Chapter 13: Daoist Elaboration on the Principle of "Affective Communication"

Section 1: Laozi on the Interaction of Yin and Yang

Although Laozi does not directly discuss the Yi, its thought on Yin-Yang interaction is highly resonant with the meaning of the Xian hexagram.

I. "All things carry Yin and embrace Yang."

Laozi, Chapter 42:

"The Dao produces One; One produces Two; Two produces Three; Three produces the ten thousand things. The ten thousand things carry Yin and embrace Yang, and blend their qi to achieve harmony." (道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。万物负阴而抱阳，冲气以为和。)

This is the core expression of Daoist cosmology. Dao → One → Two → Three → Ten Thousand Things—this is the sequence of generation. All things contain Yin and Yang, and they maintain balance through harmonious qi ("blending qi to achieve harmony"), which is the highest state of affective communication.

II. "The Valley Spirit Never Dies."

Laozi, Chapter 6:

"The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Profound Female. The gate of the Profound Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth. It endures perpetually, inexhaustibly useful." (谷神不死，是谓玄牝。玄牝之门，是谓天地根。绵绵若存，用之不勤。)

"The Profound Female" (Xuan Pin)—the deep, mysterious feminine power. "The gate of the Profound Female" is the root of Heaven and Earth. This use of "Female" (Pin) to signify the root of Heaven and Earth reflects the Daoist reverence for the yielding, receptive, and inclusive nature of the feminine principle. This accords with the meaning of "yielding above" in the Xian hexagram.

III. "Knowing the Masculine, Dwelling in the Feminine."

Laozi, Chapter 28:

"One who knows the masculine, yet dwells in the feminine, becomes the valley of all under Heaven. Remaining the valley of all under Heaven, his constant virtue never departs, and he returns to the state of an infant." (知其雄，守其雌，为天下溪。为天下溪，常德不离，复归于婴儿。)

Knowing the masculine yet dwelling in the feminine—understanding the Way of the firm, yet maintaining the virtue of the yielding. This is the key to Daoist self-cultivation and aligns with the Xian hexagram’s "by the male descending to the female" and "the yielding is above and the firm is below."

IV. "The Strong Will Be Defeated."

Laozi, Chapter 76, states:

"Nothing under Heaven is more soft and weak than water, yet for attacking what is hard and strong, nothing can surpass it... That the weak overcomes the strong, and the soft overcomes the hard, is known by all under Heaven, but none can put it into practice." (天下莫柔弱于水，而攻坚强者莫之能胜。以其无以易之。弱之胜强，柔之胜刚，天下莫不知，莫能行。)

The soft overcomes the strong, the yielding overcomes the firm—this is the constant way of the cosmos, consistent with the Xian hexagram's principle of soft yielding over firm dominance.

Section 2: Zhuangzi on Affective Communication and Equality of Things

Zhuangzi’s philosophy, though not primarily focused on human relations, offers profound insights into understanding "equality of things" (Qi Wu) and the principle of "affective communication" (Gan Tong).

I. "Heaven and Earth were born together with me, and the ten thousand things are one with me."

Zhuangzi, Qi Wu Lun (Discussion on Making Things Equal):

"Heaven and Earth were born together with me, and the ten thousand things are one with me." (天地与我并生，而万物与我为一。)

This is the highest level of affective communication—man is unified with Heaven, Earth, and all things. Although this state is not explicitly discussed in the Xian hexagram, it resonates with the Tuan Zhuan's claim that "by observing what they feel, the true nature of Heaven, Earth, and the ten thousand things can be seen."

II. The Theory of Transformation of Things (Wu Hua).

Zhuangzi, Qi Wu Lun, concludes with Zhuang Zhou dreaming he was a butterfly:

"Formerly, Zhuang Zhou dreamt he was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly... Suddenly he awoke, and there he was, Zhuang Zhou, distinct and aware of it. Now, did Zhuang Zhou dream he was a butterfly, or is the butterfly now dreaming he is Zhuang Zhou$15 Between Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction. This is called the transformation of things." (昔者庄周梦为胡蝶，栩栩然胡蝶也。自喻适志与！不知周也。俄然觉，则蘧蘧然周也。不知周之梦为胡蝶与？胡蝶之梦为周与？周与胡蝶则必有分矣，此之谓物化。)

The affective communication (transformation in the dream) between Zhuang Zhou and the butterfly reached a state where self and other were indistinguishable. "This is called the transformation of things"—things and self mutually transform. This is the extreme of affective communication.

However, Zhuangzi also notes, "Between Zhou and the butterfly there must be some distinction"—a boundary remains. Feeling/communication without losing distinction, and distinction without hindering feeling/communication—this mirrors the dialectic of "distinction yet feeling" in the Xian hexagram.

III. "An Empty Chamber Produces Brightness."

Zhuangzi, Ren Jian Shi (The World of Men):

"Look at that empty space—an empty chamber produces brightness, auspiciousness abounds." (瞻彼阕者，虚室生白，吉祥止止。)

An empty chamber naturally produces light. This aligns with the Xian Xiang Zhuan's "The noble person uses this to empty their heart to receive others"—emptying the heart allows wisdom to arise, and empty reception allows for affective communication.

IV. The Method of "Fasting of the Mind" (Xin Zhai).

Zhuangzi, Ren Jian Shi, records a dialogue between Yan Hui and Confucius:

"Hui said: 'May I dare to ask about the fasting of the mind$16' The Master said: 'If you concentrate your will, do not listen with your ears but listen with your heart; do not listen with your heart but listen with your qi. Listening stops at the ears; the heart stops at the identifying mark. Qi is that which is empty and waits to encounter things. Only when Dao gathers in emptiness is there emptiness; this is the fasting of the mind.'" (回曰：‘敢问心斋。’仲尼曰：‘若一志，无听之以耳而听之以心，无听之以心而听之以气。听止于耳，心止于符。气也者，虚而待物者也。唯道集虚，虚者，心斋也。’)

Listening with qi—transcending the sensory organs of ear and eye, communicating with all things through empty qi. This is Zhuangzi’s method of affective communication—waiting for things with emptiness, accommodating substance with emptiness.

This principle is completely consistent with the Xian hexagram’s "The noble person uses this to empty their heart to receive others"—only with an empty heart can one achieve affective communication, and only with empty reception can one accommodate others.

Section 3: Insights from Daoist Thought on Understanding the Xian Hexagram

Synthesizing the thought of Laozi and Zhuangzi, we gain deeper understanding in the following aspects of the Xian hexagram:

First, the Way of affective communication values natural non-action (Wu Wei). The core spirit of Daoism is natural non-action. The "feeling without an intentional heart" in the Xian hexagram accords precisely with this: spontaneous, unforced, and unfeigned—communicating with people and things through a natural disposition.

Second, the effort required for affective communication lies in emptiness and stillness. The foundation of Daoist cultivation is emptiness and stillness. Emptiness allows reception; stillness allows feeling. The Xian hexagram’s "noble person uses this to empty their heart to receive others" is the application of the virtue of emptiness and stillness in human relations.

Third, the realm of affective communication is the unity of things and self. Zhuangzi’s vision of "Heaven and Earth were born together with me, and the ten thousand things are one with me" is the highest ideal of affective communication. Although this realm transcends the level of conjugal human relations discussed in the Xian hexagram, its spiritual direction is consistent—moving from partial communication toward universal communication.

Fourth, weakness overcoming strength is the constant law of the cosmos. Laozi’s thought that "weakness is the function of the Dao" and "the strong and great dwell below; the soft and weak dwell above" provides the cosmological support for the Xian hexagram’s "yielding is above and the firm is below."