《周易參同契釋疑》

"Interpretation of Doubts Regarding the Zhouyi Cantong Qi" Preface: A Vernacular Explanation

The Zhouyi Cantong Qi circulating in the world is divided into three sections (upper, middle, and lower), but the original text's content is interwoven and should not have been segmented into chapters. Peng Zhenyi (a Daoist figure), for the convenience of commentary, divided Wei Boyang's (the author) postscript into ninety chapters, corresponding to the nine cyclical transformations of alchemical fire phases, and separately listed the "Song of the Cauldron Vessel" as one section, symbolizing the state of pure unity represented by "true lead" (a Neidan term referring to primordial qi).

Previous scholars noted that this text employs elegant yet archaic diction, making it difficult to comprehend. Some less learned individuals made arbitrary revisions, resulting in more errors than in other classics. Peng Zhenyi's chapter-by-chapter explanations indeed aid in understanding the true scripture, but he perpetuated certain erroneous annotations and occasionally took passages out of context. While the broader meaning was clarified, the original coherence of the ancient text was fragmented. For example, the phrase "The Yi [Changes] governs the heart of Heaven—can this not be treated with caution?" should connect with the following passage, but Peng's version severed it as the conclusion of the preceding chapter, disrupting the flow of meaning.

Additionally, there are issues of misplaced chapters: for instance, the section "Resembling the Midwinter Solar Term" should not follow "Examine Without Error," nor should the "Like a Chicken Egg" chapter come after "Each Dwells Alone." Chen Baoyi (a collator) once moved "Resembling the Midwinter Solar Term" before "The Son [Earthly Branch] Turns Rightward," but this was still not entirely appropriate. Zheng Xuyi (another collator) claimed to have compiled a thorough revision, yet it contained mistakes: for example, changing "zhong" (center) to "wu" (noon), "water" to "wood," and "ghost" to "immortal," completely deviating from the original intent. However, his corrections—such as revising "obscure brightness" to "dim brightness," "below the drum" to "drum casting," and "powder extraction" to "ingesting it"—were relatively reasonable.

After cross-referencing various editions, I found that despite being collated by earlier scholars, significant errors remain. For instance, the line "The Three and Five converge at Wei One, all gathering into a single place" originally refers to the qi of the three lunar lodges—Fang (6), Zhang (2), and Mao (7)—converging at the northern lodge Wei (1). Yet older editions mistakenly wrote "wei one" as "become one" and "return to one" as "return to two," not only contradicting Wei Boyang's original meaning but also defying logical coherence. This error arose entirely from miswriting "Wei" as "wei" (to become) and then arbitrarily altering the text to avoid repetition. As for phrases like "supplementing omissions and filling gaps," these are actually part of Wei Boyang's original preface.

“Se yituo” (stopping omissions and losses) refers precisely to the Dingqi Ge (Song of the Cauldron Vessel), the song on the cauldron vessel in the Cantong qi. Master Wei (Wei Boyang) worried that what was set forth in the chapters still contained omissions, and so he composed this song to supplement them. Sayings such as “at the beginning and end use martial fire (wu huo), in the middle use civil fire (wen huo)” and “nourishing and regulating the brain and stabilizing the ascent to the mysterious”—cultivation methods of this kind—were not generally and clearly stated in the chapters, but this song sets them forth. I once examined several lines of the preface carefully: they conceal his name within them, and the opening line again brings out the four characters “Cantong qi zhe.” It is therefore quite clear that this section is Master Wei’s own preface.

According to Master Peng Xiao’s annotated edition, this preface is placed after the Dingqi Ge. Because the wording and reasoning of the Dingqi Ge are interlinked and its phrases are fragmented, it could not be divided into chapters; Master Peng therefore moved this preface to the end of the three sections—the three sections of the Cantong qi—and divided the work into ninety chapters to correspond to the number of yang nine (the yang number nine). He then set the Dingqi Ge aside and placed it separately at the end to correspond to the number of Water one (the Water number one). This error of inverted placement actually began with Master Peng.

What is called “Wu xiang lei” is not “Wu xiang lei”; it is “San xiang lei.” What is meant by the threefold mutual classification is that the three—the Great Changes (Zhouyi), Huang-Lao (the learning of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi), and furnace fire (the firing times of alchemical refining)—are mutually similar in their Yin-Yang generation and transformation. The statements “the three ways derive from the One, all emerge from the same path” and “three are arrayed; branches and stems are connected; they come forth under different names, all through one gate” refer to exactly this.

There is also a Zanxu (Encomium Preface). Some say it is a postface, some say it is Master Wei’s encomium; later people did not know which account to follow, and so they collectively called it the “Zanxu.” Zhu Xi (Hui’an, Master Zhu), examining the meaning of the text carefully, held that it was the postface to a commentary; the commentary was lost while the preface remained. Recent commentators all followed Zhu Xi’s view and therefore deleted it, omitting it from their records. But since the old edition already included it, it cannot but be preserved; I have now copied it as well and appended it at the end of the volume, because I did not want to discard the old edition.

Alas, from Master Wei to the present is more than a thousand years; as we grow ever farther from antiquity, transmitted errors increase. If a person of insight laments that the ancient text has long been obscured and, on its behalf, removes its false errors and clarifies its true meaning, the crowd will surely stare in astonishment, censure and slander him, and laugh at his presumption. Thus people would rather keep silent; in the end no one dares take up the brush and assume responsibility for this book. Even so, what is to be done for later generations? This is precisely why Zheng Xuyi (the commentator) especially lamented this book. Although I am an insignificant later student, I have been fortunate to meet an enlightened teacher, receive the orthodox transmission of this Dao, and obtain a good edition of this book; thereafter I have repeatedly tested and verified it.

The Zhouyi Cantongqi Shiyi (Resolving Doubts on the Zhouyi Cantongqi) was composed by Yu Yan, the Quanzhen Daoist master of Linwu Grotto-Heaven. After years of meticulous study and repeated revisions—concerned that his interpretations might lack depth—he rewrote the manuscript three or four times. To provide posterity with a reliable edition, he compared versions from Shu, Yue, Jizhou and other regions, incorporating annotations from Qiantang scholars to produce this definitive version. As for minor textual variations, Zhu Xi's Kaoyi (Textual Analysis) has already addressed them, so we need not elaborate here. The completion of this work coincided with an auspicious celestial phenomenon—the convergence of the five planets in the constellation of Chou—a propitious time for alchemical practice when the "golden essence fills the cauldron."

Regarding specific annotations:

1. The term "kuangguo" (enclosing walls) appears as "yuan" (enclosure) in some editions. Chen Baoyi's commentary changed it to "weiguo" (surrounding walls) to observe naming taboos.

2. "Yun gu zheng zhou" (turning the hub to align the axle) refers to the need for inner alignment in Neidan (internal alchemy) practice—just as a wheel's rotation depends on a straight axle. The axle penetrates the hub internally, while spokes support the rim externally. Some editions mistakenly replace "zhou" (axle) with "fu" (spoke), which is incorrect.

