Dongpo's Commentary on the Classic

Author: (Song) Su Shi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-18
Features: It is widely known that Su Dongpo was a great literary master, but few people know that he was also an "expert in the I Ching" and once wrote a book titled The Collected Commentaries on the I Ching by Su Dongpo. From a young age, Su Shi studied the I Ching under the guidance of the Taoist priest Zhang Yijian from Meishan. During his youth, he aspired to enter the mountains and forests to become a Taoist priest and maintained frequent interactions with Taoist sages throughout his life. He had a deep understanding of the divination methods of the Book of Changes and the "fetal breathing" health preservation technique, and even called himself the "Iron Crown Taoist." His father, Su Xun, was proficient in the Tai Xuan, and in his later years, he intended to write a commentary on the I Ching but failed to complete it. He left a last command for Su Shi to continue the work. Around the age of 45, when Su Shi was exiled to Huangzhou, he began writing the commentary, continuously revising it until near the end of his life. His cognitive methods and governance philosophy were deeply influenced by the I Ching, making his poetry, prose, and essays even more profound and mystical. Later generations, lacking an understanding of the I Ching, often grasped only the surface. However, after Su Shi's death, his works were destroyed by Cai Jing and others, and this commentary on the I Ching was secretly repackaged and published as The Collected Commentaries on the I Ching from Piling (Piling being an alias for Changzhou, where Su Shi passed away). As a result, it remains relatively unknown. The author of this book believes that "without The Collected Commentaries on the I Ching by Su Dongpo, it is impossible to understand Su Shi's thought and his literary works." The book is based on the Collected Commentaries on the I Ching by Su Dongpo from the Siku Quanshu and has been collated and corrected by referencing multiple other editions. Brief introductions have been written before each chapter to facilitate readers' understanding and appreciation.