Page 299 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

260 THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TAOISM A-L

Chen Xianwei

fl. 1223-54; zi: Zongdao *J!l:; haD: Baoyi zi j§-.y
(Master Who Embraces The One)

Chen Xianwei, who came from Yangzhou m )+1 (Jiangsu), was a *daoshi at
the Yousheng guan 1ti ~ W (Abbey of the Helping Saint) in Lin' an ~~6 'fi: (Zhe-
jiang). He is best known for a *neidan commentary to the *Zhouyi cantong qi
entitled Zhouyi cantong qi jie !B-J g ~ Iw] ~ rut (Explication of the Zhouyi cantong
qi; CT I007). The few available details about his life are found in a preface to
this work contributed by his lay disciple Zheng Boqian ~I> ID ~, a teacher in
the Prefectural School of Quzhou 11'Ih)+1 (Zhejiang) who is also known for
an extant commentary to the Zhouli Jr'ij {; (Rites of the Zhou). According to
this preface, Chen first received alchemical teachings in 1223; he obtained the
transmission of the Cantong qi shortly thereafter and devoted several years of
retirement to its study.
The Cantong qi jie, which bears (in some of its editions) an author's preface
dated 1234 and was printed in the same year, is based on the text of the Cantong
qi established by *Peng Xiao. Some variants suggest that Ch en Xianwei was also
familiar with the commentary ascribed to *Yin Changsheng (Zhouyi cantong qi;
CT 999) and with Zhu Xi's *~: (II30-1200) *Zhouyi cantong qi kaoyi (Critical
Investigation of the Zhouyi cantong qi). The commentary was printed by Wang
Yi I 5if, another lay disciple who also subsidized the publication of Chen
Xianwei's commentary to the Guanyin zi mm j+ (- (Book of Master Guanyin).
In all the received editions, Wang Yi's postface follows another colophon, dated
1245, written by a follower from Tiantai *-~; (Zhejiang) who had received
the Cantong qi jie from Chen Xianwei. It is unlikely that either this follower or
Wang Yi is the author of the section entitled "Cantong qi zhaiwei" ~ In] );i t~ fll:Z
("Pointing out the Subtleties of the Cantong qC). Along with those by Peng Xiao
and Chu Yong {i#i bi< (fl. ca. 1230), this section, containing notes on the portion
of text corresponding to part of zhang 36 and the whole zhang 37 in Peng Xiao's
recension, criticizes the interpretation given by Chen Xianwei himself.
The Daozang contains two other texts by Chen Xianwei: the commentary to
the Guanyin zi, entitled Wenshi zhenjing yanwai zhi ;~:.j~ JU~ § 5'~ §' (Purport
Beyond Words of the Authentic Scripture of Master Wenshi; CT 728), which
was completed and printed in 1254, and an undated edition of the Shenxian
yangsheng bishu fEll {W lt1=. Wffi (Secret Arts of the Divine Immortals for Nour-
ishing Life; CT 948), consisting of a collection of *waidan methods and herbal