3. "Pinmu sigua" (the four paired hexagrams) summarizes the earlier passage about "Qian and Kun as the gateway, Kan and Li as the vessel." These four hexagrams represent the alchemical cauldron and ingredients, while the subsequent sixty hexagrams govern fire regulation. As the middle chapter states, "these four in chaos" echoes the earlier "Qian's firmness and Kun's softness, with Kan and Li at the forefront"—together with the sixty hexagrams completing the full sixty-four hexagram system. All hexagrams serve alchemical purposes, which is why the text is titled Zhouyi Cantongqi (The Kinship of the Three Through the Zhou Changes). Those who misinterpret these four hexagrams as Zhen, Dui, Xun and Gen are mistaken.

4. Regarding "yi wei tuo yue" (functioning like bellows to regulate breathing), Chen Huizhen's commentary interprets "yi" (using) as "hu" (mutually).

5. The passage "like a driver holding reins" illustrates that alchemy, like charioteering, requires adherence to precise methods. "Governing the external from within" parallels how a driver seated centrally controls the horses' movement in accordance with standards. This metaphor aligns with the middle chapter's "dragon-horses harnessed, the enlightened ruler steers time." Older editions erroneously wrote it as "like craftsmen-drivers holding reins, squares and ink-lines," leading earlier commentators to misinterpret it as comparing craftsmen's tools with drivers' reins—an incorrect reading.

Combining them into sixty hexagrams means that two hexagrams are used for each day’s on-duty service (zhiri); over the thirty days of a month this combines to sixty hexagrams. Some editions write “combine into sixty-four,” which is incorrect. They must be used in sequence; some editions have “ru” instead of “yi.” From “Jiwei” to “Meishuang” is what the later text means by “from the dark of the moon to the first day of the month.” Some editions write “hui” for “mei,” which is wrong, because “Jiwei” refers to the dark of the moon and “Meishuang” to the new moon. If one reads it as “Jiwei zhi Huishuang,” that would amount to saying “from hui to huishuang,” a great error in meaning. In spring and summer one follows the inner body—the inner lines of the hexagram—from the zi hour to the si hour; in autumn and winter one should apply the outer function—the outer lines of the hexagram—from the wu hour to the hai hour. This is said with two hexagrams combined: the former hexagram belongs to spring and summer, from zi to si, as yang qi rises from below; the latter hexagram belongs to autumn and winter, from wu to hai, as yin qi descends from above. If only one hexagram were used, a single hexagram has only six lines, and matching it to the twelve double-hours would fall exactly short by half. In the end, since two hexagrams are used for daily duty, one must speak of the two hexagrams combined in order to obtain the sequence; some editions write “li” for “xu.” Change and transformation are therein; Zhu Xi’s (Hui’an) annotated edition writes “rise and fall” for “change and transformation,” and some editions have “rise and fall and transformation therein.” “Baomao” adopts wording from the Wenzi, Tongxuan zhenjing; old editions write “Baonang,” which is incorrect. In “using nonbeing to make being” (yi wu zhi you), the word zhi means “to make or produce,” not the zhi of “control.” The method of the Great Elixir creates being from nonbeing, hence it says “using nonbeing to make being.” If one expounds it according to the zhi of “control,” taking nonbeing as Shen, mercury, and Li, and being as Qi, lead, and Kan, that is also one interpretation, but it is not Master Wei’s (Wei Boyang) original intent. I have examined this repeatedly: it is because the Longhu jing has the phrase “being and nonbeing mutually zhi; the Vermilion Bird flames in the void” that later people, without investigating the meaning of the context, went so far as to explain the zhi of “making” as the zhi of “controlling.” Again, the middle section says “the hard and soft are separated and do not intrude upon each other,” meaning that hard and soft do not encroach on each other; therefore it continues, “the Five Phases keep to their boundaries and do not recklessly wax or wane.” This differs from the meaning of “the hard and soft separate and divide” in a later chapter. Some people, moreover, cling to the Longhu jing’s statement “hard and soft resist each other and do not intrude upon each other; it is not the fault of fire, but blame is laid on earth,” which is likewise taking that statement as a basis.

Once the doctrinal point concerning the separation of the hard and the soft is expounded, it is passed down from one person to another, and everyone holds that Wei Boyang (the Eastern Han alchemist and author of the Cantong qi) composed the Cantong qi on the basis of the Longhu Jing (Dragon-Tiger Scripture); consequently they feel compelled to take the teaching of the Longhu Jing as the ancestral source. Yet they do not realize that the Longhu Jing is in fact a condensed paraphrase of phrases from the Cantong qi and certainly postdates Master Wei. Zhu Xi (style name Hui’an) said: Later people saw the phrase “Longhu shangjing” in the biography of Wei Boyang and forged this scripture; it is for the most part composed in imitation of the Cantong qi, and there are probably places in it that are mistaken. I formerly did not grasp this statement, nor did I presume to regard Zhu Xi’s judgment as correct. Later, after repeatedly pondering it and comparing it against the Cantong qi, I came to feel that flaws in the Longhu Jing emerge on every side and that it is indeed a condensed paraphrase of lines from the Cantong qi. Master Wei’s composition of the Cantong qi borrowed the yao-line images of the Zhouyi (Book of Changes) to clarify the secret essentials of elixir alchemy; he was not expanding the doctrine of the Longhu Jing. If he truly had been expanding the doctrine of the Longhu Jing, it should have been called the Longhu Cantong qi and could not have been called the Zhouyi Cantong qi. Nevertheless, the Longhu Jing is also fine writing, which is why Cai Jitong (Cai Yuanding, a disciple of Zhu Xi) greatly liked its sayings—for example, “The Primordial Lord first refines mercury; the spirit chamber contains the cavernous void,” and “The essentials of spontaneity are first to preserve and afterward to forget.” These are indeed most brilliant observations; it is only that the book is not from before Master Wei.

As for collation: in the line “qi yong zhe kong” (“the vessel is useful because it is empty”), Li Baosu’s annotated edition writes “jie” for “zhe.” In “wei zheng” (“as evidence”), one edition has “zheng” (proof) for “zheng” (evidence). In “xiang dang” (“corresponding”), one edition has “he” for “dang,” which is incorrect. In “shi zhong” (“beginning and end”), one edition has “zhong shi,” which is incorrect. In “jie bing zhong gong” (“all receive from the central palace”), one edition has “zai” for “bing,” and another has “zhong gong suo bing”; both are incorrect. In “zhi shi” (“at the time”), one edition has “ji” for “shi.” In “tong huang hua” (“governing yellow transformation”), one edition has “hua huang bao.” For “yin e,” Zhu Xi’s Kaoyi has “gen e”; “e” is the same as “e” (the calyx), as in the Shijing line “E bu wei wei,” where this same “e” is used. Some write “yin e,” “qi e,” or “xin e”; all are incorrect. In “cheng yuan huang” (“called the Primordial Sovereign”), one edition has “dang” for “cheng.” In “yuan nian” (“primordial year”), one edition has “qi” (vital energy) for “nian.” In “nai ya zi” (“then the sprouts grow”), one edition has “ya nai sheng,” and another has “nai ya zi.” In “fu gua jian shi chu” (“the Fu hexagram establishes the beginning at the start”), some suspect that it duplicates “guan ju jian shi chu” (“Guanju establishes the beginning at the start”) and therefore emend it.

