory of Rites. The "two" refer to desire and material things (or more broadly, human needs and the provision of Heaven and Earth). "Support each other" (xiang chi) means mutual support and maintenance. "And grow" (er zhang) means they grow together.

The phrase "support each other and grow" conveys an extremely high realm. It does not mean desire is suppressed or resources are saved—that would be a static, passive balance. It means desire and material things grow together—desire develops continuously under proper guidance, and material resources increase through rational utilization—the two mutually promote and drive each other, forming a virtuous cycle of upward spiral.

This concept of "co-existence and mutual growth" has deep roots in pre-Qin thought.

The I Ching, Xi Ci Zhuan (Commentary on the Images) states:

"One Yin and one Yang constitute the Dao. That which follows it is goodness (shan); that which completes it is nature (xing)."

The alternation of Yin and Yang is the Dao. Yin and Yang are not adversarial; they complement and push each other. Just like Master Xunzi’s description of the relationship between desire and material things—it is not a zero-sum game (one increases as the other decreases), but a positive-sum game (both can grow together).

Laozi Chapter 42 states:

"The Dao produced One; One produced Two; Two produced Three; Three produced the myriad things. The myriad things carry Yin on their back and embrace Yang in their arms, and are harmonized by the vital qi between them."

"The myriad things carry Yin on their back and embrace Yang in their arms, and are harmonized by the vital qi between them" (Wan wu fu yin er bao yang, chong qi yi wei he)—all things contain both Yin and Yang forces, which achieve harmony through their "intermingling qi" (chong qi). This cosmological view of Yin-Yang harmony bears a deep structural similarity to Master Xunzi’s "dynamic balance" in the social realm.

From the perspective of ancient mythology, the idea of "co-existence and mutual growth" can be traced back to even more ancient cosmological traditions. The interactions between various deities and natural forces recorded in the Shan Hai Jing often exhibit a kind of dynamic balance—different forces constrain and supplement each other, jointly maintaining the operation of the world.

In the Guo Yu, Zheng Yu, there is a famous discourse by Shi Bo:

"For harmony truly begets things; uniformity cannot be sustained. To balance the other with the other is called harmony, thus it can be abundant and bring things back to it. If one uses the same to supplement the same, everything will eventually be discarded. Therefore, the Former Kings mixed Earth with Metal, Wood, Water, and Fire to complete the hundred things."

"Harmony truly begets things; uniformity cannot be sustained" (He shi sheng wu, tong ze bu ji)—"Harmony" (harmony within difference) creates all things, while "uniformity" (complete sameness) cannot develop continuously. This idea is profound. Master Xunzi’s "the two support each other and grow" is the manifestation of "harmony begets things" in the social sphere—desire and material things are different, even tense, forces, but precisely because of this difference and tension, they can grow together through mutual interaction. If there were only desire without the constraint of material things, or only material things without the impetus of desire, neither could achieve "growth" (zhang)—sustained development.

"This is the origin of Rites" (shi li zhi suo qi ye)—This is the origin of Rites. What Master Xunzi reveals here is not a simple historical event ("The Former Kings established Rites in such and such a year"), but a philosophical principle: Rites exist because a dynamic balance mechanism is necessary between human desires and the material resources of Heaven and Earth. Rites are this balance mechanism. It is not external coercion but an intrinsic necessity—if human society is to survive and develop, it must have Rites.

With this, Master Xunzi has completed his answer to the ultimate question, "Where do Rites originate$17" His answer’s logic can be summarized in the following steps:

1. Humans are born with desires (Fact of human nature).
2. When desires are present but unsatisfied, they cannot help but seek (Desire leads to seeking).
3. When seeking lacks measure and boundary, contention cannot be avoided (Unordered seeking leads to contention).
4. Contention leads to chaos, and chaos leads to destitution (Contention leads to chaos, chaos leads to hardship).
5. The Former Kings detested this chaos, so they established Rites and Righteousness to differentiate among them (Former Kings created Rites to respond to chaos).
6. Thereby nurturing human desires and satisfying human demands (The function of Rites is to satisfy desire, not to suppress it).
7. This ensures that desires do not exhaust material things, and material things are not subjugated by desires (Rites maintain a dynamic balance between desire and material things).
8. The two support each other and grow (Desire and material things grow together under the regulation of Rites).
9. This is the origin of Rites (This is the origin of Rites).

This logical chain proceeds from human nature, through the analysis of social phenomena, arrives at the concept of institutional design, and ultimately ascends to a cosmological level—"the two support each other and grow." The rigor of its reasoning, the breadth of its vision, and the depth of its principles are unparalleled among the pre-Qin masters.