Research on Huainanzi.Tianwen: From the perspective of the history of numerology

Author: Tao Lei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-01
Features: This book is slightly revised based on my doctoral dissertation. When Mr. Li Xueqin gave me this topic, I was quite unfamiliar with the Tianwen section of the Huainanzi. When the preliminary draft of the dissertation came out after a year and a half, I didn’t expect to achieve so much. There is absolutely no arrogance in this statement; I just feel fortunate. When reviewing the annotations and studies of predecessors on the Huainanzi, the Tianwen section was always brief. Without the timely publication and availability of a large number of unearthed texts, especially the Shifǎ from the Mawangdui silk manuscripts and the Zhoujia Tai Qin Tomb Bamboo Slips, this dissertation could not have reached this level. The completion of the dissertation also owes much to the research achievements of the following scholars: Qian Tang’s supplementary annotations on Tianwen, Wang Zhenduo’s research on the Tianwen earth plate, Xi Zexong’s study of the Wuxing Zhan from the Mawangdui silk manuscripts, Chen Jiujin’s research on the Jupiter chronology, Li Ling’s study of the Thirty Hours from the Yinque Mountain Han bamboo slips, [French] Marc’s research on the Xingde from the Mawangdui silk manuscripts, and Jiang Xiaoyuan’s comprehensive study of ancient calendars. I pay respect to their work. The title of the dissertation was thought up only when it was almost completed. Initially, I only wanted to clarify what kind of document Tianwen was—whether it was a summary of ancient knowledge or the expression of a single viewpoint. If it was a single viewpoint, what were the specific circumstances? However, as the research deepened, the numerological nature of this document gradually became prominent, and this title emerged in time. The dissertation only accomplishes two-thirds of what I envisioned, with the remaining one-third, the "why" question, yet to be completed. It is one of the focal points of my current work. I hope that after the publication of this book, this question can be resolved satisfactorily.
Additionally, there are still many aspects of the dissertation that require further research and refinement. For example, the correspondence between the twelve divisions (Shibazi) and the twenty-eight lunar mansions (Baxiu): Is the record in the Han Shi the only one, or the result of a specific calendar school? This also needs verification from more new materials.
The Wenwu (Cultural Relics) journal’s 2003 Issue 1 published a brief report on the excavation of Tomb No. 1 at Huxishan in Yuanling County. The tomb contained an Shi plate and Rishu (Daily Records), which differ from the Shi plates discussed in this book but were also used for divination, similar to the Xingde Shi in this book’s Chapter 7. Below are my preliminary opinions on them, which are published alongside this book for the benefit of fellow scholars.
The brief report describes the Shi plate and Rishu as follows: The Shi plate consists of 2 wooden pieces, coated with black lacquer externally. The base is a square with rounded corners, placed above a circular rotating disc. The center has an axle hole, and around the circumference of the disc, there are eight rectangular needle-engraved frames evenly arranged on the rim of the base. The frames are outlined in red ink, and inside, red ink is used to write the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches (Gan Zhi), arranged in a clockwise direction. Only one frame is clearly legible, while the others are blurred, suggesting that each frame contains 7–8, totaling 60 in a full circle. The base has a red ink "#"-shaped symbol in the lower right corner, with similar symbols possibly present in the other three corners. The base also has symbols indicating the cardinal directions. The base measures 19.7 cm in length and 0.9 cm in thickness, while the disc has a diameter of 12.3 cm and a thickness of 0.45 cm. The axle hole is 0.5 cm in diameter.
The Rishu. Most of the unearthed bamboo slips are part of the Rishu. They were found together with the Meishi Fang slips in the northern compartment and were scattered near the inner coffin’s upright board when excavated, buried under the collapsed coffin lid. During clearing, they were collected into eight groups based on their scattered range, totaling 1,095 pieces (fragments). The complete Rishu slips number approximately 500. Each slip is 27 cm long and 0.8 cm wide, with two sets of string bindings. The writing is either neat or cursive, and the slips are inscribed with the title Yan Shi Wu Sheng (also written as Yan Shi Wu Sheng), attributed to Yan Zhao, along with a preface titled Hongtu Zhi Lun, both of which are not recorded in historical documents. The distinguishing feature of these slips compared to previously unearthed Rishu is that they introduce historical events from the late Qin to the early Han period to validate their divinatory methods. They provide relatively direct materials for studying the history and astronomy-calendars of that time.