This passage primarily examines and corrects textual errors and interpretative deviations in the Zhouyi Cantongqi (The Kinship of the Three).

It begins by noting Zhu Xi's (Zhu Zi) observation that certain textual alterations were made by later scholars unfamiliar with ancient phonetics. For instance, the line "nine and six are also corresponding" (九六亦相当) was mistakenly changed to "nine and six also respond" (九六亦相应) by those who considered it redundant with the phrase "the firm and yielding correspond" (刚柔相当). Such modifications are incorrect.

The text then explains the meaning of "sun and moon have no paired brilliance" (日月无双明): when the sun rises, the moon sets, and when the moon appears, the sun withdraws—alternating between day and night. Some versions erroneously replace "no" (无) with "Qi" (炁), which is incorrect. Ancient texts consistently use "无," as seen in the Yijing (Book of Changes) terms like "no falsehood" (无妄) and "no blame" (无咎).

Regarding the phrase "the hare emits generative light" (兔者吐生光), variant editions record it as "the hare's spirit emits essential light" (兔魄吐精光) or "the hare's spirit emits generative light" (兔魄吐生光).

A key discussion centers on the line "the east loses its brightness" (东方丧其明). Earlier editions mistakenly wrote "the northeast loses its brightness" (东北丧其明), conflating it with the Yijing Kun hexagram's statement "the northeast loses companions" (东北丧朋). In reality, this refers to the moon's movement: on the 30th day of the lunar month at dawn, the moon vanishes in the Yi position of the east. The author elaborates on the moon's monthly trajectory: appearing at dusk in the western Geng position on the 3rd day, vanishing at dawn in the western Xin position on the 16th; appearing at dusk in the southern Ding position on the 8th, vanishing at dawn in the southern Bing position on the 23rd; appearing at dusk in the eastern Jia position on the 15th, and vanishing at dawn in the eastern Yi position on the 30th. It is explicitly stated that Yi belongs to the east, not the northeast, and the author uses the example of Jia being closer to the northeast yet still not labeled as such to prove Yi could not possibly indicate the northeast.

Through astronomical and calendrical knowledge, this passage corrects earlier misunderstandings caused by conflating Yijing concepts.

Nine and six likewise correspond: the yang line “nine” and the yin line “six” also correspond to each other; this has already been explained above under “The Return hexagram (a hexagram name in the Zhouyi, one yang returning at the beginning) establishes the beginning.” “The images of the Changes are wholly extinguished and hidden” means that on the night of the thirtieth day, the hexagram-images of the sun and moon both sink into the north (referring to the direction of winter, night, and water). One edition writes “yang qi” for “images of the Changes”; this is incorrect. From “It images that midwinter solar term” to “thereby enlightening later learners who are blind,” this passage was mistakenly placed in the postface by old editions; Chen Baoyi (the editor) moved it before “the child should turn right”; both are incorrect.

Note that this chapter rhymes twice on the character “shang” (injury); together with the earlier “The images of the Changes are wholly extinguished and hidden,” it also rhymes twice on “cang” (hidden). The ancients often used repeated rhymes (chongyun), rhyming with the same character more than once; later people did not understand this and often altered the text at random, thereby making the meaning discontinuous. For example, “Guanju establishes the beginning” above and “The Return hexagram establishes the beginning”; likewise, “the hard and soft correspond” and “nine and six likewise correspond”—these are all repeated rhymes. How could one hastily harm the correct text because of a repeated rhyme?

For “merchants and travellers,” one edition writes “gu” (merchant) for “shang.” For “vast and broad,” one edition writes “kuang” (expansive) for “guang” (broad). For “faint and hard to see,” one edition writes “di” (to look at) for “du” (to see). For “matching signs,” one edition writes “zheng” (proof) for “zheng” (evidence). For “seasonal ordinances,” one edition writes “shi” (time/season) for “jie” (seasonal node). For “inwardly examining the human heart,” one edition writes “qing” (disposition) for “xin” (heart). For “according to hexagram changes,” one edition reads “following the hexagram nodes.” For “following the Tuan commentary,” one edition writes “yin” (following/because) for “xun” (following) and “Xiang (image commentary)” for “Tuan (Tuan commentary)”; this is incorrect. For “when the functions of Qian and Kun are put into practice, heaven and earth are then ordered,” one edition has “regulated” for “ordered,” and another edition reads “only then is the world ordered.”

These two lines seem to quote the text of the Qian hexagram (a hexagram name in the Zhouyi), “Qian’s primal [yuan] uses nine; the world is ordered.” However, according to the preceding passage, “Kan and Li are the two functions of Qian and Kun”—Kan and Li are the functions of Qian and Kun, not the “using nine” and “using six” (the special line statements of the Qian and Kun hexagrams). Likewise, the earlier “the east loses its brightness” does not use the meaning of the Kun hexagram’s “northeast loses its friend.” The Lord Wei (Wei Boyang, author of the Cantong qi) wrote this book largely by borrowing and taking images figuratively; there is really no need to force or rigidly adhere to literal readings. For “How could one not be cautious?”, one edition reads “ke de bu shen hu” (“Can one not be cautious?”); this is incorrect. For “kui and shao,” one edition writes “handle” for “shao”; “kui and shao” refer to the bowl and handle of the Northern Dipper. “Chili” means separation; one edition reads “yili,” and another reads “Kan-Li.” For “looking up and down,” all other editions read “looking down and up”; Zhu Xi says it should be “looking up and down” to fit the rhyme, and we now follow Zhu Xi’s reading. For “comprehensive record,” one edition writes “total” for “comprehensive.” For “the sun contains the essence of the Five Phases,” one edition writes “joins” for “contains”; this is incorrect. For “interrogating faults and transmitting them to the master,” one edition reads “tying up faults and shifting them to the master.”

1. In “Chenji chu zheng” (“Chenji resides in the correct [position]”), one edition has shou for chu and zheng meaning “government” for zheng meaning “correct.”

2. “Buzheng” (“spreading governance”): one edition reads “zhengde” (“governance and virtue”).

3. In “zhongxiu” (“final cultivation”), one edition has xun for xiu, and another has “Zhongmei.”

4. In “yi yanbi” (“thereby concealing”), one edition has yi meaning “already” for yi meaning “thereby.”

5. “Being and non-being also depend on each other” means that the two Qi of water and fire rely on each other to accomplish creation and transformation.

