An Inquiry into the Core of Xunzi's 'On Rites': The Origin of Rites, Textual-Structural Logic, and the Way of Elevation and Reduction
This article provides an in-depth exegesis of the foundational text in the opening of Xunzi's 'On Rites,' systematically analyzing the logical chain linking the origin of rites to human desire and societal conflict, elucidating the structural concept of 'Honoring the fundamental is called text (wen), utilizing it closely is called principle (li),' and investigating the hierarchical dimensions of elevation (long), reduction (sha), and the middle way within rites pertaining to the gentleman's path.
Section 8 The Sage’s Ultimate Attainment: Implicit Grasping of Order
"If he resides perfectly in the middle, moving deftly and grasping the order implicitly, he is a Sage (sheng ren)." (Yu zhi qi zhong yan, fang huang zhou xie, qu de qi ci xu, shi sheng ren ye.)
This sentence describes the realm of the Sage—the highest practitioner of Rites.
"Resides perfectly in the middle" (Yu zhi qi zhong yan)—Within the range of Rites’ flourishing, reduction, and middle course.
"Moving deftly" (Fang huang)—Unhurried and at ease; graceful and radiant. "Deftly" (huang) also means shining brightly. Combined, fang huang describes a state of ease and openness.
"Grasping the order implicitly" (Qu de qi ci xu)—"Implicitly" (qu) refers to every bend or detail; "grasping the order" (de qi ci xu) means precisely grasping the sequence. Combined, this describes the Sage’s mastery over every detail of Rites—nothing is too much or too little, neither too early nor too late, neither flourishing nor reduced, just right.
"He is a Sage" (Shi sheng ren ye)—This is the Sage.
What is the distinction between the Sage and the superior man$1 The superior man can "achieve the utmost flourishing above, exhaust the utmost reduction below, and reside in the middle"—this is already remarkable, but his application might still involve some intentional effort. The Sage goes further—he not only skillfully applies Rites across flourishing, reduction, and the middle course, but he achieves "grasping the order implicitly" (qu de qi ci xu)—every detail is perfectly appropriate, naturally so, without conscious effort.
This corresponds to Confucius’s state of "following what my heart desired without overstepping what was right" at seventy—the complete embodiment of "grasping the order implicitly" in personal life. In this realm, Rites cease to be external norms and become internal consciousness—every word and action of the Sage naturally conforms to Rites, effortlessly, like breathing.
This realm is precious because it resolves the eternal tension between "culture" (wen) and "substance" (zhi)—for the Sage, wen is zhi, and zhi is wen; the two are completely unified. The Sage’s expression of emotion is itself the most perfect form, and the most perfect form inherently carries the most genuine emotion.