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The ''Huashu'' (), or The ''Book of Transformations'', is a 930 CE
Daoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...
classic about ''
neidan Neidan, or internal alchemy (), is an array of esoteric doctrines and physical, mental, and spiritual practices that Taoist initiates use to prolong life and create an immortal spiritual body that would survive after death. Also known as Jindan ...
'' "
internal alchemy Neidan, or internal alchemy (), is an array of esoteric doctrines and physical, mental, and spiritual practices that Taoist initiates use to prolong life and create an immortal spiritual body that would survive after death. Also known as Jindan ...
", psychological
subjectivity Subjectivity in a philosophical context has to do with a lack of objective reality. Subjectivity has been given various and ambiguous definitions by differing sources as it is not often the focal point of philosophical discourse.Bykova, Marina F ...
, and
spiritual transformation Spiritual transformation involves a fundamental change in a person's sacred or spiritual life. Psychologists examine spiritual transformation within the context of an individual's ''meaning system'', Israela Silberman (2005)Religion as a meanin ...
. In the description of Poul Andersen,
The ''Huashu'' is a unique philosophical work of the period of the Five Dynasties, which syncretizes elements of Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian thought, and which has been noted in recent times for its scientific observations (for instance regarding optics and acoustics) and for its unusual emphasis on epistemological considerations. Its influence during the Song and subsequent dynasties was substantial, both within Taoist and Confucian metaphysics, and especially as foundation of alchemical thought.


Authors

Authorship of the ''Huashu'' is associated with three people. The
Southern Tang Southern Tang () was a state in Southern China that existed during Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, which proclaimed itself to be the successor of the former Tang dynasty. The capital was located at Nanjing in present-day Jiangsu Province ...
(937–975 CE) chancellor Song Qiqiu 宋齊丘 first published it under his name, but evidence suggests he plagiarized the ''Huashu'' from its primary author Tan Qiao 譚峭, who later scholars confabulated with another roughly contemporaneous Daoist Tan Zixiao 譚紫霄. Didier analyzes the authorship in detail, and believes "one reasonably can conclude only that while T'an Ch'iao wrote the essence of the ''Hua shu'' text, Sung edited and also emended it, and in the process corrupted both the structure of and the ''apparent'' philosophy expressed through the work."


Song Qiqiu

Song Qiqiu (; 886–959 CE) was
Chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
of the Southern Tang kingdom, which was one of the
Ten Kingdoms The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (), from 907 to 979, was an era of political upheaval and division in 10th-century Imperial China. Five dynastic states quickly succeeded one another in the Central Plain, and more than a dozen concu ...
. He was born in Luling 廬陵 (present-day
Jiangxi Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north int ...
), orphaned as a child, and self-educated. While serving as an official in the kingdom of Wu (907–937), he befriended Xu Zhigao 徐知誥, and helped him to establish the Southern Tang and become Emperor Liezu (r. 937–943). Song was appointed to various important administrative posts, including Chancellor on the Left. After the emperor died, Song retired to
Mount Jiuhua Mount Jiuhua () located in Chizhou, Anhui Province in China is an important Buddhist site and natural scenic spot. It is one of the four famous Buddhist mountains in China, one of the first batch of 5A level scenic spots in China, one of the fir ...
and was called Jiuhua Xiansheng 九華先生 "Elder of t.Jiuhua". Liezu's successor Emperor Yuanzong (r. 943–961) reappointed Song as chancellor and made him Duke of
Chu (state) Chu, or Ch'u in Wade–Giles romanization, (, Hanyu Pinyin: Chǔ, Old Chinese: ''*s-r̥aʔ'') was a Zhou dynasty vassal state. Their first ruler was King Wu of Chu in the early 8th century BCE. Chu was located in the south of the Zhou he ...
. In 958 CE, Song was accused of treason and exiled to Jiuhua, where he hanged himself. Song wrote a still-extant ''Huashu'' preface dated 930 CE and published the book under his name. Beginning in the
Song Dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
some editions of the ''Huashu'' were titled the ''Qiqiuzi'' 齊丘子 "
ook of Ook, OoK or OOK may refer to: * Ook Chung (born 1963), Korean-Canadian writer from Quebec * On-off keying, in radio technology * Toksook Bay Airport (IATA code OOK), in Alaska * Ook!, an esoteric programming language based on Brainfuck * Ook, th ...
Master Qiqiu". Song Qiqiu's authorship was debunked in the 11th century. The Daoist priest Chen Jingyuan 陳景元 (ca. 1024–1094 CE) published the ''Huashu'' with his colophon dated 1060 CE, which records a story that Song stole the book from Tan Qiao. Chen heard this story from his master Zhang Wumeng 張無夢 (fl. ca. 960–1040), who heard it from his master
Chen Tuan Chen Tuan 陳摶 (allegedly October 10, 871 – July 22, 989) was a Chinese Taoist credited with creation of the kung fu system Liuhebafa ("Six Harmonies and Eight Methods"). Along with this internal art, he is also said to be associated with a ...
(871–989) who was a friend of Tan Qiao. This contemporary witness said Tan wrote the ''Huashu'' on Mount Zhongnan 終南 (
Shaanxi Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...
) and met Song Qiqiu while traveling through the capital
Nanjing Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
to nearby Mount Mao 茅山, which was the center of
Shangqing School The Shangqing School (Chinese:上清派), also known as Supreme Clarity or Highest Clarity is a Taoist movement that began during the aristocracy of the Western Jin dynasty. Shangqing can be translated as either 'Supreme Clarity' or 'Highest Clari ...
"Supreme Clarity" Daoism. Tan said, "The transformations of this book endlessly transform. I want you to preface it and pass it on to later generations." Song edited and published the book under his own name. He was posthumously called Choumiu 醜繆 "Disgraceful Error".