6. For “being and non-being,” some editions have “metal Qi” or “Yin Qi”; both are incorrect.

7. In “advance and retreat are distributed,” one edition has only “retreat” for “advance and retreat,” which is incorrect.

8. In “what is gathered is white in kind,” one edition has wang (“look toward”) for cai (“gather”), and another has yao (“shake”).

9. “White lining”: one edition reads “wrapping/lining.”

10. In “mutually support,” one edition has ju (“restrain”) for fu (“support”).

11. In “mutually connected,” one edition has tong (“penetrate”) for lian (“connect”).

12. “Shifei lizang fa” means that this Way is not the cunsi (Daoist visualization meditation) method of traversing the five viscera.

13. If one takes the two words shifei as meaning “right and wrong,” one is mistaken.

14. In “ci ri chen” (“the next day at chen”), one edition has yi for ci, which is incorrect.

15. “Accumulated earth”: one edition reads “zhouhui” (“circuit/revolving”).

16. “And the mind is pleased”: one edition reads “the mind is pleased and delighted.”

17. “Stepping through fire without being scorched, entering water without getting wet”—only the dharmakaya, the pure and indestructible body after the Dao is attained, can be like this. If one put the flesh-and-blood body into fire and water, would it merely be scorched and soaked?

18. In “move one’s dwelling,” one edition has ming for ju, which is incorrect.

19. In “merit fulfilled,” one edition has cheng for man, which is incorrect.

20. For “Yanyue” (“crescent moon”), according to the following text’s “mercury sun,” I suspect that yan should be qian (“lead”); it is merely an error caused by oral transmission of sound.

21. “Make a cauldron and furnace”: an old edition reads “make a method,” which is incorrect.

22. “Gen (one of the Bagua) is also eight”: one edition reads “likewise so.”

23. In “wane of brightness,” one edition has shang (“injury”) for ming (“brightness”).

24. “Metal originally arises from the sun; at dawn on the first day of the lunar month it receives the sun’s tally” means that the moon’s light is born from the sun, and on the first morning of each month it conjoins with the sun; for metal and fire, which in alchemical texts stand for the sun and moon, are simply the sun and moon. The old edition writes “moon” for “sun,” which is incorrect; to hold that “metal originally arises from the moon” would be like saying the sun and moon originally arise from the moon—what sense would that make?

25. In “the number is called five,” one edition has hao (“designate”) for shu (“number”).

26. “Containing and nurturing”: one edition reads “greed and desire.”

27. “Zhuxi” means stabilizing and halting the breath, causing exhalation and inhalation to merge into one, like the union of husband and wife; one edition has si (“thought”) for xi (“breath”), and another has en (“grace”), both incorrect.

28. In “holding balance,” one edition has qi for zhi.

29. The two lines “Earth wanders through the four seasons; guarding the boundaries establishes the compass and square” are placed after “life span is long-lasting” in all editions; only the Zhengxu edition places them after “original nature shares the same ancestor.”

“Below” indicates that what is being discussed is at a lower level or beneath something. “Gold takes cinnabar-sand as its master and receives its harmony from mercury” speaks directly of the generation and transformation of ordinary cinnabar-sand and ordinary mercury (quicksilver), using this as a metaphor for the creative transformation of the elixir-making method (danfa); it is not a matter of borrowing an external thing to compare with and attach to an internal thing. For the entry “with shu (broomcorn millet),” one edition writes su (foxtail millet) for shu, which is incorrect. For the entry “its egg,” one edition writes zi for luan (egg), which is incorrect. For the entry “mud mercury,” one edition writes hong (a variant name for quicksilver) for gong (mercury). For the entry “refining and flying,” one edition writes zhi for fei, and another writes chi. For the entry “bellows and casting,” one edition writes xia for zhu (casting), which is incorrect. “Mixed natures are not of the same kind” means that jumbled natures do not belong to one kind; one edition writes zhong for lei (kind). The ten characters “by chance one never encounters it; only the sage knows it” are absent from Zhu Xi’s edition. “To give rise to fox-like doubt” means to give rise to doubt; one edition writes zuo for sheng (give rise).

For the sentence “first drew the Bagua and modeled them on heaven and earth,” one edition has “first drew the images of the Bagua and modeled them on the diagram of heaven and earth,” and another has “the daylight Bagua imitating heaven diagram”; both are incorrect. “Following along” has the sense of proceeding in accordance with something; one edition has “forming the body.” “Common sage” refers to a sage without official position or authority—Confucius is one such; one edition has “sages, perhaps” (sheng zhe yu), which is incorrect. In the entry “three lords,” one edition writes sheng (sage) for jun (lord). “Making it possible to take as a model” means causing it to be emulated; one edition writes cheng for ling. “Establishing this book for the world” means that the great Dao of the Golden Elixir has no traces or omens and cannot be taken as a model by later generations; therefore the book Cantong qi is established in the world, which has the same meaning as “fix and record this text” in the middle chapter. The old edition has “establish the Shi and Shu for the world,” which is incorrect. “I privately consider” means privately thinking or privately acting; one edition writes dai for wei. “Invariably thinking and pondering” means frequently pondering; one edition has “stitch together this foolishness,” which is incorrect.

“Counting gold there are fifteen; the number of water is likewise” means that gold counts fifteen and the number of water is also like this. “This is what the previous chapter calls the upper crescent Dui having the number eight, and the lower crescent Gen also being eight” means that the upper crescent Dui has the number eight and the lower crescent Gen also has the number eight (Dui and Gen are names of the Bagua; here the lunar image is borrowed to discuss numbers). “For the upper crescent belongs to half a jin of gold, and the lower crescent belongs to half a jin of water” because the upper crescent is associated with half a jin of gold and the lower crescent with half a jin of water (in the old system, half a jin is eight liang). “Looking at the two crescents combined, they form the number of thirty days in a month.” “But this differs in meaning from gold within water”—that is, from the gold contained in water, an alchemical term. One edition has “counting gold there are fifteen” as “the number of gold is fifteen.”

“Its earth therefore does not enter” means that earth consequently does not enter separately. “The two accompany it” means that gold and water, the two, are together with it. “The three things mutually contain and receive” means that the three things contain and receive one another. “The form of their transformation appears spirit-like” means that the state of transformation seems very numinous. “These three things” here are precisely gold, water, and earth. Gold and water, the two, unite with earth to become one, and therefore it says “the three things mutually contain and receive.” If water and fire are also added to the account, then they become five things. Some take the three things to be gold, fire, and wood, and the two to be water and fire; this is exceedingly jumbled and is not a consummate view. The “one” at the end is a marker indicating a variant reading in another edition.

