---
title: "Cantong Qi 周易參同契分章通真義 – English Interpretation | Daozang"
url: "https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5d0019/"
canonical: "https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5d0019/"
lang: "en"
edition:
  - "Source: Kanripo (Kyoto University)"
  - "Daozang section: 太玄部"
  - "Kanripo ID: KR5d0019"
  - "Base edition (Kanripo): 正統道藏・涵芬樓版 (HFL)"
  - "Witness (Kanripo): 正統道藏・涵芬樓版 (HFL)"
  - "Size: 3 volumes · 25,778 characters"
source: "Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（京都大学）"
license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

# 《周易參同契分章通真義》

Taixuan 太玄部 · 3 volumes · 25,778 characters

## Introduction

### What this book is

《周易參同契分章通真義》 (Zhouyi Cantong Qi fenzhang tong zhenyi, “The True Meaning of the Zhouyi Cantong Qi Explained Chapter by Chapter”) is a chapter-by-chapter annotated edition of 《周易参同契》 (Zhouyi Cantong Qi, “The Seal of the Unity of the Three According to the Book of Changes”). It is classified in the Daoist Canon’s Taixuan section and comprises three volumes, with approximately 25,778 characters. Its annotations use the hexagram images of 《周易》 (Zhouyi, “The Book of Changes”) and the transformations of yin and yang to explain the art of reverting the elixir through liquid gold. The base text for the version on this site comes from Kyoto University’s Kanripo Chinese Classics Repository.

### Authorship and date

The beginning of the canonical text attributes the commentary to Peng Xiao and identifies him as “Court Gentleman for General Consultations and Acting Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices at the Ministry of Rites … the True One of Mount Feihe in Changli.” Peng Xiao was a Daoist of the Five Dynasties; his annotated edition was completed approximately during the Five Dynasties period, though its precise date is unknown. The work named in the title, 《周易参同契》, is traditionally attributed to Wei Boyang of the Eastern Han, but its authorship and date of composition remain disputed.

### Structure

The work is divided into upper, middle, and lower volumes, with approximately 25,778 characters. Its chapter titles follow a chapter-by-chapter format; the first volume begins with “Qian and Kun: The Gateways of the Changes, Chapter One” and “The Four Hexagrams of Female and Male, Chapter Two,” among others. The first ten chapters discuss, in order, Qian and Kun, the four hexagrams of female and male, the phases of the moon and seasonal nodes, yin-yang rewards and punishments, and the images of the Changes. Each chapter takes the canonical text as its basis and explains hexagram images and alchemical terminology as it proceeds.

### Core ideas

The opening presents Qian and Kun as the root of change in the hexagram images, and Kan and Li as the pivot of their operation. It links the generation of Heaven and Earth and the transformations of yin and yang with the methods of practice for reverting the elixir through liquid gold. The commentator uses images such as the cauldron vessel, water and fire, the dragon and tiger, and the Five Phases to explain alchemy, and also emphasizes temporal sequence, lunar phases, and seasonal nodes. The work’s interpretation reflects an approach that uses the images and numbers of 《周易》 to elucidate alchemical ideas; its specific terminology and descriptions of practice should be understood with care, in conjunction with the canonical text and commentary.

### How to read it on this site

This site presents the original text alongside a vernacular explanation, paragraph by paragraph. The page can switch between traditional Chinese and foreign-language explanations. Since the work is lengthy, reading it volume by volume is recommended; as you read each chapter, compare the canonical text with the commentary.

本站编辑整理；原文据 Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ KR5d0019

## About this edition

- **Source**: Kanripo (Kyoto University)
- **Daozang section**: 太玄部
- **Kanripo ID**: [`KR5d0019`](https://github.com/kanripo/KR5d0019)
- **Base edition (Kanripo)**: 正統道藏・涵芬樓版 (`HFL`)
- **Witness (Kanripo)**: 正統道藏・涵芬樓版 (`HFL`)
- **Size**: 3 volumes · 25,778 characters

## Contents (3 volumes)

- [Vol. 1](https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5d0019/juan/1/index.md)
- [Vol. 2](https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5d0019/juan/2/index.md)
- [Vol. 3](https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5d0019/juan/3/index.md)

---

原文底本：Kanripo 漢籍リポジトリ（京都大学），CC BY-SA 4.0。  
Source text: Kanripo Chinese Classics Repository (Kyoto University), CC BY-SA 4.0.  
HTML version: https://daozang.app/en/text/KR5d0019/