Master of the Numinous Sword

许逊The Commercial Press · ChinaApr 2020

3.3

Word count: 8.1K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

A one-volume work on qigong and daoyin. Written by Xu Xun of the Eastern Jin. The book matches the four seasons to the five organs and designs sixteen postures, which together form a complete set of moving qigong exercises. Each posture details its specific method and effects, and is simple and easy to practice.

Editor's review

This book is a specialized work on qigong and daoyin written by Xu Xun of the Eastern Jin; it is concise in length yet complete in system. Its core value lies in building a framework for the exercises around the idea of matching the four seasons to the five organs, and in combining sixteen postures into one set of moving exercises. Each posture explains its method and effects, making the entries clear and easy to take up. This photoreprint of the original Republican-era Commercial Press edition preserves the appearance of the old printing, allowing readers to appreciate both the text and the layout and origins of the edition. The arrangement that correlates seasons, organs, and movements is especially helpful for understanding the traditional daoyin concept of “performing exercises according to the season.” It is suitable as a small desk volume to read and practice from at leisure, and also as an introductory sample for understanding ancient health-preserving literature. When reading, one should focus on its structure and methods rather than judging every entry strictly by modern sports science standards.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in traditional daoyin health preservation who hope to practice posture by posture
General readers who want to understand the health-preserving idea of matching the four seasons to the five organs
Collectors or researchers of the layout of Republican-era photoreprint editions
Office workers who need short health-preserving material for daily browsing

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic modern exercise physiology guidance
People hoping to obtain detailed treatment plans for diseases

Reading tips

First read through the names and order of the sixteen postures, then choose one group according to the corresponding season and practice it daily.
During practice, refer to the methods and effects described in the original text, and keep the range of movement within your own comfort.
It may be paired with an introductory book on traditional organ theory to help understand the logic of matching the four seasons to the five organs.

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

"Republic-era Commercial Press Original Editions" refers to original books printed by The Commercial Press during the Republican period, not a separate publishing house. Judging from the 300 titles held in the collection, its publishing focus centers on classical poetry and lyrics, literary appreciation, classic works, military texts, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy. Representative titles include Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua, Zhong Rong's Shipin, the lyric collections of Xin Qiji and Liu Yong, Sun Wu's The Art of War, and Lü Buwei's Xianshi Lan. Its author resources are mainly classical writers, together with modern scholars such as Li Jingbang and Guo Huaruo, whose collations and annotations are also represented, giving the list a character centered on original texts while attending to annotation and appreciation. Public information on the precise Republican-era catalog and printings is limited; this overview is based only on the titles held in the collection.

版权信息
正文一
正文二
正文三
正文四
正文五

FAQ

Is this book suitable for someone with no foundation in daoyin at all?

It is suitable as an introductory reader. Each posture in the book clearly states its specific method and effects, and the text is concise, so you can try them one by one in order. But traditional exercises emphasize gradual progress; beginners should start with a small number of postures and keep movements natural and comfortable, without forcing a standard range.

How is the matching of the four seasons to the five organs reflected in the book?

The book uses the correspondence between the four seasons and the five organs as its framework, incorporating the sixteen postures into the practice sequences of different seasons so that the arrangement of movements echoes seasonal changes. Readers can use this to select the corresponding section for the current season, or read the whole text to appreciate the ancients’ overall approach of performing exercises according to the season.

What is the reading value of the photoreprint of the original Republican-era Commercial Press edition?

The photoreprint preserves the original layout, typeface, and item-by-item arrangement. While obtaining the exercise content, readers can also directly experience how health-preserving books of the Republican period were presented, which offers some reference for understanding the transmission of texts and old printing practices.

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About the author

许逊 Author

Information about Xu Xun's life is very limited in publicly available sources; his nationality and dates of birth and death are not clearly recorded. The library currently holds only one work by him, Ling Jian Zi (The Numinous Sword). In common classification the book is placed under medicine, which indicates that its content relates to medical and health-preserving knowledge rather than to purely literary creation. The title, with its reference to a "numinous sword," may suggest a text that combines technical methods with medical theory, though the circumstances of its composition and transmission are difficult to examine in detail given the scarce material. On the available evidence, Xu Xun's writing tends toward a practical compilation of knowledge, likely plain and direct in language and focused on recording and transmitting information rather than on rhetorical elaboration. Such texts are typically read and cited within specialized medical and health-preserving traditions, and their influence is chiefly found in that field. Because verifiable records are few, a full understanding of Xu Xun and his book still awaits further material.