“Regulating the Qi ” and “Nourishing the Xin”: Self-Cultivation as Spiritual and Bodily Exercise in Xunzi

Self-cultivation as spiritual and bodily exercise in Xunzi implies two aspects: the ideal personality that the self-cultivation eventually results in, and the skills of “regulating the qi (“气”) and “nourishing the xin” (“心”, heart-mind) as specific and practical methods of self-cultivation. For the former, Xunzi suggested the distinctive concepts of ideal personality, shijunzi (“士君子”) and daru (“大儒”) in addition to shi (“士”) junzi (“君子”) and shengren (“圣人”) inherited from Confucius and Mencius, and defined different levels and types the ideal personality entails. For the latter, as a spiritual and bodily, self-cultivation means a process that the receptive, focused and undisturbed xin regulates the physical qi and nature by learning mentor’s teaching and practicing ritual and music. deshi (“得师”, mentor supervision) and youli (“由礼”, ritual practice) as two keys to this process makes xin nourish the human nature. The nourishment of xin targets the refinement of human nature. Qi primarily means blood and energy which refers to the physical aspect of human being such as desire and psychological instincts and emotions. As a capability of knowing, judging and making choices, xin, even receptive, focused and undisturbed, does not have morality as its intrinsic content. Given both master and ritual and music are outside candidates for xin, the emergence of first mentor and ritual in human history and following the instructions of mentor and ritual are not necessary for the skills of “regulating the qi ” and “nourishing the xin” and the realization of ideal personality consequently becomes a contingent choice and result of heteronomy. However, the self-cultivation as spiritual and bodily exercise based on the guidance of mentor and ritual recommended by Xunzi is more feasible and practical for the majority of people and more applicable and effective for the establishment of a civil society.