The Seal of the Unity of the Three — Vol. 2 - The Golden Elixir

2. Song and Yuan Dynasties 139
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capable author of the Later Han dynasty. It is never senseless, but
since its language is grounded on ancient works and is beyond the
understanding of present-day people, it has been interpreted in
senseless ways. 11
The interpretation offered in the Kaoyi is primarily cosmological.
Although Zhu Xi states that the Cantong qi does not consist of an
explication of the Book of Changes, but uses its emblems to describe
the Neidan practice, 12 the most detailed remarks in his commentary
concern passages related to cosmology, and the alchemical import of
the text is often neglected or discounted. In fact, Zhu Xi comments on
about a dozen passages by saying “I do not clearly understand what
this means” (wei xiang qi zhi 未 詳 其 指 ) or in analogous ways. 13 On
the other hand, the junctures at which Zhu Xi inserts his comments
are often more accurate than the subdivisions into sections made by
Peng Xiao.
The Kaoyi was first published by Cai Yuanding’s son, Cai Yuan 蔡
淵 (1156–1236), in 1198, shorty after its completion. 14 Later, in the
first half of the fourteenth century, it was edited by Huang Ruijie 黃 瑞
節 (fl. 1341), who included it in his Zhuzi chengshu 朱 子 成 書 , an
early collection of Zhu Xi’s works. Huang added an undated preface,
as well as notes consisting of his own comments and of quotations
from other works by Zhu Xi. In addition to the Kaoyi, Huang knew
Peng Xiao’s commentary in the reedition by Bao Huanzhi, whom he
quotes in his preface and in a note attached to Zhu Xi’s commentary. 15
In clear contrast with its title, and with Zhu Xi’s own statements
about his philological work found in both the preface and the
postface, the commentary contains only a handful of critical notes. In
other works, moreover, Zhu Xi points out variants and suggests
11
Zhuzi yulei, 125.3002; also quoted by Huang Ruijie in Zhouyi cantong
qi [kaoyi], preface, 2b-3a.
12
Zhouyi cantong qi [kaoyi], preface, 2a.
13
Zhouyi cantong qi [kaoyi], 1.3b, 1.11b, 1.14b, 1.16a, 1.18a, 2.8b, 2.10a,
2.11a, 3.2a, 3.4a, and 3.5b. On this point see Azuma, “Shu Ki Shūeki sandōkei
kōi ni tsuite,” p. 181, who provides a detailed analysis of the commentary on
pp. 181–86; and Kim Yung Sik, “The Ts’an-t’ung-ch’i k’ao-i”, pp. 121–22.
14
See Lin Zhenli, “Zhu Xi: Zuowei bianji chubanjia de pingjie”, 181.
15
Zhouyi cantong qi [kaoyi], preface, 1b, and 1.5a, respectively.
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