The sentence "qi tu" is written in the base text as "qi san er zhe," and also as "huo er" or "shui er"; none of these is correct. "Tao zhi" is written in one edition as "zhu ye." The "zhi" in "zhi jian wan" is written in one edition as zhi, meaning dense or fine. "Yan huo zhang yu xia, long hu sheng zheng qin" and the next section's "Sheng ao yu zeng shan xi, yan huo zhang she xia; bai hu chang dao qian xi, cang long he yu hou" actually mean the same thing; old editions write "zhou ye" for "long hu," which is incorrect. "Shi wen shi ke xiu" is written in one edition as "shi chu wen ke xiu." "Qin guan" is written in one edition as "xiang qin" and in another as "xu qin." "Fu zhi" is written in one edition as "fen ti," in another as "fen nie," and in another as "ti fen"; all are incorrect. In "yi wan," the "wan" is written in one edition as "yuan" and in another as "li"; both are incorrect. "Dao gui" is just the small bit at the corner of a knife head, indicating that the quantity is small. If one interprets "dao" as metal and "gui" as two earths, clever as this is, it is not the original intent of Master Wei (Wei Boyang). In "jiao yue," one edition has "jian" for "jiao." In "guang ming," the "ming" is written in one edition as "rong," which is incorrect. "Bo shi" is written in one edition as "ji bo." In "xian long hu," the "xian" is written in one edition as "ti." In "jia huang ya," the "jia" is written in one edition as jia meaning "to add."

The middle section resolves doubts as follows. In "xie yi zao hua," the "xie" is written in one edition as "xu" and in another as "shi." "Yuan ji" is written in one edition as "xuan ji" and in another as "yuan mo." In "liu shi gua yong, zhang bu wei yu," the "yong" is written in one edition as "zhou," which is incorrect. In "bu xie," the "xie" is written in one edition as "bei." "Qing wei guo jia" is written in one edition as "jia guo qing wei." In "gua ri," the "ri" is written in one edition as "yue." In "liu shi gua yong ge zi you ri," one edition has "yu liu shi gua" for "liu shi gua yong," which is incorrect. In "zai yi she xing," old editions have "li" for "zai." In "ri chen," the "chen" is written in one edition as "ye." "Yong xin" is written in one edition as "ni zei" and in another as "beng san." In "si kou," the "si" is written in one edition as "ding." In "zhi lai," the "lai" is written in one edition as "zhong."

The two lines "gang rou duan yi, bu xiang she ru" have already been explained in the first part, from "yi wu zhi you" onward. The passage from "hui shuo zhi jian, he fu xing zhong" to "shi yu dong bei ji dou zhi xiang" speaks from the interval between hui and shuo to the northeast Ji-Dou region. This is because the interval between hui and shuo is after the hai hour and before the zi hour, when the sun and moon are hidden. The Ji-Dou region is the position after the gen position and before the yin branch position, and the sun and moon begin from there.

And "xuanqi" ("whirling rise") is used as a metaphor for the subtlety of danfa (the methods of alchemical cultivation), which follows the same path as Heaven and Earth, the sun and moon.

Or some people directly take "after Gen and before Yin" (after the Gen position and before the Yin hour) as the time of huishuo (the end and beginning of the lunar month), when one Yang is born (the first stirring of Yang qi) and one gathers the medicine (caiyao, gathering qi in Neidan); then the discrepancy is very great.

"Xuan er you zhuan, ou lun tu meng" ("whirling and turning to the right, vomiting the wheel and spitting out the sprout") means that the yang fire rotates from the waist, passes through the Dou and Ji lunar mansions, and rises to the xuanguan (the mysterious pass, a Neidan aperture), with its radiance shining out beyond the curtain; one edition has "xuan er" as "zuo xuan" ("turning to the left").

"Mao Bi zhi shang, Zhen chu wei zheng" ("above Mao and Bi, Zhen emerging is the sign") means that when the moon first appears in the west, its image is like the Zhen trigram, and this is used as a metaphor for the huohou (fire timing) within the body. If one discusses the Prior Heaven Bagua positions according to the direction in which the moon appears, then the Zhen of the Prior Heaven Bagua is not in the west, and the Zhen of the fire timing is also not in the west; since one does not understand where it falls, one merely sees the statements as mutually contradictory.

For "heping" ("peace and harmony"), one edition has "he" as "chu."

For "qi tong" ("its governing"), one edition has "qi" as "yin."

"Liuwu Kun cheng" ("six-five, Kun receives") means that liuwu is the thirtieth day, not the six-five line of the Kun hexagram.

When the yang number has already ended, it rises again after ending; pushing emotion to join with nature, they turn and associate with one another. All editions place this under "wei Dao guiju" ("as the rule and measure of the Dao"), and only the Zhuzi edition places it under "shi wei lei mu" ("the world takes it as the mother of categories"); this is incorrect.

For "zhouliu liuyao" ("circulating through the six lines"), one edition has "liu" as "zhang"; this is incorrect.

For the "yi" in "nanyi" ("difficult to..."), one edition has "ke."

For the "zhang" in "zizhang" ("growing and becoming manifest"), one edition has "heng."

For the "sheng" in "shengguang" ("producing light"), one edition has "zheng"; this is incorrect.

For the "jian" in "jianjin" ("gradual advance"), one edition has the variant jin.

For the "cheng" in "chengtai" ("becoming Tai"), one edition has cheng in the sense of "receiving/supporting."

For the "er" in "yun'er" ("moving and..."), one edition has "yi."

For the "jia" in "yujia" ("elm pods"), one edition has "ye" ("leaf"); this is incorrect.

For the "suo" in "zhensuo" ("shaking the cord"), one edition has "jing."

"Yang zhong yu Si, zhong er xiang gan" ("Yang ends at Si, and in the middle they interfere with one another") means that the fourth month belongs to Si, and its pitch corresponds to Zhonglü (one of the twelve pitches). The commentary edition of Xiashanzi Zhangu takes "zhong er" as "Zhonglü"; one edition takes "zhong" as "Wu"; both are incorrect.

For the "wei" in "Wu wei Ruibin" ("Wu corresponds to Ruibin"), one edition has "zhu."

For "dunshi quwei" ("withdrawing from the world and leaving one's position"), one edition has "dun qu shi wei"; this is incorrect.

For the "qi" in "qi jing" ("its essence"), one edition has "zhen."

"Yin shen yang qu, hui shang xing ming" ("Yin extends and Yang bends; destroying and injuring names") means that the seventh month belongs to Shen, and its pitch corresponds to Yize (one of the twelve pitches); "shen" (extend) is "Shen" (the Earthly Branch), and "shang" (injure) is "yi" (as in Yize). Old editions have "huishang" as "moyang" (submerging Yang), and one edition has it as "moyang" (submerging and raising); both are incorrect.

For the "mie" in "xiaomie" ("elimination"), one edition has "xi"; this is incorrect.

For the "zhi" in "zhishen" ("ultimate spirit"), one edition has "qi"; for "shen," one edition has "kun."

