XIII, 3 7 XIN SHU XIA üb.m And it will be possible to use it to overcome everything within the four confines of the world. (E8 ngjayY6 Hence the sage, in taking the one word to understand [the Way], may explore Heaven above and Earth below.47 "Emending B to DB [Wang Niansun]. According to the "Nei ye," 4afi-7 (102.3^1): "Thus it is possible to explore the limits of Heaven and Earth and cover the four seas." 47 According to the "Nei ye," 3b/7 (101.11-12): "The Way fills the whole worid, existing wherever people dwell. Yet people are incapable of knowing it. With one word understood, above, one may explore Heaven; below, reach the extremities of Earth; circulating about, cover the whole of the nine regions." The "Cheng fa" &, jfe section of the Mawangdui Shi da jing (Shilhi jing), 74, states: "With the One understood, one may explore Heaven and Earth; by grasping its inherent principles, one may reach everywhere within the four seas." The Huainanzi, 1/Ilb7 (Morgan, Tao, the Great Luminant, 18), and the Ife/j*(',A/4bll-12, both contain somewhat similar statements. 64 XIII, 36 Xin Shu Shang ^ # _h Art of the Mind, Part I Introductory Comments "Xin shu shang" is another of the four so-called "Xin shu" 'Ü U chapters, including "Xin shu xia" ^- fä T (XIII, 37), "Bai xin" É? 'ü (XU!, 38), and "Nei ye" Ň M (XVI, 49), which modern Chinese scholars often lump together for study. While all four of these chapters share some points in common, particularly their emphasis on Daoist quietism and the prolongation of life, their points of emphasis are quite different. To facilitate a discussion of these differences as well as of the opinions of various Chinese scholars concerning the content and authorship, I have rearranged the order in which these four chapters appear in the Guanzi, placing the "Nei ye," which I believe to be the earliest of the four, and its associated chapter, the "Xin shu xia," ahead of "Xin shu shang" and "Bai xin." One of the distinctive features of this chapter is its format, which differs greatly from that of the other three "Xin shu" texts. It is divided into two separate parts: the first, Ia7-2b6 (62.5-63.9), consists of nineteen short statements, largely in rhyme, followed by a second part, 2b7-5b6 (63.9-66.4), which presents relatively lengthy unrhymed explanations for each of the statements except for number XIV. This format is very similar to that of "Zhou he" £ fa (IV, 11). Key Terms Unlike the "Xin shu xia" or any of the other "Xin shu" chapters, this chapter actually contains a reference to xin shu in the explanation to statement I (3al-2; 63.13), and while I suspect that the particular passage involved may be a later insertion, it does provide an appropriate explanation for the title: "The art of the mind lies in controlling the apertures (eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, anus, and sex organ) through nonassertiveness (iwiwcii^)."1 1 For a discussion of this passage, see n. 36, below. 65 XIII, 3 6 XIN SHUSHANG The meaning and ideological background of the term xin shu as well as that of other key terms used in this chapter, such asjing #, "quiescence," and Shen $, "the Spirit," have been dealt with in the introductory comments to the "Nei ye." However, there are three other key Daoist terms Telated to the mind that appear in "Xin shu shang" but not in the other "Xin shu" chapters. The first is*» $., "emptiness" or "vacuity." According to statement VI, "Wisdom! Wisdom! Cast it beyond the seas to avoid becoming its captive. Those who seek it cannot compare with those who are vacuous. Now the sage does not seek it. Therefore he is able to be vacuous."2 What is vacuity? It is not easy to define, but the Zhuangzi, VIII, 23/4bll-5a7 (Watson, Chuang Tzu, p. 253) provides a relevant passage: Can you be compliant and simple? Can you be a child? A child will cry all day without becoming hoarse, so perfect is its inner harmony. It will close its fist all day without grasping anything in its hand, so impartial is its Power. It will stare all day without blinking, so indifferent is it to what ties without. It goes without knowing where and rests without knowing why, traipsing around with things, riding along with them on the same wave. This is the canon for preserving life. Closely related to this passage is the Laozi, A, 10/5a9-bl (Waley, Tiie Way and Its Power, p. 153): "By restraining your animal soul, can you embrace the One without ever letting it go? By concentrating your breath until it is soft, can you become like a child?" The Huainanzi, 12/ 14a4-5 (Morgan, Tao the Great Luminant, pp. 128-129), explains this passage from the Laozi by citing a story taken from the Zhuangzi, III, 6/14b2-3 (Watson, Chuang Tzu, p. 90), concerning YanHui Já 0 "sitting in forgetfulness" {zuo wang Uáif-)- According to Yan Hui, sitting in forgetfulness involved "severing connection with the limbs and body, dispensing with the senses, becoming detached from form, rejecting knowledge, and penetrating what transforms and pervades." (For this last phrase the Zhuangzi version writes: "attaining unity with the Great Pervader (Da Tong ^c il). The other two terms are yin @, which normally has the meaning "to rely on" but became a special Daoist term meaning "to rely on things as they are," andying J*, which means "to be responsive" or to "respond to things as they are." According to the explanation for statement XIX: : According to the Zhuangzi, V, 13/12a 11 (Watson, Chuang Tzu, 142): "From vacuity comes quiescence; from quiescence comes movement; from movement comes attainment." The Laozi, A, 167Bb6 (Waley, The Way and Its Power, 162), also states: "Attain the ultimate of vacuity; maintain a true state of quiescence." 