The Seal of the Unity of the Three: A Study and Translation of the Cantong qi, the Source of the Taoist Way of the Golden Elixir

Although I like a lot of Thomas Cleary translations, and Eva Wong sometimes has some good stuff too, Pregadio's translation of what is more commonly referred to in English as 'The Triplex Unity' is a breath of fresh air. His introduction is scholarly, erudite, and in-depth, unlike the surface treatment we get in some other books on Taoism, where you have to read between the lines or outright ignore large portions of the intro altogether. Pregadio also gives extensive textual notes and detailed explanations of the concepts present in this essential early alchemical text. I call it an alchemical text, since that is what it is primarily known as, but Pregadio makes a strong and convincing case that alchemy is only one of the three strands of thought operative here (the other two being philosophical Taoism, and a sort of commentary on the 'I-Ching/Book of Changes'). 'The Seal of the Unity of the Three' also posits a distinction between the "superior virtue" of instant enlightenment (non-doing) and "inferior virtue" (alchemy, = doing), though the legendary author Wei Boyang doesn't really explain the method of superior virtue (it just has to happen intuitively it seems, as non-doing inherently implies no method) and, while he claims to reveal all (or most) of the alchemical methods, he still couches even this in sometimes obscure language. But anyone who's read Taoist texts before should not expect the full revealing of the method/s in writing. One is, as always, directed to a teacher and verbal transmission, though the contours are certainly given here, and Taoist history does not rule out individual insight as being fruitful. There is a lot to be gained from this book. It is also noteworthy for its early attack on "incorrect practices", with its dismissal of meditating on the "inner deities," of "having a point of concentration" (p. 80), of literal alchemy, of certain kinds of breathing exercises. For Wei Boyang, it's all about the "three ways": the cosmology of the I-Ching, the Taoism of the Tao Te Ching (Daode ching), and the inner alchemy as expressed here. This is a crucial Taoist text; if you are exploring the Taoist canon it is a must-read.One brief aside -- doesn't the figure on the book cover (a painting of a Taoist immortal c. 1300) look a lot like the photo of Pregadio himself shown on this page? Perhaps he chose it as a sly joke?

This is a great book for those interested in ancient taoist philosophy and foundations of Neidan. Fabrizio Pregadio has really produced a scholarly work that is complete in all respects. There is an extensive introduction where he details his approach and methods to translating the ancient text, carefully pointing out areas of controversy regarding provenance. The translation of the actual text is straight forward but is broken up into sections (not part of original text) that allow for ease of reference to extensive notes, found in separate section in the later part of the book, that contain refernces to other chinese classics such as I Ching and Tao Te Ching that illustrate the inter-connectedness of these ancient sources. These, the text and notes, really need to be read in parallel to develop the fullest understanding of the material. There is also a section with diagrams and tables. The original chinese text is provided as an appendix for those interested in the source material. There is also an externsive bibliography, index and crossreference of terms. This book is really a master work.I took up the reading of this book as part of a deeper study into the I Ching and taoist philosophy. It has opened up a whole new realm of understanding for me. Most enjoyable read.

Prof. Fabrizio Pregadio, one of the world's leading Daoist scholars, offers in this translation with commentary, a very readable and clearly explained version of an extremely important inner alchemy work called "Can tong qi" (Pronounced "tsan tong chi" in modern accent). In a very readable introduction (pp. 1-63) the origin and content of the present text is examined, after which the text itself is translated, pp. 69-126. The most important contribution of Pregadio's work is found in the extensive notes, pp. 130 to 244, which are easily understood by the lay person, and serve as a wonderful source of learning for upper division university and graduate seminars as well.The book concludes with tables and figures (245-260), the Chinese text (269-285), two indices (286-301), and bibliographical references (303-308). A must read! Recommended for university courses as well as the general public!

Predagio makes the work easy to read, while providing extensive notes on the notoriously thick symbolism. He even provides the work in the Chinese. Many charts and drawings help one to understand not only the work, but the history behind it.

This is a very valuable addition to the body of Taoist text translated into English.Understanding Taoist alchemy is a process and Fabrizio Pregadio`s notes are very helpful in this.

A Very classic Taoist work with enigmatic language, dense with symbolic references.

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