Ge Chaofu
Encyclopedia
Ge Chaofu is a member of the Chinese Ge family who lived during the 4th and 5th centuries CE. He is best known for writing the scripture known as The Five Talismans (Wufujing) which forms the basis of the beliefs of the Lingbao School of Daoism. Beyond this, very little is known about Ge Chaofu and his life.
Ge Hong
, and was the inheritor of the Ge family's alchemical texts through a master disciple transmission system. He was most likely born in Jurong
, the ancestral home of the Ge family, sometime in the latter half of the 4th century CE. In the 390s, he researched the books contained in the Ge family library along with Buddhist and Shangqing
texts and expanded the five talismans contained within Ge Hong
's book the Baopuzi
in order to create a new text known as The Five Talismans (Wufujing). In between 397 and 401 CE, Ge Chaofu transmitted this text to two disciples, Xu Lingqi and Ren Yanqing, and thus founded the Lingbao School of Daoism. The year 400 is usually stated as the year in which the Lingbao School was founded, and shortly after this time, the texts had already become very popular. Unfortunately, there are no sources that indicate what happened to Ge Chaofu after the year 401.
Life
Very little is known about Ge Chaofu beyond his association with the Lingbao School's scriptures. Daoist records indicate that Ge Chaofu was the grandnephew of the famous alchemistAlchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
Ge Hong
Ge Hong
Ge Hong , courtesy name Zhichuan , was a minor southern official during the Jìn Dynasty of China, best known for his interest in Daoism, alchemy, and techniques of longevity...
, and was the inheritor of the Ge family's alchemical texts through a master disciple transmission system. He was most likely born in Jurong
Jurong, Jiangsu
For the town in Singapore, see Jurong.Jurong is a county-level city in Jiangsu Province, China.-External Links:*...
, the ancestral home of the Ge family, sometime in the latter half of the 4th century CE. In the 390s, he researched the books contained in the Ge family library along with Buddhist and Shangqing
Shangqing
Shangqing may refer to:*Shàngqīng, the Supreme Pure One, one of the Three Pure Ones*Shangqing Bridge, overpass in Beijing*Shangqing School, Daoist movement*Shangqing Town, in Guixi, Jiangxi, China...
texts and expanded the five talismans contained within Ge Hong
Ge Hong
Ge Hong , courtesy name Zhichuan , was a minor southern official during the Jìn Dynasty of China, best known for his interest in Daoism, alchemy, and techniques of longevity...
's book the Baopuzi
Baopuzi
The Baopuzi , written by the Jin Dynasty scholar Ge Hong 葛洪 , is divided into esoteric Neipian 內篇 "Inner Chapters" and exoteric Waipian 外篇 "Outer Chapters". The Daoist Inner Chapters discuss topics such as techniques for xian 仙 "immortality; transcendence", Chinese alchemy, elixirs, and demonology...
in order to create a new text known as The Five Talismans (Wufujing). In between 397 and 401 CE, Ge Chaofu transmitted this text to two disciples, Xu Lingqi and Ren Yanqing, and thus founded the Lingbao School of Daoism. The year 400 is usually stated as the year in which the Lingbao School was founded, and shortly after this time, the texts had already become very popular. Unfortunately, there are no sources that indicate what happened to Ge Chaofu after the year 401.