66 ART OF THE MIND, PART I "The Way values relying on things as they are. 'Relying on things as they are' means relying on things' capabilities when stating how they are to be used." It goes on to say that when responding to things, the prince who adheres to the Way appears to be at one with them. That is, "he fits himself to each occasion like a shadow resembling a form or an echo responding to a voice." Authorship and Dating I have already discussed, in my introductory comments to the "Nei ye," Guo Memo's contention that the nineteen statements of this chapter are the work of Song Xing 5fc M, a Jixia $> T scholar who preached a doctrine combining Daoism, Mohism, and Confucianism at the end of the fourth and beginning of the third centuries B.C., while the explanations consist of notes taken by Song's students during his lectures.3 I also indicated that I found Guo's thesis, originally published in 1944, unacceptable and that it had come under increasing criticism by Chinese scholars in the 1980s. One of the first scholars to present an alternative was Qiu Xigui, who, in a 1980 study of the manuscripts appended to the Laozi "A" and "B" texts found at Mawangdui, attributed the authorship of "Xin shu shang" and "Bai xin" to the school of two other Jixia scholars, Shen Dao \% fj and Tian Pian ffl §f .4 Unfortunately, we know very little about these two men. An existing text known as the Sh enzi \% Ť is attributed to a Shen Dao, who is reputed to have come from the state of Zhao $L and lived sometime between 360 and 2B5 B.C. The work itself has been carefully studied by P. M. Thompson, who concludes that at least part of the text may have been in existence as early as 240 B.C., but that there is no way of knowing whether or not it really represents the thought of Shen Dao.5 The existing Shenzi and the fragments collected by Thompson stress the importance of law, of people being motivated by their own interests, and of having a prince who stands aloof and delegates administrative work to his ministers. Brief descriptions of Shen Dao appear in other texts, such as the Xunzi, which states (in, 6/8b7-12; Knoblock, Xunzi 1:223-224) that Shen Dao and 3 Guo, "Song Xing Yin Wen yizhu kao," 247. 'Qiu Xigui, "Mawangdui Laozi 'Jin Yi' ben juanqianhou yishu yu Daofajta," 80-83. Qiu's views are a!sD supported by Wu Guang, "Guanzi sipian yu Song-Yin xuepai bianxi," 42. In a 1942 article, "Kanshi no 'Shinjutsu' to 'Naigyo,'" 397-398, the Japanese Sinologist Takeuchi Yoshio also suggested a link between the "Xin shu shang" and Shen Dao. ! The Shen Tzu Fragments, 174. Thompson's work includes not only the surviving text but also a targe number of fragments to be found in other works. 67 XIII, 3 6 XIN SHUSHANG Tian Pian "honored the principle of law, yet had no law." Further along, the same text (XV, 21/3al3-3bl; Rnoblock, Xunzi 3:102) adds that "Shenzi was blinded by law and insensible to worth." The Hanfeizi, XVII, 40/1 a (Liao, Han Fei Tzu 2:199-200), describes him as an advocate of strong government. About Tian Pian, we know even less except that he is supposed to have been a native of Qi $ and to have produced a Jianzi Pi in twenty-five pian, which disappeared after the Han.6 He is also mentioned in various pre-Han works, including the Liishi chunqiu, 17/17a4—9 (Wilhelm, Frühling und Herbst, p. 287), which states that Tian Pian once instructed the King of Qi on the art of the Way, saying: "My words contain nothing about government, yet through them one can attain government. ... All transformations and reactions have a set form. When relying on one's own nature and trusting in other things, there is no one who will not find what is suitable and proper." The Shiji, 74/2-6, lists Shen Dao and Tian Pian as being among those who "studied the methods of Huang-Lao |ř éfc Daoism." However, the fullest description of these two men is contained in the Zhuangzi, X, 33/17a7-18b6 (Watson, Chuang Tzu, pp. 369-371), which lumps Shen Dao and Tian Pian together with Peng Meng % Íl, another Daoist participant in the Jixia Academy: To be impartial and nonpartisan, easy-going and unselfish, decisive but not obstinate, compliant but not two-faced, unconcerned with worries, un-scheming in knowledge, indiscriminate in one's choice of things but going along with all of them—such was the method of the Way as practiced in ancient times. Peng Meng, Tian Pian, and Shen Dao heard about these models for behavior and were delighted