The Section on Emotion and Will

Chen MengleiJun 2024

3.5

Word count: 18K words
Chapters: 13

Summary

Traditional Chinese cultural thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive and literary. Early forms of thought are distinctive: religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers—all are profound and extensive. This series, "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts," preserves the original appearance of the books and focuses on conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate character and subtly absorb the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

As a volume in the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series, Qizhi Men presents the traditional textual form of the doctrine of emotions and dispositions in Chinese medicine. Its contents concern the relationship between the seven emotions and the zang-fu organs, qi and blood; the mechanisms by which emotions cause illness; and methods for regulating the mind and spirit. It is an important entry point for understanding the Chinese medical view of the unity of body and mind. The book preserves the original appearance of the text without excessive vernacular rewriting, so readers can directly encounter the tone, format and terminology of ancient physicians' discussions of emotions and dispositions and experience the distinctive texture of traditional medical discourse. Its value lies not in offering quick health-preservation formulas but in showing how the ancients understood emotion and health within the framework of "cultivating both body and spirit." It is suitable as extended reading after an introduction to Chinese medical culture, and also for readers interested in traditional cultivation of mind and character who wish to read slowly and savor the text. Readers should draw on their own background knowledge, look up and compare terms as needed, and need not try to finish it in one sitting; browsing at leisure and reflecting while reading will better reveal its meaning.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the doctrine of emotions and dispositions in Chinese medicine and the body-mind relationship who have some foundation in classical Chinese
Practitioners engaged in popularizing Chinese medical culture or teaching Chinese classics who need original texts for reference
Enthusiasts of Chinese classics who enjoy slow reading of traditional texts and value an authentic reading experience
Readers concerned with emotion and health who hope to gain a perspective from traditional medicine

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking modern psychological self-help methods or immediate emotion-regulation techniques
Beginning readers who find classical Chinese difficult and expect vernacular translations and detailed annotations
Readers who treat this book as a manual for clinical diagnosis or medication guidance

Reading tips

First read the table of contents to grasp the general scope of the entries in Qizhi Men, then selectively close-read passages of interest.
Keep a dictionary of basic Chinese medical terms at hand and check concepts such as zang-fu organs, qi and blood, and the seven emotions as they arise.
After each section, restate the ancients' core views in your own words to test whether you have truly understood the original text.
Do not pursue speed; keep it as a bedside book and finish it over several weeks, jotting down brief reflections afterward.

版权信息
黄帝素问
脉解篇
本神篇
经脉篇
邪淫发梦篇
行针篇
百病始生篇
邪客篇
本脏篇
方
针灸
医案

FAQ

Can I read this book without a foundation in Chinese medicine?

You can, but there is a certain threshold. The book preserves the original appearance of the text; terminology is dense and not rewritten in vernacular, so understanding will suffer without a foundation in Chinese medicine. It is advisable to first acquire some basic knowledge of the zang-fu organs, qi and blood, and the seven emotions, or to read it alongside an introductory work, checking unfamiliar terms promptly; the reading experience will then be much smoother.

Can this book be used to regulate my own emotions?

This book presents organized traditional medical literature and focuses on conserving and transmitting the ancient doctrine of emotions and dispositions. It is not a modern self-help manual and does not constitute diagnostic or treatment advice. Readers may use it to learn how the ancients understood the relationship between emotion and health, but if they have actual physical or mental difficulties, they should still seek professional medical help and should not attempt to handle them on their own by following the book.

What does it mean that this series preserves the original appearance of the text?

It means that in editing, the original chapter structure, textual appearance and mode of expression are maintained as far as possible, without excessive vernacular translation or rewriting of content, so that readers directly encounter the traditional text itself. The advantage is that the original context and terminology system are preserved; the cost is relatively higher reading difficulty, making it more suitable for readers willing to read slowly and savor the text.

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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.