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

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.