with them. They took as foremost the equality of all things, saying, "Heaven is able to cover but not support; Earth is able to support but not cover. The Great Way is able to embrace alt things but not discriminate among them." They knew that all things had that which they could do and that which they could not do. Therefore they said: "Selection results in exclusion; instruction results in being incomplete. The Way omits nothing." For this reason Shen Dao discarded knowledge, rejected self, followed necessity, and was indifferent to things, taking this as the principle of the Way. He said: "True knowledge is not to know." He despised knowledge and worked to destroy it,... It was the same with Tian Pian. He studied with Peng Meng and learned about teaching nothing from him, 6 Qian-Han shu, 30/17al. Thompson, The Shen Tzu Fragments, 272, ciles another source giving fifteen pian. Zhou Ying, in his "Tian Pian yizhu kaozheng ji qi sixiang yanjiu," believes that seven chapters of the present Guanzi are lost works of Tian Ptan: IX, 23; X, 30; XI, 31; XV, 45; XV, 46; XV, 47; and XV, AS. 68 ART OF THE MIND, PARTI From what we are able to glean from the Shenzi and these other bits and pieces of information about Shen Dao and Tian Pian, it appears possible that the "Bai xin" chapter may be connected with their school of thought, but I do not think this is the case with this chapter.7 Law is dealt with in statement IX and its explanation, but it is only a minor issue in the context of the whole work. Ridding oneself of desires, a very important concept here is not mentioned in the Shenzi or other sources for Shen Dao and Tian Pian. Furthermore, key Daoist concepts such asjing, "quiescence," xu, "vacuity," yin, "relying on things as they are," and ying, "responding to things as they are," which are stressed in this chapter, do not even appear in the Shenzi. I also find it difficult to accept Guo's contention that the statements of this chapter constitute a lecture outline of a master and the explanations as notes taken by his students, since it appears certain that the explanations were written long after the original statements." Terseness of style and general ideological content indicate that the statements could be the work of a Jixia scholar or scholars living during the early third century b.c., as most modern Chinese scholars believe. However, it is impossible to tell whether or not they came from a single source. There is wide variety among them in terms of form. Some are full paragraphs, while others are made up of only one or two lines. Some appear to be catchy apothegms or popular sayings, such as statement II, while others are well-developed arguments. Most are in rhyme, but statements VI, VIII, IX, X, XVIII, and XDC are not. They could be the jottings, perhaps a lecture outline, of a single individual or fragments lifted from a single work, but it is also possible that they are fragments taken from a variety of sources, as in the case of the "Xing shi" % % (I, 2) and "Zhou he" & jfn (TV, 11) chapters.9 Given the fact that the statements in this chapter tend to have a more logical relationship with each other than those appearing in either the "Xing shi" or the "Zhou he," perhaps a single-source option makes more sense. In any case, I believe that they represent the work of a person or persons who originally came from the linguistic area dominated by Chu, 1 Possible relationships with the "Bai xin" chapter will be dealt wilh in its introductory comments. 1 Both Kanaya Osamu, Kanshi no kenfytii, 334, and Haroltt Roth, "Redaction Criticism and the Early History of Taoism," 16, have expressed similar views. sThe major difference in the case of the "Xing shi" is that the explanations for its statements appear in a separate chapter (XX, 64), while in the case of this chapter and "Zhou he," the explanations are included in the same chapter. This may be due to the fact that thEsc Salter texts are rather short. 69 XIII, 3 6 XIN SHU SHAN G since the four examples of irregular rhymes that appear in the statements are similar to those appearing in the Laozi.w I also believe that the statements postdate the "Nei ye" and reflect the influence of "Nei ye" thinking, particularly in regard to its stress on the interaction of mind and body and the need to rid oneself of desires and cleanse the mind so that the Spirit will remain. However, the "Xin shu shang" is much more political in tone, reflecting the development of Huang-Lao thinking with its incorporation into a predominantly Daoist ideology a stress on law {fa ä), forms (xing jfy) and names (ming %), and Confucian virtues.11 Furthermore, the "Xin shu shang" makes use of Daoist terms such as xu, "vacuity," yin, "relying on things as they are," and ying, "responding to things as they are," which do not appear in the "Nei ye." The explanations, furthermore, appear to be even later. Not only is the style quite different, being much more expansive and thus resembling that common to the later period, but the reference to Yin-Yang, which appears in explanation EH but