Tan Qiao

The ''Huashu'' was originally written by the Daoist Tan Qiao (; ca. 860 CE-ca. 940 CE), whom Anderson describes as a "shadowy figure". The 10th-century ''Xu xian zhuan'' 續仙傳 "Continued Biographies of Immortals", by Shen Fen 沈汾, has the earliest account of Tan Qiao. He was from
Quanzhou Quanzhou, postal map romanization, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level city, prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metrop ...
(in present-day
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
) and his
courtesy name A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...
(''zi'' 字) was Jingsheng 景升 "Brightness Ascending". His father Tan Zhu 譚洙, who was a director of the
Guozijian The Guozijian,Yuan, 194. sometimes translated as the Imperial College, Imperial Academy, Imperial University, National Academy, or National University, was the national central institution of higher learning in Chinese dynasties after the Sui ...
"Imperial Academy" during the
Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
(618–907 CE), educated him in the
Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...
classics and histories to prepare him for the
Imperial examination The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...
. Qiao was an excellent student but more interested in the Daoist classics, particularly the hagiographies of ''
xian Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by other names, is the capital of Shaanxi Province. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong Plain, the city is the third most populous city in Western China, after Chongqin ...
'' 仙 "immortals; transcendents". Tan Qiao left home to study Daoism on Mount Zhongnan and never returned. After travelling through the
Sacred mountains of China The Sacred Mountains of China are divided into several groups. The ''Five Great Mountains'' () refers to five of the most renowned mountains in Chinese history, and they were the subjects of imperial pilgrimage by emperors throughout ages. They ...
, he lived for a decade on
Mount Song Mount Song (, "lofty mountain") is an isolated mountain range in north central China's Henan Province, along the southern bank of the Yellow River. It is known in literary and folk tradition as the central mountain of the Five Great Mountains of ...
嵩山 (
Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
), where Daoist priests taught him ''neidan'' alchemical techniques of '' bigu'' 辟穀 "abstention from cereals" and ''yangqi'' 養氣 "nourishing '' qi''", roughly corresponding with Western practices of
inedia Inedia (Latin for 'fasting') or breatharianism () is the claimed ability for a person to live without consuming food, and in some cases water. It is a deadly pseudoscience and several adherents of these practices have died from starvation or deh ...
and breatharianism. "He wore furs in summer and thin garments in winter, and he would often lie about in the snow and rain, to all appearances dead". This compares with the Himalayan tradition of
tummo In Tibetan Buddhism, ''tummo'' (; sa, चण्डाली, caṇḍālī) is the fierce goddess of heat and passion. Tummo is found in the Mahasiddha Krishnacarya and the ''Hevajra Tantra'' texts. Tummo is also a tantric practice for inner ...
, which is still practiced by the
Kagyu The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. The Kagyu lineag ...
school. Tan's father regularly sent him money and clothing, which he promptly spent on wine and gave away. Tan later went south to Mount Nanyue 南岳, or
Mount Heng (Hunan) Hengshan (), also known as Mount Heng, is a mountain in southcentral China's Hunan Province known as the southern mountain () of the Five Great Mountains of China. Heng Shan is a mountain range long with 72 peaks and lies at . The Huiyan Pe ...
, where he allegedly perfected the ''jindan'' 金丹 "golden elixir" and could change shape, become invisible, and enter fire or water without being harmed (all Daoist metaphors for ''xian'' transcendence). Finally, he travelled to
Mount Qingcheng Mount Qingcheng () is a sacred Taoist mountain in Dujiangyan, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. It is considered one of the birthplaces of Taoism and one of the most important Taoist religious sites in China. In Taoist mythology, it was the site of the ...
青城 (
Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
), where he disappeared. Some sources confuse Tan Qiao with a more famous Daoist Tan Zixiao; both had the same
Chinese surname Chinese surnames are used by Han Chinese and Sinicized ethnic groups in China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam, and among overseas Chinese communities around the world such as Singapore and Malaysia. Written Chinese names begin with surnames, unlike the ...
, both lived in the 10th century, and both traveled in southern China. This mistaken identification began with the ''Huashu'' edition in the 1607 CE
Daozang Daozang (), meaning 'Taoist Canon', consists of around 1,400 texts that were collected (after the ''Daodejing'' and ''Zhuangzi'' and Liezi which are the core Taoist texts). They were collected by Taoist monks of the period in an attempt to brin ...
supplement ''Wanli xu daozang'' 萬歷緒道臧. Its preface notes that Tan Qiao's
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
(''hao'' 號) was Zixiao Zhenren 紫霄真人 "Perfected Person of the Purple Clouds/Skies". Lembert and Schenkel translate "The True Man of the Purple Sky"). Later
gazetteer A gazetteer is a geographical index or directory used in conjunction with a map or atlas.Aurousseau, 61. It typically contains information concerning the geographical makeup, social statistics and physical features of a country, region, or co ...
s and histories repeated this pseudonym, but Zixiao already referred to another Daoist named Tan.


