The Image of Music and Sound in Xunzi's 'On Music': A Study of Character, Cosmos, and the Cultivation of Rites and Music

Section 3: "Bell is Comprehensively Substantial" ($\text{zhōng tǒng shí}$) — The Imagery of the Bell

"The bell is comprehensively substantial" ($\text{zhōng tǒng shí}$)—This states the bell’s quality is both "comprehensive/unifying" ($\text{tǒng}$) and "substantial/solid" ($\text{shí}$).

The meaning of "unifying" ($\text{tǒng}$) is to lead, to synthesize, or to form the main thread. In Xunzi: Against the Twelve Philosophers ($\text{Fēi Shí Èr Zǐ}$), it states:

"Model the former kings, unify the rites and music ($\text{tǒng lǐ yì}$)."

Here, $\text{tǒng}$ means to synthesize or serve as the overall framework. The "unifying" ($\text{tǒng}$) nature of the bell means its sound has the function of synthesizing all other tones. In pre-Qin ensembles, bells (especially the set of bells, $\text{biān zhōng}$) held immense importance, often serving as the pitch standard for the entire ensemble and the marker for the structure of the musical piece. The ancients referred to music led by bells as "metal music" ($\text{jīn zòu}$). The Rites of Zhou, Office of Music: Bell Master ($\text{Chūn Guān: Zhōng Shī}$), records:

"The Bell Master is in charge of the Metal Music. Whenever there is a musical ceremony, the bell and drum sound the Nine Melodies of Summer." ($\text{Jiē bō zhī yǐ bā yīn: jīn, shí, tǔ, gé, sī, mù, páo, zhú}$)

"Metal Music" ($\text{jīn zòu}$) is the collective performance led by the bell, which is the concrete embodiment of the bell's "unifying" ($\text{tǒng}$) function.

The meaning of "substantial" ($\text{shí}$) in the pre-Qin context includes fullness, truthfulness, and fruitfulness, contrasting with "empty" ($\text{xū}$). "Substantial" implies richness of content, not hollowness. The bell’s "substantiality" ($\text{shí}$) refers to the deep, rich quality of its sound. Bells were cast from bronze (copper and tin alloy); their bodies are solid and thick. When struck, the sound is deep and full, lingering long without interruption, possessing a sense of stable gravity.

Combining "Unifying" ($\text{tǒng}$) and "Substantial" ($\text{shí}$), the bell's character is to unify all sounds while maintaining intrinsic richness. This aligns with the subsequent statement "the bell resembles Earth"—the character of Earth is precisely "unifying" ($\text{tǒng}$) and "substantial" ($\text{shí}$): Earth supports all things and serves as the unifying foundation for everything, possessing a heavy, substantial body rather than being empty and light.

The Yijing, in the commentary on the Kun Trigram ($\text{Kūn guà}$), states:

"How excellent is the original nature of Kun, by which the myriad things are nourished and brought to life, conforming to Heaven. Kun is rich and thick in carrying its burden ($\text{hòu zài wù}$), its virtue encompassing boundless expanse. It holds, encompasses, and radiates broadly, so that the classes of things are all prosperous." (Yì Jīng, Kun Gua, Xiàng Zhuàn)

"Kun is rich and thick in carrying its burden" ($\text{Kūn hòu zài wù}$)—Kun’s richness and capacity to bear weight match the bell’s "substantiality" ($\text{shí}$); "the classes of things are all prosperous" ($\text{pǐn wù xián hēng}$)—all things achieve prosperity, matching the bell’s "unifying" ($\text{tǒng}$) function. The bell’s "comprehensive substantiality" ($\text{tǒng shí}$) is precisely a reflection of Kun’s virtue.

Why does the bell merit the designation of "Comprehensively Substantial"$13 Physically, bells are cast from bronze, a solid and heavy material. The sound of the set of bells is solemn and weighty, with a long decay, functioning in the ensemble to set the pitch, stabilize the tempo, and lead the overall structure—serving a unifying role. The ancients cast bells with great care regarding the copper-tin ratio. The Rites of Zhou, Artificers' Record ($\text{Kǎo Gōng Jì}$), states:

"Metal has six alloys ($\text{qí}$): if one part in six is tin, it is called the alloy for bells and tripods."

This proportion demanded that the bell’s sound be rich and deep, not thin or frivolous. The character "substantial" ($\text{shí}$) describes both the solid, heavy body of the bell and the full, rich quality of its sound.

Culturally, the bell was a "heavy vessel" ($\text{zhòng qì}$) in pre-Qin times, not comparable to ordinary instruments. Bells and tripods were spoken of together as heavy vessels of the state. States possessing bells and tripods were esteemed, while their loss was considered a humiliation. The Zuo Zhuan ($\text{Zuǒ Zhuàn}$), in the second year of Duke Cheng, recounts the capture of the state of Qi's bells by Jin, indicating the great political significance of bells. The "unifying" ($\text{tǒng}$) aspect of the bell implies not just musical coordination but also political leadership.