nowhere else in these four "Xin shu" texts, indicates that the explanations could not date before the middle of the third century b.c., when Yin-Yang dualism first began to achieve wide popularity in terms ofpolitical theory.12 Therefore it would appear that the statements were gathered together by some later writer who explicated and elaborated on them. Who could such a person have been? The fact that this chapter and "Xin shu xia "share a common title would seem to indicate that at least at one point they shared a common history. I have already expressed my opinion in the introductory comments to the "Nei ye" that the "Xin shu xia" probably was the product of scholars at the court of Huainan it l^, where scholars serving the king, Liu An §J $, devoted great effort to collecting remnants of Chu %L tradition and producing works with a Daoist or Huang-Lao orientation. Therefore I believe that this text also was put together in its present form by these same Huainan scholars and that it became part of those Huainan library materials that, after the death of Liu An in 122 b.c., were transferred to the imperial library in Chang'an -ft^, where they eventually came into the hands of Liu Xiang $] |é], who put together our present Guanzi about 26 B.c. 10 I.e., group Z. rhyming with group |S and group % rhyming with group $. Far a discussion of these rhymes, sec my introductory comments to the "Nei ye." 11 For a discussion of Huang-Lao thought see, my introductory comments to the "Nei ye." The "Nei ye" also refers to Confucian virtues in stanza XIII, bul, as mentioned in my notes, this could be a later addition to that test. ,: Far a discussion of Yin-Yang dualism in relation ta these texts, see my introductory comments to the "Nei ye." 70 ART OF THE MIND, PARTI Translation [Statement I] ::ia.s In the body, the mind holds the position of the prince. The functions 117 of the nine apertures resemble the separate responsibilities of officials.13 62.6 If the mind is at rest in the Way, (it daw) The nine apertures will function properly. {St /ray)14 Should lust and desire occupy it to the full, (H. -ie/uj)15 The eyes will not see colors; the ears will not hear sounds. (^ ■st 'ieng) 62.7 Therefore it is said:16 "If the person on high departs from the Way, (it daw) Those below will be lax in their work." (í dziay)" [Statement II] Do not attempt to do the running for a horse; let it exhaust its strength, (ij liak) Do not attempt to do the flying for a bird; let it wear out its wings. m riak) [Statement III] &is Do not be the first to make a move so that you may observe patterns of action. {|J] tear) 13 Guan 'g, "office," or "office holder," also can mean "sense organ." Thus the Xunzi, XI, 17/10o9—10 (Knoblock, Xunzi 3:16), states: "The heart/mind occupies the central cavity in order to control the five sense organs. Now for this reason it is referred to as the natural prince." The nine apertures are the eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, anus, and sex organ. "Irregular rhyme: i£ (group é, 4th tone) with S (group i., second tone). " Emending i± to §. to complete the rhyme with %, "sounds" [Wang Ntansun]. 16 Igai, Dai Wang, and Yu Yue would delete &B, "Therefore it is said," as on interpolation taken from the explanation (3al; 63.13). Guo Moruo argues that the two characters indicate that this statement is a quotation from some other text and should be retained. 17 Irregular rhyme: ig (group &, 4th tone) with if (group Í, 3rd tone). He Ru-zhang would insert here a line from the explanation (3a!-2; 63.13): 'ü fir =Éf ft ^ W ^1 &=# -til, "The art of the mind lies in controlling the apertures through nonassertive-ncss." I would question this emendation because such a sentence, coming at the end of the statement, appears as a non sequitur and violates the established rhyme pattern. The only logical place for it would be following the second sentence concerning the nine apperturcs, but this does not accord with the sequence of the ideas presented in the explanation. For further discussion of this problem, see my introductory comments and n. 36, below. 71 XIII, 3 6 XIN S H U SHANG If you move, you will lose your position; if you remain quiet, you will naturally retain it. (# tak) [Statement IV] 62.9 The Way is not distant, yet it is difficult to reach. {# giak) It exists here among men, yet it is difficult to comprehend. (# tak) [Statement V] Become empty of desires, and the Spirit will enter to take up its abode. (^ st'iay) 62.10 Should you fail to make a clean15 sweep, the Spirit will not19 remain. (^ t jay) [Statement VI] All men desire wisdom, but no one understands the means to obtain it.20 Wisdom! Wisdom! Cast it beyond the seas to avoid becoming its captive. Those who seek it cannot compare with those who are vacuous.21 Now the sage22 does not seek it. Therefore he is able to be vacuous. [Statement VII] What is vacuous and formless23 is called the Way. (ül daw)1* What transforms and nourishes all things is called the Power. ($f. rar)-25 [Statement VIII] What governs relations between prince and minister, father and son, 62.13 and man and man is called duty {yi H). What governs ascending or descending the hall, bowing and yielding to others, degrees of honor and lowliness, and distinctions between near and distant kin, are called rules of propriety (/ŕ #). " The Yang edition for ip, writes K. The meaning remains the same. " Emending 7b to =F in accordance with the Zhu edition [Dai Wang, Ding Shihan, and Yu Yue], :n Deleting ť as an interpolation from the following line [Wang Niansun and Guo Moruo]. 