Quick Read of the Embrace of the: The Quest for Immortality

Author: Li Fengmo Compiler
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: The books selected here are ones you will inevitably read at least once in your lifetime, whether you are ten, thirty, or seventy years old! A minimalist reading list of Chinese culture. From the vast collection of ancient classics, sixty classics have been chosen. For the first time, it presents a comprehensive portrayal of the style and essence of Chinese five thousand years of culture in a relaxed and easy-to-read format. A renowned Taiwanese authority on classical studies reevaluates the classics with a 21st-century perspective, traversing through time and space, guiding you into the "unfenced museum of Chinese culture."
Ge Hong, styled Zijuan, was a native of Jurong County, Yangzhou. He was born in the fourth year of the Taikang era of Emperor Wu of Jin (283 AD) and died in the first year of the Jianyuan era of Emperor Kang (343 AD). He studied the Dao under Zheng Yin and later became a disciple of Bao Xuan. Additionally, his dedication to compiling Daoist texts led to the creation of Baopuzi. He also organized medical and pharmacological literature, including Jin Gui Yao Fang (Essential Formulas of the Golden Cabinet) and Zhou Hou Yao Ji Fang (Emergency Formulas for the Elbow), making significant contributions to the field of pharmacology. Ge Hong was a key architect of Daoist theory, known for his extensive knowledge, profound insights, and sharp reasoning, holding an important position in the history of Daoism. Moreover, his theories and practices in alchemical texts also occupy a significant place in the history of chemical technology.
Baopuzi consists of an inner and an outer part. The outer part originally had fifty chapters, discussing human affairs, societal gains and losses, and the evaluation of events, elucidating his social and political views, making it a political treatise. The inner part represents Ge Hong's most proud theories of the Daoist immortalist school. Originally comprising twenty volumes, it covers topics such as immortals, alchemy, ghosts and monsters, transformations, health preservation, longevity, warding off evil, and exorcism, holding a significant position in the history of Daoist thought. It inherits the alchemical theories of Wei Boyang and compiles alchemical texts from the Eastern Jin period and earlier, serving as an important document for studying ancient Chinese chemical technology. Therefore, this book primarily introduces the inner part, helping readers understand the immortalist theories and methods compiled by Ge Hong.