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

Chapter Seven: The Daoist Perspective: Great Music is Rare in Sound ($\text{dà yīn xī shēng}$) and the Music of Heaven ($\text{tiān lài}$)

Section 1: Laozi's Theory of Music: "Great Music is Rare in Sound" ($\text{dà yīn xī shēng}$)

Master Laozi's discussion of music is concise to the point of being unfathomable: Chapter 41 of the Laozi states:

"The greatest square has no corners; the greatest vessel is perfected late; the greatest music is rare in sound ($\text{dà yīn xī shēng}$); the greatest image is without form ($\text{dà xiàng wú xíng}$). The Dao conceals itself and has no name."

"Great music is rare in sound" ($\text{dà yīn xī shēng}$)—the greatest music has few sounds (or almost none). This four-character phrase is the keynote of Daoist musical theory, forming a profound dialogue with Confucian musical theory.

What does "Great music is rare in sound" mean$11

Interpretation 1: The greatest music does not require clamorous sound. True musical beauty lies not in grand or complex sound but in profound and pure meaning. The less sound, the more meaning—this is the principle of "less is more."

Interpretation 2: The greatest music transcends the level of audible sound. The "Great Sound" ($\text{dà yīn}$) surpasses the realm of audible acoustics, reaching the level of the Dao, which is inaudible. Just as the "Great Image" ($\text{dà xiàng}$) transcends visible form.

Interpretation 3: "Great Music" is the operation of the Dao of Heaven. The Dao operates ceaselessly, yet silently—the movement of the sun and moon, the alternation of seasons, the growth of the myriad things—all occur in silence. This silent operation is the "Great Music"—a sound without sound, a music of stillness.

How does Laozi’s "Great Music is rare in sound" enlighten the understanding of Xunzi’s "Imagery of Sound and Music"$12

On the surface, they seem opposed: Xunzi meticulously describes the qualities of twelve musical elements, praising their rich diversity; Laozi states that the greatest sound is almost silent, seemingly negating the value of specific sounds. However, upon deeper reflection, they are subtly complementary.

Xunzi concludes his "Imagery of Sound and Music" with "Dance combines the intent of the Dao of Heaven" ($\text{wǔ yì tiān dào jiān}$)—the intent of dance is to encompass the Dao of Heaven. Laozi’s "Great Music is rare in sound" ($\text{dà yīn xī shēng}$) also points to the Dao of Heaven—the Dao’s "Great Music" is "rare in sound" ($\text{xī shēng}$). The meeting point is the "Dao of Heaven"—Xunzi approaches the Dao of Heaven through a rich spectrum of sounds (using sound to express the Dao’s meaning), while Laozi points out that the Dao itself is "rare in sound" (transcending the level of sound).

This difference can be understood as: Xunzi’s sound and music is "pursuing the inaudible with the audible"—constantly striving toward the inaudible Dao of Heaven through the means of instrumental music, song, and dance. The ultimate state of music (dance encompassing the Dao of Heaven) lies not in the beauty of the sound itself, but in the meaning of the Dao to which the sound points. From this perspective, Xunzi’s conclusion is Laozi’s starting point—"Great Music is rare in sound" is the transcendence achieved after the cultivation of musical expression reaches its zenith.

Chapter 2 of Laozi states:

"When all under heaven know beauty as beauty, ugliness already exists. When all know good as good, evil already exists. Thus being and non-being produce each other; difficult and easy complete each other; long and short contrast each other; high and low lean on each other; sound and voice harmonize ($\text{yīn shēng xiāng hé}$); front and back follow each other."

"Sound and voice harmonize" ($\text{yīn shēng xiāng hé}$)—Yīn (tone/pitch) and Shēng (sound/resonance) harmonize. Here, Laozi acknowledges the reality of "harmonious sound and voice" and places it within a series of dialectical oppositions (being/non-being, difficult/easy, long/short, high/low, front/back). This suggests Laozi does not entirely reject music but points out that the beauty of music lies in the mutual dependence of these opposing elements—high notes exist because of low notes; speed exists because of slowness; loudness exists because of quietness.

The opposing categories in Xunzi’s "Imagery of Sound and Music"—the "grandness" ($\text{dà}$) of the drum versus the "feminine pleasantness" ($\text{fù hǎo}$) of the qín (large vs. small), the "fierce emission" ($\text{fā měng}$) of the guǎn versus the "expansive ampleness" ($\text{wēng bó}$) of the xūn, the "purity" ($\text{qīng}$) of song versus the "substantiality" ($\text{shí}$) of the bell (pure vs. substantial)—are concrete manifestations of this "harmonious sound and voice" ($\text{yīn shēng xiāng hé}$). Laozi’s "Great Music is rare in sound" and Xunzi’s "Imagery of Sound and Music," approached from different angles, point to the same truth: the beauty of sound and music lies in the harmony of opposites.

