Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t6.6

v1.c7.s7.t6.6

**Philosophical Thoughts - Theory of moralisation** took different views for existence and non-existence of the fundamental and the incidental in two directions ie school of thought stressing on non-existence and the school of thought stressing existence). The school of thought stressing non-existence advocated “non-existence as the basis of everything” and “the doctrine of non-existence governs all things of the universe; everything exists and changes due to the ontology of non-existence. The so-called things in the universe are based on inaction. He Yan clearly put forward that existence is based on non-existence and relies on non-existence. Non-existence is home to all things”. Wang Bi on the other hand flexibly discussed about the inter-dependence of existence and non-existence. He stated that “the heaven and earth are based on fundamental”. Non-existence is such fundamental, and thought that “existence is tangible, finite and limited, while non-existence is absolute and unlimited with the ultimate significance”. Starting from the concept of “basing on non-existence”, he put forward political theory of “stressing on fundamental and depression for the incidental” and “stressing the fundamental and upgrading for the incidental” and thought it necessary to administer with “doctrine”, achieve *laissez-faire* and fundamentally focus on guiding principle without entanglement in detail from the key perspective. School of thought stressing existence believed that “existence is self-engendered”. Pei Wei authored the *Theory of Existence* and argued that “Everything is self-engendered, and non-existence has no way for existence”, and also believed that “all sentient things of the world are self-engendered rather than absolute beings”. Guo Xiang also stated that “non-existence cannot give birth to existence because non-existence is nothing. Existence and all things of the universe result from conversion from voidness”. “Conversion from voidness” means that all things were engendered in the profound and everlasting realm beyond the knowledge of humans. All things never hinder each other, but all the things together give birth to the universe and the nature.