Annotated Edition of the Yellow Emperor's Yin Fu Jing 黄帝阴符经集注

Originally titled "Annotations by Seven Masters: Yi Yin, Tai Gong, Fan Li, Gui Guzi, Zhuge Liang, Zhang Liang, and Li Quan".

It was probably compiled during the the Tang Dynasty.

Zhang Guo’s Commentary on the Yinfu Jing of the Tang Dynasty already quoted the theories of Yi Yin, Tai Gong, Zhuge Liang, Li Quan, and other masters.

Annotated Edition of the Yellow Emperor's Yin Fu Jing

Xin Tang Shu·Yi Wen Zhi (New Book of Tang·Treatise on Literature and Arts) cataloged the work as a one-volume text, attributed to annotations by eleven masters: Tai Gong, Fan Li, Gui Guzi, Zhang Liang, Zhuge Liang, Li Chunfeng, Li Quan, Li Qia, Li Jian, Li Yue, and Yang Sheng. Catalogs from public and private collections in the Song Dynasty recorded it either as eleven masters’ annotations or revised it to six or seven masters. The surviving version in the Daozang—derived from a Song Dynasty version—is included in the Yujue (Jade Secrets) category of the Dongzhen Section.

The scripture text in this edition is based on the over-400-character version without chapter divisions. The annotations selectively adopt theories from various masters to interpret the scripture’s meanings, with Li Quan’s annotations being the most extensively cited and generally more credible. Annotations from other masters are only a few words long, and there are also anonymous annotations interspersed.

Notably, Yi Yin, Tai Gong, and others were ancient figures skilled in statecraft and military strategy. Thus, the annotations draw heavily on military thought, focusing on elaborating how sages observe the ways of heaven, seize opportunities, and adapt to changes to pursue techniques for immortality, national prosperity, people’s well-being, and military victory.

Since the Tang and Song dynasties, this book has been widely circulated. In addition to the Daozang version, other surviving editions include those in Shuofu (Anthology of Essays), Han Wei Congshu (Collected Books of the Han and Wei Dynasties), Mohai Jinhu (Golden Goblet in the Sea of Ink), Zishu Baijia (Hundred Schools of Philosophical Books), and Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of Four Treasuries).