Collected Commentaries on Awakening to Truth 悟真篇集注

Collected and annotated by Qiu Zhaomi during the Qing Dynasty.

Consisting of three scrolls, its preface was written in the forty-second year of the Kangxi reign (1703 CE). The preface highly praises Zhang Boduan’s composition of the Wu Zhen Pian, stating that it "explores the profound and uncovers the hidden, reveals the subtle and clarifies the obscure—its exposition on the Dao of Yin and Yang, and the practice of fulfilling nature and life, is as precise as matching tally symbols". It also notes: "The three ancient annotations all adequately discuss the original meaning; here I specifically prune their redundancies, supplement their omissions, highlight their key principles, and achieve a comprehensive understanding." The "ancient annotations" refer to those by Lu Shu, Weng Baoguang, and Ye Wenshu.

Collected Commentaries on Awakening to Truth

In fact, the book collects annotations from nine scholars—Lu Shu, Weng Baoguang, Chen Zhixu, Dai Qizong, Lu Xixing, Li Wenzhu, Peng Haogu, Zhen Shu, and Tao Susi—with Qiu Zhaomi adding his own supplementary annotations. At the beginning of the book, there are twenty "Regulations and Explanations" commenting on the merits and demerits of various scholars and clarifying the core meaning of the Wu Zhen Pian. Seven "Summaries" outline the sequential steps of the alchemical method in the Wu Zhen Pian, covering aspects such as concentrating the spirit and stabilizing Qi (Vital Energy), and circulating Qi to open energy meridians.

The internal alchemical method described in the annotations focuses on the dual cultivation of Yin and Yang. Thus, one of the "Summaries" is titled Preserving Essence and Refining the Sword, stating: "Its essence lies in seizing spirit and Qi through the numbers three, five, seven, and nine; the celestial cycles correspond to the Qian and Kun trigrams. Moreover, it ensures the depth is appropriate and the advance and retreat are well-timed"—all of which are essential principles of dual cultivation. After its publication, this annotation exerted considerable influence.

A photocopied version was published by Shanghai Classics Publishing House in 1989.