Section 2: Zhuangzi's "Three Sounds": Terrestrial Sound, Human Sound, and Heavenly Sound

Master Zhuangzi’s discussion of music is most brilliantly articulated in the "Discussion on Making Things Equal" ($\text{Qí Wù Lùn}$), through the concept of the "Three Sounds" ($\text{sān lài}$):

"Zi You asked the Lord of the Frontier Gate ($\text{Zǐ Qí}$): 'The terrestrial sound ($\text{dì lài}$) is the myriad orifices of nature. The human sound ($\text{rén lài}$) is the bamboo pipes. Dare I ask about the Heavenly Sound ($\text{tiān lài}$)$13' The Lord of the Frontier Gate replied: 'The wind blows through ten thousand different things, each making its own sound. They all take what is their own; who is angry$14'"

This dialogue structures itself as follows:

• Human Sound ($\text{rén lài}$): The sound produced by humans blowing through bamboo pipes. This is human-made music.
• Terrestrial Sound ($\text{dì lài}$): The sound produced when wind blows through the "myriad orifices" (holes) of the Earth. This is natural acoustic sound.
• Heavenly Sound ($\text{tiān lài}$): "The wind blows through ten thousand different things, each making its own sound. They all take what is their own; who is angry$15" Heavenly Sound is not a specific sound but the fundamental force ("Dao") that causes all things to sound naturally, each according to its nature.

From the perspective of Zhuangzi’s "Three Sounds," Xunzi’s "Imagery of Sound and Music" can be understood as: using "Human Sound" ($\text{rén lài}$) to emulate "Terrestrial Sound" ($\text{dì lài}$) and strive toward "Heavenly Sound" ($\text{tiān lài}$). The drum resembling Heavenly Thunder is using human music to imitate the thunder in the terrestrial soundscape. The bell resembling Earth is using human music to imitate the sound of the Earth. Ultimately, "Dance combines the intent of the Dao of Heaven" ($\text{wǔ yì tiān dào jiān}$) is an attempt to approach the ultimate state of "Heavenly Sound" ($\text{tiān lài}$).

However, Zhuangzi might reserve judgment on Xunzi’s endeavor. The essence of Zhuangzi’s point is that the best "music" is not achievable through human effort—"They all take what is their own" ($\text{xián qí zì qǔ}$), things sound naturally without artificial arrangement. The best music is not the sound produced by man-made instruments but the Heavenly Sound ($\text{tiān lài}$).

This divergence reveals the fundamental difference between Confucian and Daoist approaches to "artifice" ($\text{wěi}$):

Confucianism (Xunzi): Artifice ($\text{wěi}$) is good—"transforming nature and cultivating artifice" ($\text{huà xìng qǐ wěi}$). The "Imagery of Sound and Music" is a cultural order consciously constructed by the Sages based on their perception of natural qualities.

Daoism (Zhuangzi): Artifice is superfluous—"they all take what is their own" ($\text{xián qí zì qǔ}$). The best "music" is not man-made but the natural sound produced by all things, the Heavenly Sound.

This tension highlights the deepest philosophical question in pre-Qin musical discourse: Is man-made music a natural development of nature, or is it a distortion of nature$16

Section 3: The Daoist Narrative of the Music of Huangdi: "Xian Chi" and "Cheng Yun"

Zhuangzi is not entirely dismissive of music. In Zhuangzi: The Way of Heaven ($\text{Tiān Yùn}$), Zhuangzi narrates a dialogue between Beimen Cheng and the Yellow Emperor ($\text{Huáng Dì}$) detailing the supreme music, the "Xian Chi" ($\text{Xián Chí}$):

"Beimen Cheng asked the Yellow Emperor: 'The Emperor performed the music of Xian Chi on the plains of Dongting. When I first heard it, I was terrified; when I heard it again, I grew listless; when I finally heard it to the end, I was bewildered. It was vast and silent, and I lost my self-possession.'"

