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

Section 6: "And There Is No Contrariness" ($\text{ér mí yǒu bèi nì zhě}$) — No Deviation

"And there is no contrariness" ($\text{ér mí yǒu bèi nì zhě}$)—And there is not a single instance of deviation or disorder.

"Mí" means "no"; "contrary" ($\text{bèi nì}$) means violation or chaos. This sentence emphasizes that in the midst of full physical exertion, not one single movement violates the rhythm of the bell and drum—all actions precisely coordinate with the music, without a single error.

How difficult this is! Imagine dozens, perhaps hundreds, of dancers moving simultaneously with full physical exertion, yet every movement of every person lands exactly on the rhythm of the bell and drum—no one makes a mistake, no movement is misplaced. This requires immense training, coordination, and skill!

This immediately reveals the admiring tone of Master Xunzi. "No contrariness" ($\text{mí yǒu bèi nì zhě}$)—this perfect group coordination is an extraordinary achievement in Xunzi's view. It proves the effectiveness of "the cultivation of rites and music" ($\text{lǐ yuè jiào huà}$): through long-term training, people can move from a chaotic, disorderly natural state to a highly ordered cultural state.

This also contains a subtle political philosophy. "No contrariness" ($\text{mí yǒu bèi nì zhě}$) implies no rebellion—no one violates the rules or acts disorderly. This is the very picture of an ideal political order: in a state governed by a Sage-King, subjects accept their stations and fulfill their duties, "no one rebels or acts contrary." The harmony of music and dance is a miniature reflection of political harmony.

Xunzi: On Music explicitly develops this idea elsewhere:

"When music is performed in the ancestral temple, the ruler and ministers, the high and the low, listen together, and none is not harmonious and respectful. Within the chambers, father and son, older and younger brothers listen together, and none is not harmonious and kind. Among the village elders and clan leaders, the young and old listen together, and none is not harmonious and compliant."

The function of music is to make people "harmonious and respectful" ($\text{hé jìng}$), "harmonious and kind" ($\text{hé qīn}$), and "harmonious and compliant" ($\text{hé shùn}$) in all social relations. The scene of "no contrariness" ($\text{mí yǒu bèi nì zhě}$) in dance is the most direct presentation of this social harmony.