Returning now to the ideal balance in the cosmic triad, Xunzi tells that us we are not to compete with Heaven, for each member of the triad has its own distinct role to play. "Heaven has its seasons, earth has its wealth [resources], and man has his government [culture]. This is how they are able to form a triad (can)." [9] Machle's translation of the last sentence draws on another use of can as describing the alignment of the three stars in Orion's belt. Here, then, is Machle's translation of the passage above: "Tian has its season, earth has its productiveness, and [the] man has [an ability] to set things in order. It is this situation that constitutes their potential to be harmoniously aligned." [10] Machle inserts the definite pronoun to emphasize the hierarchical thinking that pervades all of Confucianism. It is not just any person who can align himself with Heaven and Earth; it is only the sage, the "perfect man." Only he "who understands the distinctive functions of Heaven... may be called a perfect man (zhi ren)." [11]

　　 The literal meaning of zhi ren, according to Machle, is "he who has arrived" or the "ultimate man." This suggests parallels to both Buddhism and Hinduism. The Buddha is called the Tatagatha -- literally the one who has arrived at Nirvana with nothing else to do or will. Confucian philosophy is also in agreement with Buddhism that this "perfect" person is in no way a deity. The second translation of zhi ren as "ultimate person" can be contrasted to Krsna as uttamapurusa, a "superman" superior even to Brahman the Godhead. The alternative uttarapurusa in the Chandogya Upanisad (8.12.3) appears closely connected to the Indian concept of play (Iila), and is perhaps a form of Nietzsche's child rather than his Titan-lion. (Machle's contrast of the formal Confucian dance and wild dance of `Siva opens up some fascinating lines of discussion I will pursue in subsequent studies.) [12]

　　 The sage models himself on Heaven, which performs its "office" without any action or effort. The emperor also follows the sage's lead: he is to center himself on the pole star, face south, do nothing, and let his

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ministers run the state (cf. Analects 15:4). This is where Taoist wu wei and Confucian sagehood converge in stark contrast to western and Indian forms of radical humanism, where the Titan, by a supreme act of will power, overcomes the constraints of body and natural environment, and attempts to isolate himself from both. Machle reminds us that for the Chinese an assertion of will reveals an imperfect state rather than the ideal: "Where we hold 'will' to be one of the perfections of a person, the Chinese idea would suggest that it is rather a mark of an imperfection, either in the person or in his or her situation, an imperfection that requires will or effort to deal with." [13] This means that Tian has no will either and this fact has allowed westerners and even many Chinese to translate Tian as nature. This negative view of the will also strengthen the position of Chinese philosophy (and Chinese Buddhist development such as Zen) as an answer to Titanism.

　　 Xunzi believes that people should order their lives on natural harmonies and regularities, but, contrary to Mencius and the neo-Confucians, he says that they should not "deliberate" or "devote any effort" to the "deep" and "invisible" processes of Heaven's hidden spirit. This would constitute hubris on our part and tend to upset the balance of the cosmic triad. Xunzi's caution here is completely compatible with Confucius' own agnosticism about all things spiritual and his exhortations that we should concentrate on human affairs. Therefore, the superior person (junzi), one step lower than the sage (sheng ren) or the perfect person (zhi ren), is content with knowing Heaven's distinctive functions, but he remains silent about the inner secrets of Heaven. "The superior man is serious about what lies in himself and does not desire what comes from Heaven. The inferior man neglects what is in himself and desires what comes from Heaven [i.e., a misdirected desire for good fortune]." [14] The true Confucian humanist stays within herself and her society and does not aspire to Heaven or have Nietzsche's "otherworldly hopes."

II.
　　 Xunzi's cosmology seems to be just the right response to Titanism,

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but the traditional interpretation of him as a thoroughgoing naturalist and prototechnologist appears to undermine this thesis. In some passages he seems to say that we should control nature and harness its energies. The following poem, translated by Chan, contains the most explicit evidence for Xunzi's preference for human exploitation of nature.

Instead of regarding Heaven as great and admiring it,
Why not foster it as a thing and regulate it?
Instead of obeying Heaven and singing praise to it,
Why not control the mandate of Heaven and use it?
Instead of looking on the seasons and waiting for them,