Chaptered Inner Alchemy Commentary 周易参同契分章通真义
Paul PengChaptered Inner Alchemy Commentary
Compiled by Peng Xiao, a Taoist priest of Later Shu during the Five Dynasties period.
It is recorded in Tongzhi·Essentials of Arts and Literature, Bibliography of Chao Gongwu and History of Song·Treatise on Arts and Literature.
Chaptered Inner Alchemy Commentary
Consisting of three volumes, it is included in the Taixuan Section of The Daozang.
This book is regarded as one of the best existing annotated versions of the Cantong Qi.
There is a preface written by the author at the beginning of the book, outlining the purpose of Wei Boyang’s compilation of the Cantong Qi. It proclaims: "As for the Cantong Qi: 'Can' means to integrate, 'Tong' means to permeate, and 'Qi' means to coincide. It signifies that all alchemical classics are interconnected and consistent with the principles of the Zhouyi (I Ching). The book borrows the concepts of monarch and minister to clarify internal and external alchemy; describes Kan and Li to directly refer to mercury and lead; presents Qian and Kun to define the cauldron and vessel; illustrates with father and mother to ensure the integrity from start to finish; unites with husband and wife to depict the intercourse of yin and yang... All these are expounded by means of the Zhouyi hexagram images, hence the name Zhouyi Cantong Qi." The main text divides the original scripture into ninety chapters and interprets them from the perspective of internal alchemy. It generally takes Qian and Kun as the cauldron and vessel, yin and yang as the safeguards, fire and water as the motive force of transformation, five elements as the auxiliary factors, and genuine lead as the origin of the elixir. It applies the eight trigrams interactively and harnesses the four seasons, emphasizing grasping the essence of the elixir beyond literal words and revealing the esoteric imagery through the Zhouyi. With lucid writing and sound arguments, this book exerted a profound influence on later internal alchemists, embodying the core theoretical system of Taoism internal cultivation.