Tan Zixiao

Tan Zixiao (; ca. 910 CE- ca. 995 CE) was a celebrated Daoist in the
Zhengyi Dao Zhengyi Dao (), also known as the Way of Orthodox Unity, Teaching of the Orthodox Unity, and Branch of the Orthodox Unity is a Chinese Taoist movement that traditionally refers to the same Taoist lineage as the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice and W ...
正一 "Orthodox/Correct Unity" School. Tan's earliest biography is found in the 12th-century ''Nan Tangshu'' 南唐書 "History of the Southern Tang" by Ma Ling 馬令 and
Lu You Lu You (; 1125–1210) was a Chinese historian and poet of the Southern Song Dynasty (南宋). Career Early life and marriage Lu You was born on a boat floating in the Wei River early on a rainy morning, November 13, 1125. At the time of his ...
陸游. Tan Zixiao was from
Quanzhou Quanzhou, postal map romanization, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level city, prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metrop ...
(
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
), which was part of
Min (Ten Kingdoms) Min () was one of the Ten Kingdoms which was in existence between the years of 909 and 945. It existed in a mountainous region of modern-day Fujian province of China and had a history of quasi-independent rule. Its capital was Fuzhou. It was fou ...
. He was a renowned Daoist priest (''daoshi'' 道師) and shaman ( ''wu'' 巫), and served at the court of King Wang Chang 王昶 (r. 935–939), who gave Tan the honorific title Zhengyi Xiansheng 正一先生 "Elder of Orthodox/Correct Unity". After the fall of Min, Tan escaped to
Mount Lu Mountain Lu or Lushan (, Gan: Lu-san), officially named Mountain Lu National Park, is a mountain in China. It was also known as Kuanglu () in ancient times. It is situated in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province, and is one of the most renowned mountai ...
(
Jiangxi Province Jiangxi (; ; formerly romanized as Kiangsi or Chianghsi) is a landlocked province in the east of the People's Republic of China. Its major cities include Nanchang and Jiujiang. Spanning from the banks of the Yangtze river in the north into hi ...
) and established the Daoist Qiyin guan 悽隱觀 "Abbey of Dwelling in Concealment". He supposedly possessed ancient talismans from
Zhang Daoling Zhang Ling (; traditionally 34–156), courtesy name Fuhan (), was a Chinese religious leader who lived during the Eastern Han Dynasty credited with founding the Way of the Celestial Masters sect of Taoism, which is also known as the Way of the F ...
, the founder of the Tianshi Dao "Way of Celestial Masters". Within this school, Tan Zixiao is considered the founder of the ''Tianxin zhengfa'' 天心正法 "Correct Methods of the Celestial Heart", which is an influential Daoist healing tradition that combines Tianshi
automatic writing Automatic writing, also called psychography, is a claimed psychic ability allowing a person to produce written words without consciously writing. Practitioners engage in automatic writing by holding a writing instrument and allowing alleged spiri ...
talismans with shamanistic exorcisms. Reflecting the extent of Tan Zixiao's celebrity, Li Yu 李煜, the famous poet and last king of the Southern Tang (r. 961–975 CE), summoned the Daoist priest to court and lavished wealth and honors on him. Didier definitively establishes that Tan Qiao and Tan Zixiao were two different people, contrasting aspects in each man's period, region, and activities. He concludes that while Tan Qiao was "engaged in internally directed mystical alchemical pursuits in primarily the north between the years 860 and 940", Tan Zixiao "was active in the externally directed work of shamanic ritual manipulations exclusively in the southeast between approximately 910 and 995". Didier further differentiates activities and affiliations of the two Tans. Tan Qiao "was a wandering eccentric engaged in the internally directed pursuit of immortality or perfection who favored loneliness and remote mountain retreats to the political and economic activity pursued by" Tan Zixiao, who "was a professional institutionalized Taoist priest, that is, a priest engaged in externally directed shamanic or sorcerous methods of healing and liturgy for the sake of gaining emolument." In terms of affiliation with schools of religious Daoism, Tan Zixiao's activities derived primarily from the 2nd-century ''Zhengyi'' "Orthodox/Correct Unity" sect of the ''Tianshi'' "Celestial Masters" movement, which emphasized communal rituals, registers, and talismans; Tan Qiao's heritage was more from the 5th-century southern ''Shangqing'' Highest Clarity" tradition, which emphasized personal cultivation, meditation, and visualization.


