Mural guide
On a paved terrace in a bamboo grove, a thinker rests his chin on his hand on a rock; at the left a wooden frame holds nine bronze bells in two rows, beside a drum on a stand with sticks on a stool, and peonies bloom by the stone rail.
Xunzi on Music
Chapter 20 of the Xunzi, on music that unites and ritual that sets apart
Introduction
“On Music” is chapter 20 of the Xunzi, placed after “On Ritual” and before “Dispelling Blindness,” and is credited to Xun Kuang of the Warring States. It opens, “Music is joy, which human feeling cannot do without.” It states that music unites while ritual sets apart, says the former kings made the Ya and Song sounds to guide people, and criticizes Mozi for rejecting music.