“Yiben” refers to another edition, while “feishi” means that the variant reading is incorrect.

In the entry “Shuai sheng” (“Decline and Flourishing”), one edition writes “geng” for “shuai”; this is incorrect. In the entry “Cheng yu,” one edition writes “gong” (mercury) for “cheng.” In “Qianqiu” (“A Thousand Autumns”), one edition writes “zai” (years) for “qiu” (autumn). In “Yi wu,” one edition writes “yuan” for “wu”; this is incorrect. In “Liubu” (“Circulation and Spread”), one edition writes “yun” for “liu.” The several lines from “like a chicken egg” through “flesh smooth as syrup” were wrongly placed later in old editions; because someone suspected they repeated a rhyme and rashly excised and relocated them, they have now been moved back and corrected. In the line “lei ru” (“like”), one edition writes “zhuang” for “lei.” In the line “xiang fu” (“supporting each other”), one edition writes “fu” (talisman) for “fu” (support). In the line “nai ju” (“then provided”), one edition writes the homophone ju meaning “all together” for ju meaning “provided.” In the line “ruo yi” (“like syrup”), old editions write “qian” (lead) for “yi” (syrup); Zhu Xi’s (Zhuzi’s) edition corrected it to “yi.” Xin E has already explained this entry in the previous section.

In the entry “Heng wei,” one edition has “zhu gu” (“build solidly”), one has “zhu wan” (“build completely”), and one has “zhu yuan” (“build a wall”). For the line “At this time, the dispositions join Qian and Kun,” one edition has “At the very beginning, it comes from Qian and Kun.” For the line “When constrained, water settles; water is the beginning of the Five Phases,” one edition has “then water settles fire; the beginning of the Five Phases.” In the line “The Dao has no form or image,” old editions write “zhi” for “wu,” because the ancient form of wu resembles the cursive wu and was mistakenly changed to zhi; one edition writes “zhuang” for “xiang.” In the line “The True One is hard to depict,” one edition writes “qi” for “yi.” In the line “zhi xuan” (“reaching on high”), one edition writes “xuan” (“profound”) for “xuan” (“suspended”), and this is incorrect. In the line “The three treasures of ears, eyes, and mouth,” one edition has “the treasure of ears, eyes, and self,” which is incorrect. In “fa yang” (“develop and spread”), one edition writes “tong” for “yang.” In “shi lan” (“looking and viewing”), one edition writes “ting” (“listen”) for “lan” (“view”). In “qing hongmeng” (“pour out the primal chaos”), one edition has “shun yi hong.” In “nian nian” (“thought after thought”), old editions have “wu nian” (“no thoughts”). In “The proof naturally pushes and shifts,” old editions have “The proof is difficult to push and shift,” which is incorrect. In “jin yi” (“gradually thereby”), one edition has “yi jin.” In “dong wu ji” (“penetrate the limitless”), one edition writes “run” for “dong,” which is incorrect. In “gu zhong” (“in the valley”), one edition has “zhong gong” (“central palace”) and another has “ke zhong” (“among guests”), both incorrect. In “ren zhang” (“relying on a staff”), one edition has “zhu zhang” (“leaning on a staff”). In “mo shui” (“submerged in water”), one edition writes “tou” (“throw”) for “mo” (“submerge”). In “huo shu” (“obtain millet”), one edition writes the character huo meaning “harvest” for huo meaning “obtain.” In “bu jian gong” (“do not see the achievement”), one edition writes “wu” for “bu.” In “zhi yue” (“most concise”), one edition writes “shi” (“matter”) for “zhi” (“most”), which is incorrect, because the cursive forms of zhi and shi resemble each other. The two lines “Then they mutually hold in the mouth and swallow, chew and mutually devour” are placed by the Fen edition, Peng Zhenyi’s annotated edition, and Liu Shuinian’s edition from the Shaoxing period all under “The compassionate mother nurtures, the filial child repays kindness.” Zhu Xi says that, according to his view, these two lines should belong under the following “all mutually covet and merge”; the four lines connect in sense and should not be placed there. Finally, the author uses “Yu an” (“in my humble opinion”) to introduce his own judgment.

This chapter uses the affection between mother and child as a metaphor; it is probably what is meant by “then they hold it in their mouths and swallow it for each other,” just as the crow’s feeding its parent in return has its meaning precisely here. Following the old edition, I have now restored it to its proper place.

“Three-five writes one” is what the previous section calls “the numbers of Zi and Wu (Zi and Wu often stand for water and fire) combine to make three, while the number of the Heavenly Stems Wu and Ji (Earth) is called five.” This differs from the “three-five-one” in the Wuzhen Pian (Awakening to Reality, an alchemical classic by Zhang Boduan). One edition writes “with” (yu) for “makes” (wei), which is wrong.

“Zi should turn right” means that the Tiger (a metaphor for the alchemical medicine) is born within water; “Wu then spirals east” means that the Dragon (also a metaphor for the alchemical medicine) emerges from fire. Zi and Wu are water and fire. “Zi should turn right” is the place where metal and water converge, referring to turning right to reach Zi; “Wu then spirals east” is taking wood and fire as companions, referring to spiraling east to reach Wu.

The heavenly Dao revolves left and turns right; the way of the returning elixir (huandan, cultivating the elixir) accords with the heavenly Dao. If one says that Zi turns right and is joined with You, and Wu spirals east and is joined with Mao, then that is rightward and leftward rotation contrary to the heavenly Dao. For “spirals east,” one edition writes “left” for “east.”

Host and guest: one edition writes “fixed” (ding) for “guest” (ke).

For “greedy annexation” (tanbing), one edition writes “convenient” (bian) for “annex” (bing), and another writes “glory” (rong); both are wrong.

“Each attains its nature”: one edition writes “has” (you) for “attains” (de), and “merit” (gong) for “nature” (xing).

For “as if examining” (ru shen), one edition writes “has” (you) for “examines” (shen).

“Attaining the true Dao”: one edition has “attaining to accomplish the Dao” (de wei cheng dao).

“The father governs conferring endowment”: one edition writes “generates” (sheng) for “governs” (zhu), which is wrong.

“Hen”: one edition writes “fat” (fei) for “female” (pin).

“The way of applying transformation”: one edition writes “merit/effect” (gong) for “way” (dao), and another writes “essence” (jing); both are wrong.

“At the beginning of receiving qi”: one edition writes “yuan” for “zhi.”

“Daily alteration and monthly transformation” adopts a phrase from the Zhuangzi. One edition has “daily receiving and monthly transforming,” which is wrong; some suspect that “daily receiving and monthly transforming” is unreasonable, and so change it to “monthly receiving and daily transforming,” which is also wrong.

For “the nature of water circulates everywhere” (shuixing zhouzhang), one edition writes “harmonious fusion” (herong) for “the nature of water.”