21 Emending A # to ^ Ä [Guo Moruo]. 22 Emending iE to g [Wang Ninnsun]. ;! Emending JS & jfe to i£ m [Wang Niansun], The Li Shan ^ # commentary to the Ji'en xuan twice, 20/I3nl3 and 29/1 la8, cites this line, writing: &.&3&HIŽ.3Í. "The "Dao fa" S ä section of the Mawnngdui Jingfa, 1, in speaking about the Way, states: "Vacuous and formless, its connecting thread is truly profound, and it is thai which gives life to all things." " Irregular rhyme: i£ (group ô, 3rd tone) with C9 (group i, 4th lone). 62.11 62.12 72 ART OF THE MIND, PARTI [STATEMENT IX] What determines execution, extermination, prohibition, or punishment for even the smallest of things that are not at one with the Way is called the law (/a &).M [Statement X] The great Way can bring about peace, but it cannot be described in words. [Statement XI] The true27 man's words are unprejudiced2* and impartial. ($] tefeJt)29 Nothing issues from his mouth or appears on his face. (•£, siak) Who within the four seas can know his pattern of action? (UJ tsak) [Statement XII] Heaven is said to be vacuous; Earth is said to be quiescent. Thus there are no miscalulations.30 [Statement XIII] Cleanse the mansion of your mind and open your gates of perception! (PI mwari) Once you have rid yourself of selfish desires and stopped talking, the Spirit will appear. (# dzwari) [Statement XIV] When matters become confused and appear to be in turmoil, remain quiescent toward them, and they will put themselves in order. (j£ disy) Force cannot always establish things; wisdom cannot plan for every exigency. (i£ mjway) "The meaning of fH tt 'b * - at is not at all clear. 1 have generally followed Yasui's interpretation. Zhao Shouzheng has followed Guo Moruo, who says % is balanced with ffl and means "complex" as opposed to "simple." He would also emend jfc to ±. Thus Zhao would translate this sentence as "What makes use of the Way to equalize the simple and complex and determines execution, extermination, prohibition, or punishment is called law." 37 Emending J[, "straightforward," to % [tgai and Wang Niansun]. 31 Reading é. as flfc [Zhang Pcilun and Zhang Binglin]. " Emending M to $! in order to preserve the rhyme with 3 and R'j [Zhang Peilun]. 30 Emending ft to -ft [Yu Yue]. ff {.fay) rhymes with tf], fe, and »! in the previous statement. Thus, it is possible that this passage should be included there rather than stand alone. 73 XIII. 36 XIN SHU S H AN G ab [Statement XV] Things have fixed forms; forms have fixed names. (^ mjieng) He who makes names fit realities is called a sage. (A ny'/en)31 Therefore one must understand the unspoken word32 and be nonassertive in affairs, {ß- dziay) Thereafter one may come to know the Way's guidelines. (,*£ kidy) [Statement XVI] There are different forms and different situations, but the sage never deviates from things' inherent order. (S| lisy) Therefore, in the world, he is considered first among all. (£n stjiayy1 [Statement XVII] 63.6 Men may be executed because they dislike death, (iE sjier) They may be deprived of profit because they like profit, (f J Her) Thus, the man of quality is not to be enticed34 by something he likes nor oppressed by what he dislikes. (£§ -ak) He is contented and nonassertive, rejecting wisdom and pretense. {& kayr [Statement XVIII] When responding to things, he does not have any preconceptions. When making a move, he does not jump to conclusions. [Statement XIX] Mistakes are inherent in relying on one's own opinions. Crimes are inherent in forcing change. For this reason, the prince who adheres to the Way, when at rest, appears to lack knowledge; when responding to things, appears to be at one with them. This is the way of quiescence and relying on things as they are. 11 Irregular rhyme: í (group $) with A (group Ä). " Following the interpretation of the explanation (4b9; 65.7), which adds Ž. "# after ^ # [Wang Niansun]. 11 The Yang edition mistakenly omits #j [Zhang Feilun and Xu Weiyu]. " Following the Yung edition and Ming print of the Zhao edition, both of which for xiu # write chu ft. The explanation (5a6; 65.12) also writes chu. The Yin commentary originally wrote xin. (In the surviving Yang print the commentary has been allercd to read chu to conform with the text). The Yin commentary explains xiu as meaning jh, "to cease" or "to halt." Thus the phrase would read: "The man of quality is not to be deterred by something he likes." " Rhyme: S (group ft, 4th tone) with & (group &, 3rd tone). According to Xu Wciyu, iä should be read as it [tsrar, group *, 3rd tone). 