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The received Huashu text contains 110 articles or sections (pian 篇) arranged in 6 chapters (juan 卷), named after types of hua 化 "transformation; change; conversion".
| Chapter | Chinese | Pinyin | English Translation | Articles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 道化 | Daohua | Way Transformations | 24 |
| 2 | 術化 | Shuhua | Techniques Transformations | 21 |
| 3 | 德化 | Dehua | Potency Transformations | 16 |
| 4 | 仁化 | Renhua | Humaneness Transformations | 17 |
| 5 | 食化 | Shihua | Food Transformations | 15 |
| 6 | 儉化 | Jianhua | Frugality Transformations | 17 |
Most Huashu articles begin with a parable or example and then elaborate upon it. Individual articles are identified by chapter and number, for instance 1.1 Ziji Gong bi 紫極宮碑 "Stele at the Palace of the Purple Ultimate", 1.2 Sheqiao 蛇雀 "Snakes and Sparrows," 1.3 Laofeng 老楓 "Old Maple Trees", 1.4 Ermu 耳目 "Ears and Eyes". Unlike this 1.1 with four Chinese characters, all the other 109 Huashu titles have two characters, which suggests textual corruption or alteration.
The textual history of the Huashu was analyzed by Didier (1998:127-147) who differentiated two lines of transmission, the "secular" text originally published under the authorship of Song Qiqiu and the "Daoist" text written by Tan Qiao. The first transmission dates back to Song's 930 CE preface, which describes the Huashu as having 6 chapters and 110 articles. The second textual transmission dates back to Chen Jingyuan's 1060 CE edition of the Huashu credited to Tan Qiao. Didier (1998:131) concludes that in 14th-century China, the book "was widely known and read" and "two of what we might call Hua shu cultures existed, the secular or external and the Taoist/alchemical or internal."
The secular Huashu text, called the Qiqiuzi 齊丘子 " Master Qiqiu" or Song Qiqiu Huashu 宋齊丘化書, is related to the 1144-46 CE Daozang "Daoist Canon" edition of the Huashu. Texts in this lineage have 110 articles, beginning with 1.1 "Stele at the Palace of the Purple Ultimate". The Daoist Huashu text, called the Tanzi 譚子 " Master Tan " or Tanzi Huashu 譚子化書, is related to the 1457-1464 Daiwang 代王 (Hubei) government-printed Huashu edition. Texts in this lineage have 109 articles, or 110 beginning with different 1.1 Daohua 道化 "Way Transformations" (also the chapter 1 title) or Shenhua 神化 "Spirit Transformations" titles. Many Huashu editions are currently available, and the Daozang includes two versions (CT 1044 and 1478).
Based on differences among Huashu editions (variant characters, taboo usages, etc.) and a 1023-33 CE text called the Wuhua 五化 "Five Transformations" credited to Tanzi "Master Tan", Didier (1998:141-44) suggests the original Huashu had 5 chapters instead of 6. This Wuhua closely resembles the Huashu except that it begins "The Utmost Way has five transformations therein" and that the "Way Transformations" (chapter 1 in received texts) subsumes the 5 Huashu chapters "Techniques, Potency, Humaneness, Food, and Frugality Transformations". His hypothesis that the original Huashu text had a quinary instead of sexpartite structure, and that the first chapter was Tan's original preface, is strengthened by the importance of 5 among numbers in Chinese culture. Take for instance the Huashu articles Wuxing 五行 "Five Phases/Elements" (4.2) and Wuchang 五常 "Five Constant " (3.1).
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