Ear Section

Chen MengleiJun 2024

1.6

Word count: 49K words
Chapters: 66

Summary

Chinese traditional culture has a long intellectual history, marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early thought forms are highly distinctive: religious theology, classical Chinese medicine texts, ancient military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist, and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and customs and local gazetteers—all are profound and extensive. This series, "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts," preserves the appearance of the original 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 come to appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

This book belongs to the same series, "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts," and continues its editorial approach of preserving the original books' appearance, bringing into view traditional cultural material such as religious theology, classical Chinese medicine texts, ancient military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist, and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and customs and local gazetteers. Its value lies not in offering one school's interpretation but in giving readers access to relatively original intellectual texts and a sense of the originality and literary quality of Chinese traditional culture in its early forms. For readers who want an overview of traditional thought and are unsatisfied with fragmented secondhand knowledge, this book can serve as a starting point for tracing ideas further. When reading, it is advisable to keep questions in mind, compare different schools side by side, pay attention to the historical context of concepts, and avoid judging the past by present standards. It suits both as a desk reference for browsing and as material for reading groups to discuss selected passages together, deepening understanding of the classics through exchange.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of Chinese classics who wish to understand the outlines of traditional schools of thought by topic
Organizers who need to select passages from original texts for reading groups or cultural salons
Readers who prefer browsing-style reading and like to keep traditional culture readers on hand at their desks
General readers curious about topics such as Chinese medicine, military strategy, and customs and local gazetteers

Not a good fit for

Academic researchers who need word-by-word textual exegesis and collation of editions
Readers expecting a single complete narrative or a novel-like reading experience

Reading tips

Read by topic groups—for example, start with Confucianism and Daoism, then move to military strategy and customs and local gazetteers, drawing comparisons.
After finishing each passage, restate its core ideas in a few sentences to check whether you have truly understood it.
When encountering religious theology and metaphysics, first learn the historical background, then assess its cultural significance.
Agree on a fixed number of pages per week and discuss questions and differing interpretations with friends or reading group members.

版权信息
黄帝素问
金匮真言论
阴阳应象大论
五脏生成篇
诊要经终论
玉机真脏论
通评虚实论
热论
厥论
脉解篇
刺禁论
针解篇
气交变大论
五常政大论
六元正纪大论
至真要大论
邪气脏腑病形篇
经脉篇
经筋篇
脉度篇
热病篇
口问篇
师传篇
决气篇
五阅五使篇
本脏篇
卫气篇
阴阳二十五人篇
扁鹊难经
中藏经【汉华佗】
甲乙经【晋皇甫谧】
仁斋直指方【宋杨士瀛】
疮疡全书【金窦汉卿】
济生方【宋严用和】
河间六书【金刘完素】
东垣十书【元李杲】
耳之体属肾用属肺
丹溪心法【元朱震亨】
卫生宝鉴【元罗天益】
世医得效方【元危亦林】
奇效良方【明方贤】
医学正传【明虞抟】
证治要诀【明戴思恭】
医学纲目【明楼英】
医学入门【明李梴】
古今医鉴【明龚信】
万病回春【明龚廷贤】
耳门
医学凖绳六要【明张三锡】
古今医统【明徐春甫】
明医杂着【明王纶】
医贯【明赵献可】
证治准绳【明王肯堂】
医方考【明吴昆】
外科正宗【明陈实功】
医门法律【清喻昌】
景岳全书【明张介宾】
论治
石室秘箓【清陈士铎】
调中益气汤【东垣】
耳门
单方
针灸
导引
医案

FAQ

Does this book overlap with other books in the same series?

According to the available information, the books in this series share the aim of conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture and cover a broad range. Whether specific pieces overlap must be checked against the actual table of contents. Before buying, check the contents to confirm that the topic you want matches your reading needs and avoid duplicate purchases.

Do I need to read this book in order from beginning to end?

No. The book covers multiple schools of thought and topics and is better read selectively by interest or theme. You can first browse the contents, start with the parts that interest you, and gradually expand to other units; this makes it easier to stay motivated.

How does the content help with modern life?

The book mainly provides an entry point to reading original traditional cultural texts and helps readers understand ancient thought forms and literary expression. Its significance lies more in cultural awareness and intellectual stimulation than in directly offering solutions to modern life. It is better read with the aim of understanding tradition and examining ideas.

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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.