“Wood and fire as companions” means that the Dragon emerges from fire: the three of the East and the two of the South together make five. “Where metal and water unite” means that the Tiger is born within water: the one of the North and the four of the West together complete it. Zhang Ziyang (that is, Zhang Boduan) said, “The Four Images do not depart from the two bodies,” which is exactly this meaning. Someone uses Li and Kan of the Former Heaven trigrams added to Zhen and Dui of the Later Heaven trigrams to explain this doctrine; this not only loses Wei Gong’s (Wei Boyang’s) original intent, but is on the whole contrary to the internal transformation in the body. One edition writes “metal and wood” for “metal and water,” and “water and fire” for “wood and fire,” which is a serious error.

For “arranged as” (lie wei), one edition writes “combine” (he) for “arrange” (lie), and another writes “lead” (yin).

The four characters xin chi wei nü are missing in some editions. The four characters zi wuxing shi are omitted in one edition; another edition writes ju for zi. In one edition the wei of jianwei is written as the homophonous wei meaning “position.” In one edition xuwei is written baozhen. In one edition zhihuo is written jiangzuo. In one edition tiaohe is written zhihuo. In one edition wang you suo ji is written ji you suo wang. In one edition nao is left as a blank square.

The following resolves doubtful points in the lower chapter.

In former times the sages and worthies embraced the mysterious Dao and held fast to the True One, and they felt deep concern and compassion for later people who loved the Dao. Following the style and literary grace of their predecessors, they pointed out and delineated the ancient writings (the received text has zhi zhou for zhi hua), and compiled books and records in order to reveal it to later generations. What they disclosed were the branches and twigs; what they concealed was the root and trunk. This means that the ancient sages had already attained this Dao, and therefore embraced the mysterious and held fast to the True; and they also pitied later students who loved the Dao for being unable to obtain an explanation of it. Thus, for their sake, following the style and literary grace of the past, they cited ancient affairs to substantiate present principles and composed books and records to reveal it to them. Moreover, they did not dare to lay it out directly and plainly, so they borrowed the names of the five metals and eight minerals (a general term for the mineral ingredients used in alchemy) to expound and explain it. When it says that they compiled books and records and borrowed the names of various minerals, it means the ancient sages did so; it does not mean that later students who loved the Dao did the same. In this chapter both Peng Zhenyi and Chen Baoyi misunderstood it; only Zhu Xi’s commentary alone grasped its essential purport.

In one edition the yuan of sanyuan is written guang; this is incorrect. In one edition jingyi (“essence overflow”) is written jinye (“fluids”); this is incorrect. In one edition the hua of huaxing (“transforming the form”) is written bian (“change”). “Fumiu zhongwen” means repeatedly confounding and disorderly the text, not daring to leak it directly; in one edition miu is written mao; this is incorrect. In one edition the chuan of chuanshi (“transmitted to the world”) is written ju. In one edition shi (“serve”) is written sui. In one edition the wei of “therefore made confused words” is written fei; this is incorrect. In one edition the gou of xuanggou (“mysterious ditch”) is written yuan. In old editions the hou of “withdraw from behind” is written gai; this is incorrect.

The scriptural text says, “The gate-bolt has high and low points; the heavenly circuit thereupon rushes and runs.” This means that the gate-bolt (the crucial mechanism) has rises and falls, and the heavenly circuit (Zhoutian, the cyclical circulation in alchemical practice) therefore runs and moves. Here the two characters zhoutian are written in all old editions as zhouqi; Zhu Xi suspected that zhouqi made no sense and changed it to haiqi (“harmful Qi”), which is also incorrect, because the graphs for hai and zhou are similar, and those for qi and tian are quite close in form. The scriptural text says, “The rivers and streams do not dry up; their waters flow into the sea.” This means that the rivers and streams will not dry up, and their waters flow into the great sea. Old editions write zhi for wu; this is incorrect—zhi is a mistaken graph for yuan. In the middle chapter, from “The Dao has no form or image” onward, this has already been explained in detail. One edition writes zhun for he.

1. In the scripture text “zhong fu shi” (ending returns to beginning), one edition reads “fu zhong shi” (returning to end and beginning), and another reads “fu geng shi” (returning and renewing the beginning).

2. In the scripture text “zhang yu” (spread out at), one edition has “she” (set up) for “yu” (at).

3. In the scripture text “bai hu” (White Tiger), one edition has “fan” (alum) for “hu” (tiger); this is incorrect.

4. In the scripture text “cang long” (Dark-Green Dragon), one edition has “ye” (liquid) for “long” (dragon); this is incorrect.

5. In the scripture text “ya zhi” (press and stop), one edition has “zhi” (it) for “zhi” (stop).

6. In the scripture text “long lin jia lie” (dragon scales and mane), one edition has “yu” (fish) for “long” (dragon) and “xia” (intimate) for “jia” (scales/armor); this is incorrect.

7. In the scripture text “jie lian” (connect), one edition reads “za ta” (mixed and crowded).

8. In the scripture text “zi xiang shou” (each guards itself), one edition has “er” for “zi.”

9. In the scripture text “fang liu” (Fang-six), one edition has “qi” (seven) for “liu” (six); this is incorrect.

10. In the scripture text “zheng yang” (pure Yang), one edition has “yin” for “yang”; this is incorrect.

11. The scripture text “three and five together with Wei-one, all gather and return to one place” probably means that the Qi of the three positions Fang-six, Mao-seven, and Zhang-two among Fang, Mao, Zhang, and Wei (all names of lunar mansions among the twenty-eight mansions), together with Wei-one in the north, all converge and return to a single place.

12. There is profound creation and transformation in this.

13. For Zhang in the south and Wei in the north correspond to the Moon, while Fang in the east and Mao in the west correspond to the Sun.

14. Wei-one joined with Fang-six is the generation and completion numbers of Water (one is the generative number, six the completion number).

15. Zhang-two joined with Mao-seven is the generation and completion numbers of Fire (two is the generative number, seven the completion number).

16. Fang-six is in the east and Zhang-two in the south; Wood and Fire accompany each other, and six joined with two makes eight.

17. Mao-seven is in the west and Wei-one in the north; this is where Metal and Water join. Seven and one combine to make eight, matching the number by which two eights—sixteen taels—make one catty.

18. What is called “fundamentally it is but two things” refers precisely to this.

19. One edition has “together as one” for “together with Wei-one,” and another has “it and one”; both are incorrect.

20. One edition has “two places” for “one place”; this too is incorrect.

21. One should know that when Wei Gong (Wei Boyang, author of the Cantong qi) wrote this book, not one sentence failed to accord with creation and transformation.

22. If one takes the original text to be “three and five with one, all gather and return to two places,” then what creation and transformation could be spoken of?

23. Moreover, the reading “two places” is an especially great error.

24. Even if it were truly called “two places,” one should say “divide” and not “gather.”

25. Since it is called “gather,” one should say “one place” and not “two places.”

26. In the scripture text “qu fu,” the annotated edition of Zhan Xiashan reads “fu qu.”

27. In the scripture text “red color penetrates inside and outside,” one edition reads “red and black reach inside and outside.”