Text

The received ''Huashu'' text contains 110 articles or sections (''pian'' 篇) arranged in 6 chapters (''juan'' 卷), named after types of ''hua'' 化 "transformation; change; conversion". Most ''Huashu'' articles begin with a parable or example and then elaborate upon it. Individual articles are identified by chapter and number, for instance 1.1 ''Ziji Gong bi'' 紫極宮碑 "Stele at the Palace of the Purple Ultimate", 1.2 ''Sheqiao'' 蛇雀 "Snakes and Sparrows," 1.3 ''Laofeng'' 老楓 "Old Maple Trees", 1.4 ''Ermu'' 耳目 "Ears and Eyes". Unlike this 1.1 with four
Chinese characters Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji' ...
, all the other 109 ''Huashu'' titles have two characters, which suggests textual corruption or alteration. The textual history of the ''Huashu'' was analyzed by Didier who differentiated two lines of transmission, the "secular" text originally published under the authorship of Song Qiqiu and the "Daoist" text written by Tan Qiao. The first transmission dates back to Song's 930 CE preface, which describes the ''Huashu'' as having 6 chapters and 110 articles. The second textual transmission dates back to Chen Jingyuan's 1060 CE edition of the ''Huashu'' credited to Tan Qiao. Didier concludes that in 14th-century China, the book "was widely known and read" and "two of what we might call ''Hua shu'' cultures existed, the secular or external and the Taoist/alchemical or internal." The secular ''Huashu'' text, called the ''Qiqiuzi'' 齊丘子 "
ook of Ook, OoK or OOK may refer to: * Ook Chung (born 1963), Korean-Canadian writer from Quebec * On-off keying, in radio technology * Toksook Bay Airport (IATA code OOK), in Alaska * Ook!, an esoteric programming language based on Brainfuck * Ook, th ...
Master
ong Ong or ONG may refer to: Arts and media * Ong's Hat, a collaborative work of fiction * “Ong Ong”, a song by Blur from the album The Magic Whip Places * Ong, Nebraska, US, city * Ong's Hat, New Jersey, US, ghost town * Ong River, Odisha, ...
Qiqiu" or ''Song Qiqiu Huashu'' 宋齊丘化書, is related to the 1144–46 CE Daozang "Daoist Canon" edition of the ''Huashu''. Texts in this lineage have 110 articles, beginning with 1.1 "Stele at the Palace of the Purple Ultimate". The Daoist ''Huashu'' text, called the ''Tanzi'' 譚子 "
ook of Ook, OoK or OOK may refer to: * Ook Chung (born 1963), Korean-Canadian writer from Quebec * On-off keying, in radio technology * Toksook Bay Airport (IATA code OOK), in Alaska * Ook!, an esoteric programming language based on Brainfuck * Ook, th ...
Master Tan iao or ''Tanzi Huashu'' 譚子化書, is related to the 1457–1464 Daiwang 代王 (
Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
) government-printed ''Huashu'' edition. Texts in this lineage have 109 articles, or 110 beginning with different 1.1 ''Daohua'' 道化 "Way Transformations" (also the chapter 1 title) or ''Shenhua'' 神化 "Spirit Transformations" titles. Many ''Huashu'' editions are currently available, and the ''Daozang'' includes two versions (CT 1044 and 1478). Based on differences among ''Huashu'' editions (variant characters, taboo usages, etc.) and a 1023–33 CE text called the ''Wuhua'' 五化 "Five Transformations" credited to Tanzi "Master Tan", Didier suggests the original ''Huashu'' had 5 chapters instead of 6. This ''Wuhua'' closely resembles the ''Huashu'' except that it begins "The Utmost Way has five transformations therein" and that the "Way Transformations" (chapter 1 in received texts) subsumes the 5 ''Huashu'' chapters "Techniques, Potency, Humaneness, Food, and Frugality Transformations". His hypothesis that the original ''Huashu'' text had a quinary instead of sexpartite structure, and that the first chapter was Tan's original preface, is strengthened by the importance of 5 among
numbers in Chinese culture Some numbers are believed by some to be auspicious or lucky (吉利, ) or inauspicious or unlucky (不吉, ) based on the Chinese word that the number sounds similar to. The numbers 3, 6, and 8 are generally considered to be lucky, while 4 is c ...
. Take for instance the ''Huashu'' articles '' Wuxing'' 五行 "Five Phases/Elements" (4.2) and ''Wuchang'' 五常 "Five Constant irtues (3.1).