This description of the "Xian Chi Music" exhibits features that align with Xunzi’s framework but push beyond it:

1. "First heard, I was terrified" ($\text{shǐ wén zhī jù}$)—Terrified upon first hearing. This resonates with the drum’s "grand beauty" ($\text{dà lì}$, sublimity and awe). The sublime is inherently fearsome.
2. "Heard again, I grew listless" ($\text{fù wén zhī dài}$)—Grew weary upon repeated hearing. This resonates with the xūn and chí's "expansive and ample" ($\text{wēng bó}$) nature, which can lead to a state of relaxation.
3. "Finally heard to the end, I was bewildered" ($\text{zú wén zhī huò}$)—Bewildered at the conclusion. This transcends the categories described by Xunzi—bewilderment implies entering a realm beyond rational comprehension, the unknowable.
4. "Vast and silent, and I lost my self-possession" ($\text{dàng dàng mò mò, nǎi bù zì dé}$)—This is the state of Laozi’s "Great Music is rare in sound" ($\text{dà yīn xī shēng}$)—the supreme music causes one to lose self-awareness and merge with the Dao.
5. "I alarmed them with thunder and lightning" ($\text{wǒ jīng zhī yǐ léi tíng}$)—This directly echoes the drum’s resemblance to Heaven's thunder.
6. "It had no tail at the end, and no head at the beginning" ($\text{qí zú wú wěi, qí shǐ wú shǒu}$)—Without ending or beginning. This transcends the structure of ordinary music—endless and beginningless, like the operation of the Dao of Heaven. This corresponds to Xunzi’s discussion of "rising/falling, bending/stretching, advancing/retreating, slowing/hastening"—all dialectical alternations that never cease.

The "Xian Chi Music" described by Zhuangzi can be seen as a Daoist response to Xunzi’s "Imagery of Sound and Music"—both describe a supreme music, but from different angles. Xunzi starts from the qualities of instruments and builds an ordered system; Zhuangzi starts from the listener's transcendental experience, describing a state beyond comprehension. Both point toward the Dao—Xunzi uses an array of ordered sounds to express the Dao’s meaning, while Zhuangzi suggests the Dao itself is the silent source.

Section 4: Deep Dialogue Between Daoist and Confucian Music Theories

Comparing the Daoist and Confucian approaches to music reveals subtle complementarity rather than mere opposition:

In Purpose: Confucian music aims at "cultivating the people" ($\text{huà mín}$)—using sound and music to educate the masses toward social harmony. Daoist music aims at "returning to the Dao" ($\text{guī dào}$)—using music (or transcending music) to guide the individual back to the Great Dao. One is socially oriented, the other individually oriented.

In Method: Confucian music relies on "creation" ($\text{zhì zuò}$)—the former kings created the Ya and Song sounds, manufactured instruments, and trained dance. Daoist music relies on "nature" ($\text{zì rán}$)—letting things sound naturally, without artificial intervention.

In Attainment: The highest state of Confucian music is "dance combining the intent of the Dao of Heaven" ($\text{wǔ yì tiān dào jiān}$)—using human dance to express the entirety of the Dao’s meaning. The highest state of Daoist music is "Great Music is rare in sound" ($\text{dà yīn xī shēng}$)—transcending all human sound to reach the Dao’s stillness.

In Attitude toward "Imagery" ($\text{xiàng}$): Confucianism values "imagery" ($\text{xiàng}$)—"The Imagery of Sound and Music" uses precise language to describe sonic qualities. Daoism transcends "imagery" ($\text{xiàng}$)—"The Great Image is without form" ($\text{dà xiàng wú xíng}$), the greatest image transcends all describable forms.

Yet, there is a deep commonality:

First, both point to the "Dao of Heaven" as the ultimate reference point. Xunzi’s "dance combining the intent of the Dao of Heaven" and Laozi’s "Great Music is rare in sound" both converge on the Dao.

Second, both acknowledge the intrinsic connection between sound/music and nature. Xunzi maps instrument qualities to the structure of Heaven and Earth; Zhuangzi explains natural sounds through "Terrestrial Sound" ($\text{dì lài}$) and "Heavenly Sound" ($\text{tiān lài}$)—both confirm an intrinsic link between sound and the natural world.

Third, both value "Harmony" ($\text{hé}$). Xunzi’s "harmony" ($\text{hé}$) of the yú, shēng, and xiāo and the overall coordination of the ensemble mirrors Zhuangzi’s "equality of things" ($\text{qí wù}$), where all things are one horse—a state of ultimate harmony.

The richness of pre-Qin thought lies in this kind of "being harmonious but not identical" ($\text{hé ér bù tóng}$): Confucianism and Daoism approach the same goals—harmony in the universe and harmony in human affairs—through different paths, one through "creation" and the other through "naturalness." Xunzi’s "Imagery of Sound and Music," as the pinnacle of Confucian musical theory, gains deeper layers of meaning when reflected against the backdrop of Daoist thought.