Returning to Substance
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in pre-Qin Confucian thought and Confucius's words and deeds
- Readers who enjoy short classical texts and are willing to read fine works closely
- Those seeking plain style and inspiration for self-cultivation and conduct
- Beginning readers hoping to build a feel for classical Chinese through short passages
Not a good fit for
- Readers expecting systematic philosophical treatises or lengthy commentaries
- Those who prefer modern vernacular and do not wish to engage with classical Chinese
- Applied readers seeking abundant cases and practical methods
Reading tips
- Read the original through once, then go sentence by sentence with the notes to understand key terms such as bi and plain substance.
- After reading, write a short note of about a hundred words connecting it to an experience of your own of over-embellishment or return to simplicity.
- Read it alongside relevant chapters of the Analects to appreciate the concision and reserve of Confucius's way of speaking.
- Best read a small portion each day and set it aside to savor; there is no need to finish it in one sitting.
About the publisher
Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 卷二十 反质（一）
- 卷二十 反质（二）
- 卷二十 反质（三）
- 卷二十 反质（四）
- 卷二十 反质（五）
FAQ
What does "Bi is not a pure color" mean?
This book has only one dialogue—is it worth reading?
Can I read it without a foundation in classical Chinese?
Comments
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About the author
Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.
