Section on Gu Poisoning

Chen MengleiJun 2024

2.5

Word count: 20K words
Chapters: 16

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early forms of thought are highly distinctive: religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography—all are profound and extensive.

This "Essence of Chinese Classics: Original Texts" series preserves the original appearance of the books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers can cultivate their character and quietly come to appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Zhonggu Men is included in the "Essence of Chinese Classics: Original Texts" series. Its value lies not in sensationalism but in placing folk beliefs and ethnographic knowledge back within the context of traditional thought. The title may suggest mysterious arts, but the book actually belongs to a broader framework of reading original classics of Chinese learning, emphasizing the preservation of original texts and the transmission of traditional thought and culture. For readers, it offers a window into how people in the past understood illness, spirits, and everyday order, and can be read alongside classical Chinese medical texts, local customs and geography, and related categories. Readers need not rush to judge authenticity; instead, they should attend to the social psychology and local knowledge behind the texts. It is suitable as supplementary reading for enthusiasts of traditional culture, and for writers and folklore researchers who need material and background. Because it is a compilation-style series volume, it is best read selectively with questions in mind rather than page by page from start to finish.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in folk beliefs and folk culture
Writers and researchers who need background on traditional mystical concepts
Enthusiasts who have already encountered original classics of Chinese learning and wish to broaden their reading

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic scholarly verification or a rigorous theoretical framework
Readers who accept only modern scientific explanations and reject folk beliefs
Readers seeking practical methods or sensational secret arts

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and preface first, then select pieces related to Chinese medicine, customs, and geography.
Jot down terms and concepts as they appear, so you can compare them with other original classics of Chinese learning.
Distinguish between what the text records and your own judgment, and do not treat the content as an instruction manual.
Read interspersed with other categories in the same series to build an overall understanding of traditional thought.

版权信息
古今图书集成医部全录卷三百二十七中蛊门
千金方【唐孙思邈】
济生方【宋严用和】
医学纲目【明楼英】
石室秘箓【清陈士铎】
方
单方
针灸
金匮要略【汉张机】
风俗通【汉应劭】
千金方【唐孙思邈】
景岳全书【明张介宾】
石室秘箓【清陈士铎】
方
单方

FAQ

Does this book describe specific methods of practicing gu sorcery?

According to the available information, this book belongs to the "Essence of Chinese Classics: Original Texts" series and focuses on preserving the original appearance of the texts and transmitting traditional thought and culture, not on providing ritual methods. Readers should treat it as material for folk custom and intellectual history, focusing on how people in the past narrated and explained such phenomena, rather than following it as a guide.

Can I read it without a foundation in traditional Chinese learning?

You can read it, but you should adjust your expectations. The book preserves the original appearance of the texts, and its terminology and expression may not be easily accessible. It is advisable to read the table of contents and preface first, choose pieces that interest you, and use annotations or similar readings to help with unfamiliar concepts; do not feel obliged to read it through.

What is its relationship to classical Chinese medical texts and local customs and geography?

The available information indicates that the series covers religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, local customs and geography, and other categories, and this book's content overlaps with these fields. Readers can place its records of illness, spirits, and local beliefs alongside medical and folk-custom materials to understand the stratification and circulation of traditional knowledge.

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About the author

Chen Menglei Author · China · 1651–1741

Chen Menglei (1651–1741), courtesy names Zizhen and Shengzhai, later styled the Old Man of Songhe, was a Qing dynasty scholar from Houguan, Fujian. He passed the imperial examination in the ninth year of the Kangxi reign and was appointed to the Hanlin Academy as a compiler. After 1698, by imperial order, he tutored the third prince, Yinzhii, and took the opportunity to compile a vast classified encyclopedia, the Hui Bian, using the collection of the Xieyi Hall; the Kangxi Emperor later bestowed on it the title Gujin Tushu Jicheng. The library holds more than 410 of his works, mostly sections of the officialdom chapters of that encyclopedia, covering institutions such as the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Imperial Observatory, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, prefectural governors, the Transmission Office, and the Imperial Medical Academy. These works address ancient bureaucratic systems, ritual norms, and administrative practice. His compilations are distinguished by systematic classification and extensive citation, preserving a wealth of source materials for later generations; they are commonly categorized under culture and Eastern philosophy. As public information on his life is limited, this note confines itself to his known scholarly contributions.