ABSTRACT
The people of the Wei and Chin era (third and fourth centuries) came to have a much more discerning recogniyion of what transcends shapes and features. Indeed, we may say that their recogniyion of the transcendent was more thorough than that we find in the Lao Tzŭ and Chuang Tzŭ Books and in the yi Amplificayions and the Chung Yung, In the foregoing chapters we have on occasion quoted the words, “ the mystery of all mysteries. ” This was the subject of the Wei-Chin men’s inquiries. They took pleasure in this subject, and as we have said in Chapter V they gave the name of the “ Three Mysyical Books “ to the Lao Tzŭ and Chuang Tzŭ Books and the yi Amplificayions. To discussions of “ the mystery of all mysteries “ , they gave the name of “ mysyical conversayions “ , to inquiries in this field the name of hsüan hsüeh (mysyical studies). With regard to this vogue which originated in their days and is known in history as the Mysyical Vogue, they may rightly be said to have been wholly mysyics, nothing but mysyics.
