Section on Irritability and Restlessness
Tags
Summary
Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history, marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early forms of thought are highly distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysical learning, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography—all are profound and extensive. This "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series preserves the original appearance of the books, with a focus on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate their temperament and quietly immerse themselves in the classics of Chinese learning.
Editor's review
Fanzhaomen (The Gate of Restlessness) belongs to the same "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series. Its author is Chen Menglei, and its content orientation is consistent with the series' aim of preserving traditional thought and culture. The title points to a category of "restlessness," suggesting that it may be a compilation of topical writings on emotions, physical and mental adjustment, or related traditional discussions, rather than a modern psychological self-help manual. Its strength lies in preserving the original appearance of the text, allowing readers to see how people in earlier times classified and discussed matters of physical and mental disturbance; it thus has dual value for documentary reading and for observing intellectual history. Readers should not force modern psychological frameworks onto it, but should first understand its classificatory approach and conventions of expression, then consider what practical wisdom might be adapted from it. It is suitable as supplementary material for topical reading in traditional culture; read alongside comparable classics, it can give a clearer view of earlier holistic understandings of emotion and body. For editors, such texts are better browsed at the desk and excerpted for comparison than read straight through.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Traditional-culture readers interested in traditional discussions of physical and mental adjustment
- Learners doing topical reading in Chinese studies who need source materials
- Readers who enjoy observing earlier ways of thinking through the classification of ancient texts
- Desk readers with some classical Chinese who are willing to read slowly and take excerpts
Not a good fit for
- People seeking modern psychotherapy or self-help methods
- Readers hoping for systematic vernacular explanation and case analysis
- People with little patience for classical Chinese who want light entertainment
Reading tips
- First determine where "Fanzhaomen" is classified within the whole book, then read the individual entries.
- Make card excerpts of entries by theme—emotion, body, circumstances—to facilitate cross-comparison.
- When encountering a difficult passage, read the surrounding context first; do not rush to map modern concepts onto it.
- Read alongside traditional health-cultivation or Confucian self-cultivation texts for mutual corroboration.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 黄帝素问
- 至真要大论
- 气交变大论
- 五常政大论
- 五脏生成篇
- 经脉篇
- 金匮要略 【 汉 张机】
- 脉诀 【 晋 王叔和】
- 千金方 【 唐 孙思邈】
- 济生方 【 宋 严用和】
- 活人书 【 宋 朱肱】
- 河间六书 【 金 刘完素】
- 东垣十书 【 元 李杲】
- 丹溪心法 【 元 朱震亨】
- 证治要诀 【 明 戴思恭】
- 医学入门 【 明 李梴】
- 医学纲目 【 明 楼英】
- 伤寒六书 【 明 陶华】
- 证治准绳 【 明 王肯堂】
- 医门法律 【 清 喻昌】
- 石室秘箓 【 清 陈士铎】
- 方
- 针灸
- 医案
FAQ
Is Fanzhaomen a book about emotional management?
No. According to the materials, it belongs to the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series, whose contents cover religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysical learning, the Twenty-Four Histories, local customs and geography, and more; its focus is on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. "Fanzhaomen" in the title is more likely a traditional documentary category or chapter title than a modern self-help theme, so readers should not buy it expecting an emotional-management book.
This series preserves the original appearance of the books—will it be hard to read?
Because the materials stress that the original appearance is preserved, the text may contain classical Chinese or ancient editorial conventions, which will pose a barrier for readers without a foundation in Chinese studies. It is advisable to read the preface, table of contents, and annotations first and start with a field you know; consult reference works for unfamiliar characters and terms. If you only want an easy introduction, begin with a modern annotated edition or a guided-reading book as a bridge.
Is this book suitable as a textbook for systematic study of Chinese studies?
Not very suitable. The materials describe the series as "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts," broad in coverage and spanning many fields; it is more a compilation of primary texts preserving and transmitting traditional thought and culture than a textbook arranged by teaching progress. Systematic study still requires literary histories, philosophical histories, or introductions to specific fields; this is better used as supplementary primary-text reading and reference.
What can readers gain from this book?
Its main value lies in contact with the literary and intellectual essence left by ancient sages and in sensing the originality and diversity of traditional thought and culture. Through the original appearance of the text, readers can learn how people in earlier times discussed religion, medicine, military strategy, ethics, and customs, thereby cultivating temperament and broadening perspective. However, the specific contents and arrangement must be based on the table of contents of the physical book; the materials do not provide more detailed chapter information.
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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.