Title

The textual theme and namesake is ''hua'' " transform, change, convert, turn into; (physically) melt, dissolve; digest; incinerate; (individually) change into; metamorphose; take the form of; disguise oneself; (Buddhism) reincarnate; (euphemism) die; pass away". ''
Wenlin Wenlin Software for Learning Chinese () is a software application designed by Tom Bishop, who is also president of the Wenlin Institute. It is based on his experience of the needs of learners of the Chinese language, predominantly Mandarin. It co ...
'' interprets this Chinese character, "化 ''huà'' depicts a person and a person upside-down. The left side is 亻 (人 ''rén'') 'person'. The right side 匕 was originally 人 upside-down. A person who flips, changes." The closest synonym is ''bian'' "change, change into, become; transform; adapt; perform (magic, etc.), and their
compound Compound may refer to: Architecture and built environments * Compound (enclosure), a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall ** Compound (fortification), a version of the above fortified with defensive struct ...
is '' bianhua'' 變化 "change; vary, variation; metamorphose; transmute". Two other common ''hua''-compounds are ''huaxue'' 化學 (lit. "transformation study") "chemistry" and ''wenhua'' 文化 ("literacy transformation") "culture; civilization". ''Hua'' "transformations" are a key topic in the Daoist ''
Zhuangzi Zhuangzi may refer to: * ''Zhuangzi'' (book) (莊子), an ancient Chinese collection of anecdotes and fables, one of the foundational texts of Daoism **Zhuang Zhou Zhuang Zhou (), commonly known as Zhuangzi (; ; literally "Master Zhuang"; als ...
''. For instance,
Victor H. Mair Victor Henry Mair (; born March 25, 1943) is an American sinologist. He is a professor of Chinese at the University of Pennsylvania. Among other accomplishments, Mair has edited the standard '' Columbia History of Chinese Literature'' and the ''C ...
translates it as "evolution" in this context.
Nuncle Scattered and Nuncle Slippery were observing the mounds of the Earl of Darkness in the emptiness of K'unlun where the Yellow Emperor rested. Suddenly a willow began to sprout from Nuncle Slippery's left elbow. He looked startled, as though he resented it."Do you resent it?" asked Nuncle Scattered. "No," said Nuncle Slippery. "Why should I resent it? Our lives are just a borrowed pretext. That which we borrow to maintain our lives is merely so much dust. Life and death alternate like day and night. As you and I were observing evolution, it caught up with me. So why should I resent it?
James D. Sellmann elucidates the Daoist significance of ''hua''.
There is no conclusion, no end, no finish for the ''Zhuangzi''. Things transpose, and keep on changing. Therefore, the compassionate meaning and empathic understanding of "transformation" as it is mentioned in the context of the ''Zhuangzi'' encompasses each and every thing – in the natural world and the human world. From this perspective, transformation entails a magnitude of meaning, or "spiritual" dimension (in the sense of "high spirits" or "laughter"). Transformation is not just change of form and shape (''bian'' 變) or a change of things and situations (''yi'' 易), but it also entails a complete renewal of the experience of life's meaning (''hua'' 化). ''Hua'' provides a way to move through various shapes or bodily forms within a species and across species to merge with each unique perspective, and to experience a mystical continuity with the particulars of nature. In chapter two of the ''Zhuangzi'', the mystical experience is described in these terms; "heaven and earth were born together with me, and the myriad things and I are one" (5/2/52-53). The way ''hua'' is played out in the ''Zhuangzi'' is very telling, especially in the context of elaborating on the mystical experience.
This 10th-century ''Huashu'' "Book of Transformations", written by Tan Qiao and edited by Song Qiqiu, should be distinguished from a similarly titled 13th-century Daoist text — the ''Wendi huashu'' 文帝化書 "Book on the Transformations of Lord Wen" or ''Zitong dijun huashu'' 梓潼帝君化書 "Book of Transformations of the Divine Lord of Zitong". It was supposedly revealed in
automatic writing Automatic writing, also called psychography, is a claimed psychic ability allowing a person to produce written words without consciously writing. Practitioners engage in automatic writing by holding a writing instrument and allowing alleged spiri ...
in 1181 and 1194 CE, and details the transformations of Wenchang 文昌, patron deity of the literary arts, also known as Zitong dijun 梓潼帝君. The English title of the ''Huashu'' is usually "Book of Transformations" or "Book of Transformation", but it is also translated "Book of Alternations" and "Scripture of Changes" — not to be confused with the ''Yijing''". "Book of Transformations" is used in titles of books about the ''
Yijing The ''I Ching'' or ''Yi Jing'' (, ), usually translated ''Book of Changes'' or ''Classic of Changes'', is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. Originally a divination manual in the Western Zhou ...
'' and magic, and "Book of Transformation" in one by the
Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...
.


