The Seal of the Unity of the Three

A Study and Translation of the Cantong qi,
the Source of the Taoist Way of the Golden Elixir

 

Cantong qi: The Seal of the Unity of the Three

Fabrizio Pregadio

324 pp.

Golden Elixir Press, 2011

ISBN 978-0-9843082-8-6

Paperback, US$ 24.95 (list price)

 

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"The Cantong qi is the forefather of the scriptures on the Elixir of all times. Its words are ancient and profound, arcane and subtle. No one can fathom their meaning." Thus begins a preface found in one of the commentaries to the Cantong qi. These words express several significant features of the work translated in the present book: the charm of its verses, the depth of its discourse, its enigmatic language, and its intimate relation to Taoist alchemy (Waidan and Neidan).

Under an allusive poetical language and thick layers of images and symbols, the Cantong qi hides the exposition of a doctrine that inspired a large number of commentaries and other works, and attracted the attention not only of Taoist masters and adepts, but also of philosophers, cosmologists, poets, literati, calligraphers, philologists, and bibliophiles.

Neidan (Internal Alchemy) is the legacy that has shaped the dominant image and understanding of the Cantong qi in China, by placing this work at the origins of its teachings and practices. Besides this one, there has been, within the Taoist tradition, a second, less well-known way of reading the text: the Cantong qi is concerned not with one, but with three major subjects, namely Cosmology (the system of the Book of Changes), Taoism (the way of "non-doing"), and Alchemy, and joins them to one another into a single, unique doctrine.

In addition to a complete translation of the Cantong qi, this book — the fruit of more than 20 years of work — contains explanations of each of its sections, notes on many of its verses, and a detailed introduction to its history and doctrines.

Readers' Reviews

"[Pregadio] offers a glimpse of the painstaking detective work required to produce a high quality translation. . . . He faithfully translates the Can Tong Qi into readable English without sacrificing the richness of the original. . . . Fabrizio Pregadio's translation of the Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi is a remarkable contribution to those interested in the study of Taoism and Internal Alchemy. Very few of the old texts have been translated into English, let alone with such high quality." (Shawn Cartwright, Traditional Chinese Culture Institute International - Read the original review)

"[This book] has already opened my eyes to things that I would not have appreciated before." (Email from a Reader)

Table of contents

Preface, ix

INTRODUCTION, 1
     The Title of the Cantong qi, 2
     A Single Author, or Multiple Authors?, 5
     The Dating Riddle, 11
     The Three Books and the "Ancient Text," 28
     Main Commentaries, 33
     Dao, Cosmos, and Man, 36
     The Way of "Non-Doing," 47
     Alchemy in the Cantong qi, 53
     From the External Elixir to the Internal Elixir, 58

TRANSLATION, 65
     Book 1, 69
     Book 2, 92
     Book 3, 114

NOTES, 127

TEXTUAL NOTES, 231

TABLES AND FIGURES, 245

APPENDIXES, 261
     Two Biographies of Wei Boyang, 263
     Chinese Text, 266
     Index of Main Subjects, 286

Glossary of Chinese Characters, 295
Works Quoted, 303