28. In the scripture text “shu mi” (millet), one edition has “dao” (rice) for “shu” (millet); this is incorrect.

29. In the scripture text “if the Qi of mountains and marshes rises in steam,” one edition reads “the Qi of mountains and marshes steams each other”; this is incorrect.

30. In the scripture text “yi shi” (a hundred million generations), one edition has “dai” (ages) for “shi” (generations).

31. In the scripture text “er ke kao” (and can be verified), one edition has “zi” (from/self) for “er” (and).

32. In the scripture text “xin ling” (the heart is numinous), one edition has “hun” (soul) for “xin” (heart).

33. In the scripture text “hu zi wu” (suddenly one understands by oneself), one edition has “zha” (suddenly) for “hu” (suddenly).

34. In the scripture text “receive chart-registers” (talismanic mandates and prophetic charts), one edition reads “record the heavenly chart”; this is incorrect.

35. “Resolving Doubts on the Song of the Tripod and Vessel” is the section that explains and analyzes the “Song of the Tripod and Vessel.”

36. In the scripture text “one fen in diameter,” old editions have “ten” for “diameter.”

In the line “one chi and two cun in length,” some editions write “two chi” instead of “one chi and two cun”; this is incorrect.

In “the abdomen is centered and upright,” the word qi is, according to Zhu Xi, the ancient graph for “navel”; some editions write “the abdomen is three times centered,” which is incorrect.

“Martial at the beginning and end, civil in the middle” probably means taking the last and first days of the lunar month (the end and beginning of the month) as the beginning and end, and the full moon (the fifteenth) as the middle. The beginning and end are the same place, and the middle is also the same place. If one says that Si is Yang and Zi is the tail, that Wu is Yin and Hai is the head, and takes the two directions Si and Wu as the middle, then there would be two beginnings and ends and two middles. Another explanation: when advancing the Yang fire, take Zi, Chou, and Yin as the beginning and Chen and Si as the end; when retreating the Yin talisman, take Wu, Wei, and Shen as the beginning and Xu and Hai as the end; take the central palace (Zhonggong) as the middle. That would be two beginnings, two ends, and one middle; none of these explanations is sound.

In “two sevens gather,” some editions write “aperture” for “gather,” which is incorrect.

In “shan li nao,” some editions write zhan for shan, and another edition writes dan; both are incorrect.

“Xu Shiyi” is simply the preface to Resolving Doubts.

The phrase “three kinds are similar” (san xiang lei) means that the Yin-Yang generation and transformation in the Great Change (Dayi), Huang-Lao, and furnace fire are mutually similar. Ever since Peng Zhenyi drew the diagram of “the five positions are mutually obtained and each has its conjunction” with Wood three, Fire two, Earth five, Metal four, and Water one, later people have all followed Peng’s explanation, even taking it as Master Wei’s (Wei Boyang’s) original text and expounding it as “the mutual similarity of the Five Phases.” It has been passed down to the present without anyone analyzing it, all because they did not consider what Master Wei meant by “similar.” Moreover, what the Yi calls “the five positions are mutually obtained and each has its conjunction” probably refers to combining the generating and completing numbers of the Five Phases. Now Peng uses only the generating numbers as “obtaining” and calls this “the five positions are mutually obtained and each has its conjunction.” Some hold that Wood three and Fire two combine to form one five, and Metal four and Water one combine to form one five, and that together with the central Earth five they make three fives; that could still be called “three fives are similar.” But if one now speaks of “the mutual similarity of the Five Phases,” Water is number one, Fire number two, and the numbers of Metal, Wood, and Earth are each different; how can they be taken as similar? Some editions have “mutually similar to one another,” which seems acceptable, but in the end it is not as clear as “three kinds are similar.” If we look carefully at the following text, where it says “the three ways come from one, all issuing from the same path,” and also says “three lines are set out; branches and stems are connected; they emerge from the same source under different names; all pass through one gate,” then “three kinds are similar” is plainly evident.

The phrase Kuaiguo bizi, "a rustic man of Kuaiguo," is Lord Wei's (Wei Gong's) self-designation. Lord Wei was from Kuaiji Shangyu, in the area of present-day Shangyu in Zhejiang. The text now says Kuaiguo rather than Kuaiji because he did not want to state his original native place explicitly. If it had directly said Kuaiji, that would be a later alteration, not Wei Gong's original wording. "Xiehuai cunsu," read in another edition as "huaipu baosu," means to embrace plainness and simplicity. "Bu le quan rong" means that he was unwilling to delight in power and glory. Here the word le should be read in the departing tone (qusheng), meaning to delight in or be fond of. Another edition writes quan as huan, the same as huan meaning "joy," which is incorrect. In the line about li and ming, another edition writes li as ling. In the line "yanran xianju," another edition has "yuanke yanxian," meaning a distant guest at leisure. In the line "cha qi suo qu," another edition writes suo as zhi. In the line "gonglun," another edition writes lun, meaning "discussion," in place of lun meaning "relations" or "order." In the line "shihua," another edition writes shi as shen. In the line "guigen," another edition writes gen as yu, meaning "foolish," which is incorrect. In the line "woxin," another edition writes xin as xing. In the line about bashi, another edition writes ba as wu. In the line "chengwu," another edition writes wu as gong.

The sixteen sentences from "Wei shi qu hai," "yituo qiushan," "xunyou liaokuo," and "yu gui wei lin" through "ge xiang cheng fu" and "anwen changsheng" conceal the three characters Wei Boyang by hidden splitting (yinkuo). The phrase ge xiang cheng fu means, for example, that wei and gui combine to form the character Wei; ren and bai combine to form Bo; and the ear radical with yi combines to form Yang. Another edition writes gui as xian. Another edition writes e as e, the e meaning "distress." Another edition writes "ge xiang cheng fu, anwen changsheng" as "ji ren xiang cheng, an yin changsheng." Yet another edition writes "ji ren xiang cheng fu, anwen ke changsheng"; all these are incorrect. Another edition writes "dong xi nan qing" as "dong xi nan bei." Another edition writes "shui han ge bing" as "shui han bing ge."

Zanxu Shiyi is the title for explaining difficult points in the eulogy and preface. In the line "lizheng," another edition has "yuji," meaning to ascend the throne and rule the world. Mi yan probably follows the wording of the Shiji, Tian Guan Shu. Mi yan fen pan is like saying black and white are clearly distinguished. Another edition writes mi yan as kan li, the Kan-water and Li-fire trigrams in the Bagua, which is incorrect. In the line containing yi, another edition writes yi as jing. In the line "li zhu," another edition writes zhu as fa, which is incorrect. In the line "wei ci," another edition writes ci as wu. This is the end marker of the Zhouyi Cantongqi Shiyi.