74 ART OF THE MIND, PARTI [Explanation I] "In the body, the mind holds the position of prince. The functions of the nine apertures resemble the separate responsibilities of officials." The ears and eyes are the sense organs for seeing and hearing. If the mind does not interfere with the activities of seeing and hearing, the sense organs will be able to maintain their separate functions. Now if a person's mind is filled with desires, his eyes will not see when things pass by, nor will his ears hear when there are sounds. Therefore the statement says: "If the person on high departs from the Way, those below will be lax in their work." Hence it is said: "The art of the mind lies in controlling the apertures through nonassertiveness."36 Consequently, the statement refers to it as "prince." [Explanation II] "Do not attempt to do the running for a horse." "Do not attempt to do the flying for a bird." These two statements mean that you should not try to preempt the ability of others37 nor compete3" with your subordinates. [Explanation III] "Do not be the first to make a move." Those who are agitated cannot be stable, and those who are hasty are not quiescent. This means that if you are engaged in activity, you cannot be observant. "Position" refers to the place in which one stands. The ruler of men stands in the Tin. The Yin is quiescent. Therefore the statement says: "If you move, you will lose your position." By occupying the Yin, one is able to control the Yang. By being quiescent, one is able to control activity. Therefore the statement says: "If you remain quiet, you will naturally retain it"39 :sThis and the following sentence are highly controversial since no mention Df "art of the mind" appears in the original statement. As mentioned above, He Ruzhang and Gud Moruo would emend the statement in accordance with the explanation here, a suggestion I find unacceptable. Wang Niansun, Zhang Wenhu, and Xu Weiyu would delete & 0, "Therefore it is said," from the beginning of this sentence, but still the reference to "art of the mind" at this point appears to be out of place. Since this passage is so well known, I have left it as is in the translation, but I believe that, as it now stands, it either represents a marginal comment, later inserted into the text by some early commentator who was attempting to explain the meaning of the title, or is the result of deliberate tampering as suggested by Zhang Feilun. Zhang would delete both S. B and #. Thus: "The mind controls the apertures through nonassertiveness. Therefore the statement refers to it as 'prince.'" 37 Emending the first |£ to A [Zhang Wenhu]. " Emending & to tt. [Zhang Wenhu]. ,g I.e., your position. 75 XIII, 3 6 XIN S H U SHA N G [Explanation IV] The Way lies between Heaven and Earth, It is so large that nothing can exist beyond it. It is so small that nothing can exist within it.40 Therefore the statement says: "The Way is not distant, yet it is difficult to reach." Being vacuous, the Way is never apart from men, but only the sage comprehends the vacuous Way. Therefore the statement says: "It exists here among men yet it is difficult to comprehend,"'11 [Explanation V] What men must grasp is the essence." If they get rid of desires, their minds will be open.43 Being open, they will become quiescent. Being quiescent, they will be of single purpose. Being of single purpose, they will become detached. Being detached, they will be enlightened. Being enlightened, they will become spiritlike, The Spirit is honored above all else. Now, if the hall is not opened up and cleaned out, an honored person will not stay in it. Therefore the statement says: "Should you fail to make a clean sweep, the Spirit will not remain." [Explanation VI] "All men desire wisdom'14 but no one understands41 the means to obtain it." What they know46 is the "that," but the means to know is the "this." If they do not cultivate the "this" how can they know the "that"? To cultivate the "this" there is nothing better than vacuity. Vacuity is to " The "Nci ye," 6b6-7 (104.7), describes the spiritual force within the mind (g M, é 'i') in similar terms: "So fine that nothing can exist within it; so large that nothing can exist beyond it." 41 Emending iMr to & in accordance with the original statement [Igai and Guo Moruo], . H The use of jing # in this sentence presents a problem. I have followed its usual translation in these Xin slm chapters of "essence" primarily because in explanation VII (3b 10; 64.9) there appears a somewhat similar combination of characters í^iĚ-í-tt, "grasp the essence of the Way." However, Ewo other suggestions would nppeBr to be as good or even better. Yu Yue and Guo Moruo would emend jing tí to ging ft. Thus; "What men must control are their emotions." The Jilin Sheng Zhexue Shehuikcxue Yanjiusuo and Zhao Shouzheng would interpret jing in the same sense as it appears below in this paragraph. Thus: "What men must grasp is singleness of purpose." 4! Guo Moruo would emend JÍ to ;£. Thus: "the mind will be uncluttered." 44 Following the original statement, which for £n, "knowledge," writes ÍJ, both here and below. 