Four Tallies

关尹子Nanhai Publication Company · ChinaJun 2024

4.0

Word count: 2.3K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Guan Yinzi, whose personal name was Xi, once served as the Pass Officer and was a contemporary of Laozi. Laozi's Daodejing, in five thousand characters, was composed at his request. Liu Xiang said: "Xi wrote nine chapters in all, entitled Guan Yinzi." The "Yiwenzhi" of the Hanshu records nine chapters of Guan Yinzi, traditionally attributed to Yin Xi of the Zhou. This is also what later ages called the Wenshi Zhenjing. The work was presumably composed after Laozi's Daodejing, and its Way is likewise similar; hence the "Tianxia" chapter of Zhuangzi, in narrating the ancient art of the Way, discusses Laozi and Guan Yinzi together. Its essentials lie in valuing the root and prizing the spirit, in being calm and free of deliberate action, in preserving quietude and self-restraint, in relying solely on emptiness, and in responding to things as they come.

Editor's review

Tradition attributes The Four Talismans to Guan Yinzi and places it within the nine-chapter system of The Guan Yinzi, later revered as The True Scripture of Wenshi. Its learning is close to Laozi's: it values the root and prizes spirit, is tranquil and non-interfering, keeps quiet and self-guarding, and responds to things as they come. It is an indispensable link in the genealogy of pre-Qin Daoist thought. The Zhuangzi's "Tianxia" chapter discusses Laozi and Guan Yinzi together, which shows their place in the transmission of the Way. This edition helps readers appreciate Daoist inner cultivation and the way of responding to things through short chapters; the language is simple and ancient, suited to slow, careful reading. If you care about Daoist source texts, want to understand the unfolding of Daoist discourse beyond the Daodejing, or need quiet periods for self-cultivation and reflection, this book offers a reading rhythm of emptiness and self-guarding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in pre-Qin Daoist source texts who want to expand their reading genealogy
Students of Chinese intellectual history who need to understand the Guan Yinzi lineage
Those who enjoy short chapters on the Way and are willing to read slowly and reflect in quiet
Teachers of traditional culture who need supplementary Daoist textual material

Not a good fit for

Beginners expecting popular stories or modern case interpretations
Readers who prefer strong plots and fast-paced reading
Beginners who need systematic vernacular annotation and sentence-by-sentence explanation

Reading tips

Read through once without seeking full understanding, then return and copy passages that move you.
Read alongside relevant chapters of the Daodejing to sense the similarities and differences in their discourse on the Way.
Read a short passage each day, then sit quietly for a while, turning quiet self-guarding into daily practice.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
四符符者，精神魂魄也。

FAQ

What is the relationship between The Four Talismans and the Daodejing?

According to the sources, Guan Yinzi was a contemporary of Laozi, and Laozi's five thousand words were written at his request; The Guan Yinzi was composed after the Daodejing, and its Way is also similar. The Zhuangzi's "Tianxia" chapter discusses Laozi and Guan Yinzi together, showing their thought is close, but The Four Talismans is an independent Daoist text, not a commentary on the Daodejing.

Can I read this book without a foundation in classical Chinese?

The language is simple and ancient; without any experience in classical Chinese, reading the original directly will be difficult. It is advisable first to have basic classical Chinese reading ability, or to read alongside a reliable vernacular translation and annotation, then return to the original to appreciate its valuing of the root and spirit and its tranquil non-interference.

Is this book suitable for reading in one sitting?

Not really. Such short chapters on the Way are dense with meaning and best read slowly in small amounts. Reading a short passage each day and leaving time for quiet reflection makes it easier to appreciate its quiet self-guarding and responding to things as they come than reading it all at once.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

关尹子 Author

Guan Yinzi is an important figure in the tradition of ancient Chinese Daoist thought. His life and dates are difficult to verify, and available public information is limited; he is usually associated with the book bearing his name. This catalogue lists four related works, including Wenshi Zhenjing (Annotated Edition), Sifu, Wujian, and Jiuyao, most of which are philosophical texts transmitted under his name. Wenshi Zhenjing, also known as the True Scripture of Wenshi, is an influential work in Daoist and philosophical literature. Through short chapters and aphorisms it explores themes such as the Dao, human nature and mind, being and non-being, and emptiness and substance. Its thought is speculative, its language concise and rich in metaphor, and its arguments often unfold through dialogues and parable-like passages. The other texts likewise center on self-cultivation and the contemplative understanding of things, brief in length yet suggestive in meaning. In Chinese cultural history such works are often classed as classics and philosophical reading, and are also appreciated as literature for their Daoist manner of expression and intellectual interest.