Contents

While generations of Chinese literati have studied the ''Huashu'' as a philosophical text, notably in terms of
Neo-Confucianism Neo-Confucianism (, often shortened to ''lǐxué'' 理學, literally "School of Principle") is a moral, ethical, and metaphysical Chinese philosophy Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn period () and Wa ...
, Western scholars are only beginning to appreciate it. Alexander Wylie first described the book, "The 化書 ''Hwa shoo'' or "Book of Transformation," written by 譚峭 T'an Seaou in the early part of the 10th century, is an ethical treatise, strongly impregnated with Taouist tendencies". The earliest European-language translation of the ''Huashu'' was in German. Alfred Forke discussed Tan Qiao's philosophy and translated over 20 articles.
Joseph Needham Noel Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham (; 9 December 1900 – 24 March 1995) was a British biochemist, historian of science and sinologist known for his scientific research and writing on the history of Chinese science and technology, in ...
and others studying the history of science and technology in China have rediscovered the ''Huashu'', which Needham called "a work of much importance". Note that Needham's unusual system of romanization is changed to
pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese for ...
, for instance, substituting an Qiaofor "Than Chhiao". Evaluating Chinese
proto-scientific __NOTOC__ In the philosophy of science, there are several definitions of protoscience. Its simplest meaning (most closely reflecting its roots of ''proto-'' + ''science'') involves the earliest eras of the history of science, when the scientific me ...
texts from the
Tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...
and
Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...
dynasties, Needham cites ''Xingying'' 形影 "Objects and Images" (1.7),
Of all these books, the most original from the point of view of the philosophy of science is probably the ''Hua Shu''. an Qiao(if he was really its author) developed a special kind of subjective realism, in which he emphasized that though the external world was real, our knowledge of it was so deeply affected by subjective factors that its full reality could not be said to have been seized (this, of course, is an attempt to express his point of view in modern terms). First he considers an infinite regress of images of an object in oppositely placed plane mirrors. The form and colour of the object ( 'xing''形) is perfectly retained in each of the successive images (''ying'' 影). Since it can exist without them, it is not alone and in itself complete ( 'shi''實), but since they perfectly reproduce its form and colour, they are not in themselves empty ( 'xu''虛); or, as might be said in modern terms, it is not fully real, but they are not fully unreal. Now that which is neither real nor not-real, concludes an Qiao is akin to the Tao.
Moeller notes Tan's room of parallel
mirror images A mirror image (in a plane mirror) is a reflected duplication of an object that appears almost identical, but is reversed in the direction perpendicular to the mirror surface. As an optical effect it results from reflection off from substances ...
"is obviously indebted to an earlier Buddhist example." The
Huayan The Huayan or Flower Garland school of Buddhism (, from sa, अवतंसक, Avataṃsaka) is a tradition of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy that first flourished in China during the Tang dynasty, Tang dynasty (618-907). The Huayan worldview is ...
patriarch
Fazang Fazang () (643–712) was the third of the five patriarchs of the Huayan school of Mahayana Buddhism, of which he is traditionally considered the founder. He was an important and influential philosopher, so much so that it has been claimed that he ...
used an illuminated statue of the Buddha inside a room of mirroring mirrors to illustrate
Indra's net Indra's net (also called Indra's jewels or Indra's pearls, Sanskrit ''Indrajāla'', Chinese: 因陀羅網) is a metaphor used to illustrate the concepts of Śūnyatā (emptiness), pratītyasamutpāda (dependent origination),. and interpenetratio ...
to Empress
Wu Zetian Wu Zetian (17 February 624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was the ''de facto'' ruler of the Tang dynasty from 665 to 705, ruling first through others and then (from 690) in her own right. From 665 to 690, she was first empres ...
