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The Heaven-Earth Cosmic Faith 61

tenet of benevolence and filial piety suggests “upholding oneness while allowing
differentiation, so as to prevent selfishness; that is the core of benevolence.” In
other words, the Confucian Way is to elevate the love of one’s parents and family to
“oneness” of benevolence, so as to restrain and rise above “egoistic inclination,” a
proposition of universal virtues.
Zhu Xi largely concurred with Cheng Yi’s critique and commented:

There is but Li (理) between Heaven and Earth. However, as “the Dao of Qian (Heaven)
becomes the male; the Dao of Kun (Earth) becomes the female; the forces of the two interact,
transforming and generating all things in the cosmos.” Their differences in size, importance
and closeness in relevance exceed tens, hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands,
regenerating and evolving to infinity.” Only the noble sage can bring together the particular
and elicit oneness in all! That’s what “the Western Inscription” is all about. Cheng Yi’s
argument sums it up clearly, “the universality of Li allows particularity at the same time”.
(“Explanation of the Western Inscription”)
The comment on the Dao of Qian and the Dao of Kun comes from Commentary on
The Book of Changes and was quoted by Zhou Dunyi in his The Taiji Diagram
Explained. It implies thesameideaas “Heaven being father, and Earth mother.”
All humanity, creatures and things born of Heaven and Earth differ in size,
measure, and closeness or otherwise in relevance (cf. “It is the nature of things
to be of unequal quality”“Duke Wen of Teng I” in Mencius, 《孟子 · 滕文公上》).
Confucian ethics thus allows particularity within the oneness construct and the
ideal state is “bringing together the unique and particular, eliciting their
oneness,” so that “ethical values attain universality,” as achieved by the sages.
Such “oneness and particularity” theme is central to Zhu Xi’s explanation of
“the Western Inscription” and became a general principle in his philosophical
thinking.
Zhu Xi also drew criticism for his “Explanation of the Western Inscription”
from the Lu brothers. An example from Lu Jiushao (陆九韶 1128–1205) argued
that “All humans and creatures are born of their own fathers and mothers, which
has nothing to do with Heaven and Earth.” In response, Zhu Xi wrote:
Man is indeed born of his father and mother. However, the essence of being father and mother
is that of being Qian (Male/Heaven) and Kun (female/Earth). Everyone is born of their own
father and mother, yet with Qian and Kun, all are born the same. … The virtuous of yore
recognized this truth and was therefore affectionate to his parents, and lovingly disposed to
people in general, as well as being kind to all creatures and things. This being emulated, all
under Heaven can be one family and the nation, one person. This is so, not by dint of wishful
thinking. (“In Response to Lu Zimei” 《答陆子美》
)
In Confucianism, given every human is born of their own father and mother, filial
piety is therefore the origin and starting point of benevolence. One must first and