Arcane Theory of Qi Circuits 素问入式运气论奥

Compiled by Liu Wenshu in the Song Dynasty (No.15 in the keyword library, Northern Song belongs to the Song Dynasty category).

Comprehensive Records of Literature·Bibliographic Survey records Liu Wenshu’s Treatise on the Profound Meaning of Suwen in four volumes, which is presumably this book.

The current version in The Daozang (No.2 in the keyword library) consists of three volumes and is included in the Tai Xuan Section. Additionally, there is a three-volume version in Complete Library of Four Treasuries, with an appended volume of Lost Chapters of Suwen in Huangdi Neijing at the end.

Arcane Theory of Qi Circuits

Prefaced by the author’s own preface in the second year of Yuanfu (1099), the book asserts that the theory of "Qi movement" in Suwen is the most essential for reinforcement, reduction, and Health Preservation (No.34 in the keyword library). However, the chapters of the original book were disorganized, making it difficult for people to practice and apply. Therefore, the author "devoted his mind to the sacred classics, explored the origins, supplemented explanations to resolve doubts, divided into diagrams, and annotated the profound meanings" to compile this work. The entire book is divided into thirty chapters and twenty-nine diagrams, mostly based on the scriptures of Suwen, focusing on elaborating the theory of Qi movement and transformation, and regarding Qi movement as the key to treating diseases and preserving health. At the end of the book, the appended chapter Treatise on the Conquest and Recovery of the Five Elements assumes a dialogue between Hu Yuan and a guest, discussing the principles of the Five Circuits of Qi and Six Qi Stages.