. Needham additionally cites a zoological example of subjectivity from ''Xiaoji'' 梟雞 "Owls and Hens" (1.9) – written eight centuries before
John Locke John Locke (; 29 August 1632 – 28 October 1704) was an English philosopher and physician, widely regarded as one of the most influential of Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment thinkers and commonly known as the "father of liberalism ...
made the primary/secondary quality distinction. "For the owl, an Qiaosays, the night is bright and the day dark; for the hen the converse is true, as for ourselves. Which of the two, he asks, in good Taoist style, is to be considered 'normal' and which 'abnormal'?" Needham refers to ''Shehu'' 射虎 "Shooting Tigers" (1.11), which relates
optical illusions Within visual perception, an optical illusion (also called a visual illusion) is an illusion caused by the visual system and characterized by a visual percept that arguably appears to differ from reality. Illusions come in a wide variety; thei ...
with Daoist
philosophy of perception The philosophy of perception is concerned with the nature of perceptual experience and the status of perceptual data, in particular how they relate to beliefs about, or knowledge of, the world.cf. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/perception-epi ...
. "A man may shoot at a striped stone, he says, under the impression that it is a tiger, or at a ripple on the water, under the impression that it is a crocodile. Moreover, even if these animals are really there, his attention may be so concentrated on them that he will simply not see the stones or the water beside them." The ''Huashu'' article ''Sijing'' 四鏡 "Four Lenses" (1.10), with the earliest known reference to the basic types of simple lenses, metaphorically illustrates
relativism Relativism is a family of philosophical views which deny claims to objectivity within a particular domain and assert that valuations in that domain are relative to the perspective of an observer or the context in which they are assessed. Ther ...
and, in modern terms,
subjective idealism Subjective idealism, or empirical idealism, is a form of philosophical monism that holds that only minds and mental contents exist. It entails and is generally identified or associated with immaterialism, the doctrine that material things do no ...
.
I have always by me four lenses. The first is called 'gui''璧 (the 'sceptre', a diverging bi-concave lens). The second is called 'zhu''珠 (the 'pearl', biconvex). The third is called 'zhi''砥 (the 'whetstone', plano-concave). The fourth is called 'yu''盂 (the 'bowl', plano-convex). With 'gui''the object is larger (than the image). With 'zhu''the object is smaller (than the image). With 'zhi''the image appears upright. With 'yu''the image appears inverted. When one looks at shapes or human forms through such instruments, one realizes that there is no such thing as (absolute) large or small, short or long, beautiful or ugly, desirable or hateful.
Needham notes that
Giambattista della Porta Giambattista della Porta (; 1535 – 4 February 1615), also known as Giovanni Battista Della Porta, was an Italian scholar, polymath and playwright who lived in Naples at the time of the Renaissance, Scientific Revolution and Reformation. Giamba ...
's 1593 ''De refraction, optics parte'' was the first European treatment of these fundamental lens types. ''Dahan'' 大含 "Great Containment" (1.24) discusses how sound originates from disturbances in '' qi'' 氣 "air; vapor; pneuma; energy; vital force", a theory that Needham calls "far more advanced than the Pythagorean conception of sounds as a stuff composed of numbers."
The void ( 'xu''虛) is transformed into (magical) power (''shen'' 神). (Magical) power is transformed into 'qi'' 'Qi''is transformed into material things ( 'xing''形). Material things and 'qi''ride on one another ( 'xing qi xiang cheng''形氣相乘), and thus sound is formed. It is not the ear which listens to sound but sound which of itself makes its way into the ear. It is not the valley which of itself gives out echoing sound, but sound of itself fills up the entire valley.