45 Deleting i. in accordance with the original statement [Wang Niansun and Guo Moruo]. 46 This sentence appears to be incomplete. I have followed Wong Niansun by inserting £ fh fr before fô. 76 AR T OF THE MIND, PARTI store up nothing. Therefore47 if they get rid of knowledge, for what will they seek?49 If nothing is stored up, how can there be any preconceptions? There being no seeking and no preconceptions, there will be no anxiety. If there is no anxiety, they will then have returned49 to vacuity. [Explanation VII] The way of Heaven is vacuous and50 formless. Being vacuous, it is not to be bent. Being formless, nothing opposes it.51 Since nothing opposes it, the Way flows everywhere to all things and never changes. Power is a dwelling of the Way. Things must obtain it in order to live. The living must know how to obtain it in order to grasp the essence of the Way. Therefore, Power is obtainment,52 and obtainment refers to obtaining the means for things to be what they are.53 When nonassertive,54 we call it "the Way." When dwelling in things, we call it "the Power." Therefore, the Way and the Power cannot be separated, and so those who talk about them treat them as the same. The reason for distinguishing between them is to indicate that in which the Way dwells. [Explanation VIII] "Duty" refers to doing what is appropriate in each situation. "Propriety" relies on man's inner feelings. It is connected with the inherent order underlying duties and provides the restraints and means of expression for them. Therefore, propriety bespeaks the existence of an inherent order. By clarifying social distinctions, this inherent order conveys the conception of duty. Therefore propriety is derived from duty, duty is derived from the inherent order of things, and the inherent order of things is based on the Way.55 47 Deleting B, "it is said," since what follows is not contained in the original statement and does not sound like an independent quotation. 41 Deleting % as a mistaken repetition of & or #.. The corresponding phrase that follows, Jfciž, contains only two characters. " Emending S to •$£. The final line of the chapter contains the phrase ft Jft ŕ-r iE, "he has returned to a state of vacuity" [Zhang Wenhu]. "Reading It ns M in accordance with the original statement [Xu Weiyu]. 51 Emending tS to \& and reading ft as It both here and in the following line [Wang Yinzhi]. 12 Here we have a play on words: "Power," ü- de ((aft), and "obtainment," ■# de (rat). " The original text of this sentence is obviously corrupt. 1 have followed Guo Moruo in emending # & # £ #H* Ö ÍS & to # & # ifl # £ ÍÍ « I* &. 14 Deleting W [Yu Yue and Dai Wang], " Emending Jt to ife [Guo Moruo]. 77 XIII, 3 6 XIN SHU SHANG [Explanation IX] Law is the means by which conformity is produced so that people 64.1J will have to act as they should. Therefore execution, extermination, prohibition, and punishment are used to make them as one [with the Way]. Affairs56 are supervised by the law. Laws are derived from political power, and political power is derived from the Way.37 [Explanation X] 65.1 When the Way moves, we do not see its form; when it is bestowed, we do not see its Power. All things thereby attain to what they are, but no one knows its limits. Therefore the statement says: "The great Way can bring about peace, but it cannot be described in words." [Explanation XI] Being a "true58 man" means he is perfect. "Unprejudiced"39 means to 65.2 be responsive.60 Being responsive, one has no preconceptions. Therefore one is able to be without prejudice. "Impartial"61 means to rely on 65.3 things as they are.62 Relying on things as they are, one does not jump to conclusions," Therefore one is without partiality. "Nothing issues from his mouth or appears on his face" means that [the Way] is without form. "Who within the four seas can know his pattern of action" means that it is profound. [Explanation XII] ma The way of Heaven is vacuous; the way of Earth is quiescent. Being vacuous, it is not to be bent. Being quiescent, it does not change. Since 56 Deleting ft, "therefore," at the beginning of this sentence [Xu Weiyu]. "According to the "Dao fa" section of the Mawangdui Jing fa, 1: 'The Way produced law." " Emending JE to % [Igai and Wang Niansun]. " Emending % to fä [Zhang Binglin and Zhang Peilun]. "According to the Huainanzi, 14/I2bI0-ll: "The sage always puts himself last and never first. He always responds {ying f|) but never raises his own voice. He never pushes himself forward but is always seeking. He never retreats but is always yielding." 61 Emending Jfl to $J [Zhang Peilun], "According to the Huainanzi, 20/3bl0—11; "When bringing good order to the world, the sage does not change the nature of people. He makes them content with what they have and purges them of their depravity. Therefore relying on things ns they are (yin E) makes one great, while attempting to transform them makes one small." ° The Yang edition repeats M. I have followed Guo Moruo, who maintains that this obvious redundancy is due to a miswriting of Si. (their forms are very similar in script). The character ffi is an interpolation taken from the text above and should be deleted. 