Section on Dryness

Chen MengleiJul 2024

2.6

Word count: 13K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Traditional Chinese culture has a long intellectual history, marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early modes 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 gazetteers—all are profound and far-reaching. This series, "Essence of the Chinese Classics: Original Texts," preserves the appearance of the original books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by the ancient sages, readers cultivate character and quietly absorb the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Zao Men is included in the series "Essence of the Chinese Classics: Original Texts," continuing the series' editorial approach of preserving the original appearance and focusing on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. The book's value lies not in offering an easy introductory reader but in presenting ancient texts in their original form, letting readers feel, through the words left by the sages, the originality and literary quality of traditional culture's modes of thought. Reading requires patience and a foundation in classical Chinese; it is suited to being an entry point into the original classics of Chinese learning, read slowly with annotations or reference works. Its content belongs to the same system as such traditional cultural categories as religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools, through which readers can appreciate the original tone and structure of classic texts. It is better suited as study material kept close at hand than as casual reading to be finished in one sitting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in the original classics of Chinese learning who wish to engage with primary texts
Those with some classical Chinese who are willing to read traditional culture slowly and attentively
Self-learners seeking original-text readers for the study of traditional culture
Book lovers who enjoy collecting and browsing series of Chinese classics

Not a good fit for

Beginners with no classical Chinese who need sentence-by-sentence vernacular explanation
Casual readers who want quick knowledge points or light reading
Readers who want only modern interpretations and prefer not to face the original text

Reading tips

First read through the table of contents to understand the book's structure, then choose chapters of interest and read them closely paragraph by paragraph.
Keep a classical Chinese dictionary or relevant annotated edition at hand to check unfamiliar characters and words.
After each passage, restate the main points in your own words to test whether you have truly understood.
Do not rush; keep the book at your desk and read a short section each day for long-term accumulation.

版权信息
阴阳应象大论
脏气法时论
气交变大论
五常政大论
六元正纪大论
至真要大论
灵枢经
方
医案

FAQ

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

You can try, but it will be rather difficult. The book preserves the original appearance and focuses on presenting the traditional text as it is, without sentence-by-sentence vernacular translation. Readers with a weak foundation in classical Chinese should prepare reference works first, or read some annotated introductory works on the Chinese classics before returning to the original for smoother understanding.

How does this book differ from common interpretive works on the Chinese classics?

Common interpretive works often add extensive modern explanation, whereas this book belongs to the series "Essence of the Chinese Classics: Original Texts," whose editorial approach is to preserve the original appearance and to preserve and transmit traditional thought and culture. It is closer to the primary text, and readers must face the original themselves; it suits those who want direct contact with the classics rather than secondhand interpretation.

In what order should I read this book?

There is no need to read from beginning to end. You can browse the table of contents first and start with chapters of interest, then expand after becoming familiar with one part. Skip passages that are difficult to understand for now and return to them later. Treating reading as long-term accumulation suits this kind of original-text reader better than finishing it in one go.

Do I need other materials to read this book?

It is advisable to use it alongside classical Chinese reference works or relevant annotated editions. The book preserves the original appearance, and some characters, words, and background knowledge require outside materials. If you also understand the basic outlines of traditional culture, you will grasp more clearly the intellectual system in which the text stands.

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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.