Preface to Classic of Mountains and Seas

Since ancient times, people who read "The Classic of Mountains and Seas" have been suspicious of its absurd content, full of bizarre and exaggerated descriptions. I would like to discuss this: Zhuangzi once said that what people know is far less than what they don't know. I saw this in "The Classic of Mountains and Seas". Considering the vastness of the universe, the diversity of living things, the blending of yin and yang, the vast diversity of all things, the mixing and interpenetration of spirits, wandering spirits and gods, and their images and forms flowing between mountains, rivers, wood and rocks, how can these be completely expressed in words? What about expression? However, these strange things are summarized and their variations merge into a unified image. The so-called "different" in the world, people don't know why they are different; the so-called "different" in the world, people don't know why they are not different. why? The thing itself is not strange, it is people's perception that makes it strange. Therefore, northerners will feel strange when they see cloth, and southerners will be surprised when they see fur. It is human nature for people to be accustomed to common things and to be surprised by rare things.

Now, let me give a brief example to illustrate this point: fire can be produced in ice water, and cold-blooded animals can be produced in hot mountains, but people do not find it strange. However, when they talk about the contents in "The Classic of Mountains and Seas", they are all surprised. This is because people are not weird about acceptable weird things, but are weird about unacceptable weird things. If there were no more weirdness about acceptable weirdness, then there would be almost nothing weird about it. As with the unacceptable weirdness, there was nothing weird about it in the first place. If you can accept those unacceptable things, and the unacceptable things will become acceptable, then the truth will not be impossible.

According to the bamboo slips unearthed in Jijun and the "Biography of Emperor Mu", King Mu of Zhou met the Queen Mother of the West during his Western expedition and presented him with gifts such as jade bis and silk. King Mu hosted a banquet for the Queen Mother of the West at Yaochi. The two of them wrote poems to each other, and their rhetoric was magnificent. King Mu then visited the Kunlun Mountains, visited the palace of Huangdi Xuanyuan, looked at Zhongshan Mountain, admired the emperor's treasures, and carved a stone on the mountain of Xiwangmu to record his footprints in Xuanpu. He brought back rare plants, strange birds and beasts, jade treasures, gold, paste, candles, silver and other treasures there, and planted and raised them in China. King Mu rode in a chariot drawn by eight horses, with Bandit Li on the right, Gao Er on the left, Zaofu driving the car, and Benrong on the right. He traveled thousands of miles, traveling around the wilderness, and visited all the famous mountains and rivers. He ascended to the Lord's Hall in the east, stayed in the Queen Mother's Cottage in the west, traveled south to the turtle's beam, and traveled north to the Jiyu Road, enjoying himself to his heart's content, and then returned.

"Historical Records" records that King Mu obtained the Stealing Li, 𫘧'er, Hualiu and other horses, and was driven by Zaofu to hunt in the west. After meeting the Queen Mother of the West, he was so happy that he forgot to return. This is consistent with the record in the Bamboo Book. "Zuo Zhuan" says that King Mu wanted to indulge his ambition and hoped that there would be traces of rutted horses everywhere in the world. This is what is recorded in the Bamboo Book.

However, people like Qiao Zhou, although knowledgeable, did not agree with these records. They used historical research to prove that these records were wrong. Sima Qian also said in "The Biography of Dawan" that since Zhang Qian went to Daxia as an envoy, although he had explored the source of the river, how could he see the so-called Kunlun Mountains? As for all the monsters recorded in "Yu Gong" and "Shan Hai Jing", I dare not say whether they exist. Isn't this sad? If the bamboo script had not been discovered thousands of years later and used to prove today's facts, then the records in the "Shan Hai Jing" might have been abandoned. For example, Dongfang Shuo knew Bi Fang's name, Liu Zizheng identified the stolen corpse, Wang Qi visited the two-faced man, and Hai Min obtained the long-armed clothes, these are all verified secrets and unparalleled signs. Isn't this enough to bring some clarity to those confused people? Therefore, the ancient holy emperors explored the origin of things through changes, used images to deal with weirdness, discerned the truth without stagnation, and depicted profound emotions. How amazing this is!

The book spans seven dynasties and three thousand years. Although it was briefly popular in the Han Dynasty, it was quickly forgotten. Many of the names and locations of the mountains and rivers in the book are inconsistent with the present. The knowledge passed down from masters has not been passed down and will eventually disappear. The truth still exists, but the custom has been lost. How sad!

I worry about it, and so I create traditions for it, clear away obstacles, open up wilderness, lead to profound meaning, mark thorough exploration. I hope that those scattered words will not disappear in the world, and the strange speech will not be cut off today.

The relics of the Xia Dynasty will be engraved in the future; wouldn't it be good for future generations to hear about the events of Bahuang? How can those flying Qiu Hui discuss the volley in the sky; those who play in the hoof water, how can they understand the leaping of the Jiang Qiu. Is the courtyard in Diaotian only something an actor can set foot on? Is it possible for Cangsi to cross a ferry without a ship? If you are not the most knowledgeable person in the world, it will be difficult to discuss the meaning of "Shan Hai Jing" with them. well! Those who are knowledgeable and like to study things, please review this book.

The Supervisor now engraved Guo Pu's annotations on the Classic of Mountains and Seas, placed it in a public library, imitated printing and circulated it, and forever became a learned aid to the scholar-bureaucrats. In the summer of the Wuzi year during the Chenghua period, in the fifth month of the summer, the Imperial Palace official, Guozijian, offered wine to Xiangling, Xing Han and others only paid their respects.