78 ART OF THE MIND, PART I it does not change, there are no errors. Therefore the statement says: "There are no miscalculations."64 [Explanation XIII] "Cleanse the mansion of your mind and open65 your gates of perception!" "Mansion" refers to the mind. The mind is the dwelling place of wisdom. Therefore the statement says that he who cleanses the mansion gets rid of likes and dislikes.66 "Gates" refer to the ears and eyes. The ears and eyes are the means for hearing and seeing. [Explanation XIV] No explanation. [Explanation XV] "Things have fixed forms; forms have fixed names." This means that the name67 must not exceed its reality, and the reality must not transcend its name. One must explain68 forms in terms of forms and use the form of something to find its proper name. One must examine closely the spoken word and rectify names. Therefore the statement calls such a person "a sage." The unspoken word is responsive. Being responsive is to let others perform the act. The way to be responsive is to control names and pay close attention69 to how they come into being.70 The way to be non-assertive is to rely on things as they are. Relying on things as they are is neither to add nor to detract from them. The art of relying on things as they are is to rely on forms when creating names. Names are what the sage takes as his guidelines for all things. " Emending ft to t [Yu Yue]. 15 Emending M to Bf3 to conform with the original statement [Sun Xingyan, Yu Yue, and Quo Moruo]. "Emending US to g [Ding Shihan]. According to the Hanfeizi, II, 8/1 lnl 1-13 (Liao, Han Fei Tzu 1:57): "If you like [your subordinates], problems wil! multiply. If you dislike them, resentments will arise. Therefore, get rid of both likes and dislikes, and make your vacuous mind the dwelling place of the Way." "Inserting M before T* [Wang Niansun and YasufJ. " Reading & as fe [Guo Moruo], "Deleting is as"an interpolation taken from the preceding passage [Wang Yinzhi and Xu Weiyu], "According to the Hanfeizi, II, 8/9b4-6 (Liao, Han Fei Tzu 1:54): "When [the sage] does not know the name, he returns to the form, compares aod identifies the form and name, and utilizes what comes from this." 79 Kill, 3 6 XIN S H U SHA N G [Explanation XVI] 65.in Ordinary men establish themselves through force, pay attention to their appearance, have a taste7' for [showing off] their abilities, and move according to happenstance. But the sage does not do this. Since 65.11 he does not do this, he differs from ordinary mortals. Since he is different, he can be vacuous. Emptiness is the beginning of all things. Therefore 63.12 the statement says: "In the world he is considered first among all." [Explanation XVII] Since ordinary men may be oppressed by what they dislike, they then may lose what they like. Since they may be enticed by what they like, 65.13 they may forget about what they dislike. This is not the Way. Therefore the statement says: "The man of quality is not to be enticed by something he likes nor oppressed by what he dislikes." He does not lose sight of the inherent order of things because of his dislikes, nor give way to excessive emotion because of his desires. Therefore the statement calls him "a man of quality." "He is contented and nonassertive, rejecting wisdom and pretense" means that he is vacuous and free from guile. [Explanation XVIII] 65.14 "When responding to things, he does not have any preconceptions" and "when making a move, he does not jump to conclusions" mean that he relies on things as they are. Relying on things as they are means to 66.1 take things rather than oneself as the norm. To be moved and then respond is to have no preconceptions. To adhere to the inherent order of things when making a move is to avoid jumping to conclusions. [Explanation XIX] "Mistakes are inherent in relying on one's own opinions. Crimes are inherent in forcing change." If you rely on your own opinions, you are 66.2 not vacuous. If you are not vacuous, you will identify with things. If you force change, it will give rise to artificiality. If artificiality arises, there will be confusion. Therefore the Way values relying on things as they are. "Relying on things as they are" means relying on things' capabilities when stating how they are to be used. "The prince who adheres 663 to the Way,72 when at rest, appears to lack knowledge" means that he has attained perfect vacuity. "When responding to things, he appears to " Emending ?ti to if. [Ding Shihan and Yao YonggafJ. 72 Emending #-f, "man of quality" or "enlightened prince," to ft iE i M, in accordance with the text of the original statement. SO ART OF THE MIND. PARTI be at one with them" means that he fits himself to each occasion like a shadow resembling a form or an echo responding to a voice. Therefore when things arrive he responds to them. When they have passed by, he lets them go. "Letting go"73 means that he has returned to a state of vacuity. 71 Emending k to -til [He Ruzhang]. 81