An ear is a small hollow ( 'qiao''竅) and a valley is a large hollow. Mountains and marshes are a 'small valley' and Heaven and Earth are a 'large valley'. (Theoretically speaking, then) if one hollow gives out sound ten thousand hollows will all give out sound; if sound can be heard in one valley it should be heard in all the ten thousand valleys. Sound leads (back again) to 'qi'' 'qi''leads (back again) to (magical) power (''shen'' 神); (magical) power leads (back again) to the void. (But) the void has in it (the potentiality for) power. The power has in it (the potentiality for) 'qi'' 'Qi''has in it (the potentiality for) sound. One leads (back again) to the other, which has (a potentiality for) the former within itself. (If this reversion and production were to be prolonged) even the tiny noises of mosquitoes and flies would be able to reach everywhere.Tr. .
Several other ''Huashu'' articles mention this Daoist transformational series between ''xu'' "emptiness; void", '' shen'' "spirit; god", ''qi'' , and ''xing'' "form; shape; material things". They are said to be reversible back to emptiness (1.1), to exist everywhere (1.3), to all be one (1.16), to all contain each other (2.19), to transform from life to death and back to emptiness (1.20), and, adding a transformation from ''xing'' to ''jing'' 精 "essence" (cf. the Three Treasures), to underlie all human problems (1.15). Other scholars quote the ''Huashu'' from Needham. Galeotti, Menconi, and Fronzoni suggest "surprising references to the butterfly effect" in "Great Containment" (1.24). Davies compares
Francis Crick Francis Harry Compton Crick (8 June 1916 – 28 July 2004) was an English molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist. He, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, and Maurice Wilkins played crucial roles in deciphering the helical struc ...
's ''
The Astonishing Hypothesis ''The Astonishing Hypothesis'' is a 1994 book by scientist Francis Crick about consciousness. Crick, one of the co-discoverers of the molecular structure of DNA, later became a theorist for neurobiology and the study of the brain. ''The Aston ...
'' with "Shooting Tigers" (1.11) that uses "optical illusions and human inattention to press the view that we pick out certain elements of reality to form our world-picture." The ''Huashu'' has untold significance to the histories of philosophy and science. One final example mentions
classical conditioning Classical conditioning (also known as Pavlovian or respondent conditioning) is a behavioral procedure in which a biologically potent stimulus (e.g. food) is paired with a previously neutral stimulus (e.g. a triangle). It also refers to the learni ...
a millennium before
Ivan Pavlov Ivan Petrovich Pavlov ( rus, Ива́н Петро́вич Па́влов, , p=ɪˈvan pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ˈpavləf, a=Ru-Ivan_Petrovich_Pavlov.ogg; 27 February 1936), was a Russian and Soviet experimental neurologist, psychologist and physiol ...
discovered it. ''Geng Xin'' 庚辛 "The Geng and Xin amilies (5.10) recounts how two neighbors, figuratively named after the 7th and 8th
Celestial stem The ten Heavenly Stems or Celestial Stems () are a Chinese system of ordinals that first appear during the Shang dynasty, c. 1250 BC, as the names of the ten days of the week. They were also used in Shang-period ritual as names for dead family mem ...
s, used different materials to construct fish ponds.
The Geng's fish pond had a bamboo railing that made a ''ce-ce'' 策策 sound when leaned upon, and the Xin's had a wooden one that made a ''tang-tang'' 堂堂 sound. Both families fed their fish daily and the fish learned to leap out of the water when they heard these sounds. But even if they were not being fed, the fish leapt whenever they heard these respective sounds. Thus, the Geng's fish could be called with ''ce-ce'' and the Xin's fish with ''tang-tang'', which is a Food Transformation. [庚氏穴池,构竹为凭槛,登之者其声“策策”焉。辛氏穴池,构木为凭槛,登之者其“堂堂”焉。二氏俱牧鱼于池中,每凭槛投饥,鱼必踊跃而出。他日但闻“策策”“堂堂”之声,不投饵亦踊跃而出,则是庚氏之鱼可名“策策”,辛氏之鱼可名“堂堂”,食之化也。]
The ''Huashu'', unlike most other Daoist classics, is not available in English translation, with the unpublished exceptions of a MA thesis and a PhD dissertation.


See also

*''
The Kinship of the Three The ''Cantong qi'' is deemed to be the earliest book on Taoist alchemy in China. The title has been variously translated as ''Kinship of the Three'', ''Akinness of the Three'', ''Triplex Unity'', ''The Seal of the Unity of the Three'', and in s ...
''


References

* * * Ding Zhenyan 丁禎彥 and Li Sizhen 李似珍, eds. 1996. ''Huashu'' 化書. Zhonghua shuju. * * * Footnotes


External links


''The Book of Transformation''
Taoist Culture & Information Centre *{{in lang, zh}
化书
''Huashu'' in simplified characters, The Online School of Peking University Chinese philosophy Philosophy books Taoist texts