Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t6.13

v1.c7.s7.t6.13

In the "theory of moralisation", debate over sages' emotionless feature and emotional feature was launched between He Yan and Wang Bi. From the perspective of pleasure, anger, sorrow and joy, He Yan divided people into three categories: ordinary people, virtuous people (man of virtue and talent) and saints and thought that "Ordinary people are unable to control the temper and cannot maintain balance of mind. With ordinary emotions like the joys and sorrows, the virtuous are able to make the emotions limited. Ordinary people keep unconstrained emotions. But Yan Hui keeps his anger in control". The saints achieve the aloof status at will while fully maintaining a balance of their minds. Therefore, saints' emotionless feature doesn't mean that saints have no emotions such as joys and sorrows. But they don't express their emotions like ordinary people. From the perspective of the objects generated by pleasure, anger, sorrow and joy. Wang Bi thought that "Saints would not let objects influence their state of emotions. But a saint is also emotional". He said: "Saints are equal to gods. They have also emotions like ordinary people. However, with an enlightened mind and some divine qualities, saints make their existence possible without worldly desires. With the same emotions, saints respond to objects in a different way and fashion". Wang Bi cited an example and said that "Confucius cried for Yan Zi's death and felt sad for the illness of Bo Niu which proved that saints too are emotional. Saints have reached the status and position of controlling their emotions and see that what they do, their activities do not overstep the boundary line. Thus, even though they can respond to objects (external environment) but never be bothered by objects".