The Scholars of Shen Zhou

Section 51: The True Contact by Barbara Hendrischke Themes: Yellow Turbans Overview: Hendrischke is dubious about the authenticity of this short passage. Firstly the student gets the right answer straight away which is unlike the rest of the TPJ but she also thinks that the message is a fairly radi...

Section 50: An Explanation of the Master’s Declaration by Barbara Hendrischke Themes: Yellow Turbans Overview: This section seems to be very important. It is quoted in a later section – the only occurrence of the TPJ being self-referential. It is his exegesis of a declaration the student says he ma...

Section 48: An Explanation of the Reception and Transmission [of Evil] in Five Situations by Barbara Hendrischke Themes: Yellow Turbans Overview: Hendrischke remarks that the idea put forward in this section, the reception and transmission of evil (cheng fu), is used only in the TPJ and is central ...

Section 47: How to Verify the Trustworthiness of Texts and Writings by Barbara Hendrischke Themes: Yellow Turbans Overview: Hendrischke says that this section sets out the nourishing of the vital principle as the base for all reform, in line with the Laozi. She is clear that this section doesn’t de...

Section 46: You Must not Serve the Dead more than the Living by Barbara Hendrischke Themes: Yellow Turbans Overview: Hendrischke says that this section focuses on funerary rites and the cult of the dead. While discussing this topic, the Master engages with beliefs about life after death. Hendrischk...

Section 45: The Three Needs and the Method of [Dealing with] Auspicious and Ominous Events by Barbara Hendrischke Themes: Yellow Turbans Overview: This section follows on from the last. The Celestial Master argues that animals and plants are at risk because humans are ignoring the three needs in fa...

Section 44: How to Preserve the Three Essentials by Barbara Hendrischke Themes: Yellow Turbans Overview: According to Hendrischke this section is almost like a commentary on Laozi’s political thought found in Laozi 81. It does this by arguing humans have only three essential needs and she remarks t...

Section 43: How to Promote the Good and Halt the Wicked by Barbara Hendrischke Themes: Yellow Turbans Overview: Hendrischke introduces this section by telling us it provides a practical example of what political administration could look like. She remarks that this gives us a unique insight into ho...

Section 42: One Man and Two Women by Barbara Hendrischke Themes: Yellow Turbans Overview: Once again Hendrischke gives a short overview of this section. She says it focuses on sexual conduct. The focus is on producing offspring, and she notes that the TPJ (or at least the sections we have) is not i...

Section 41: How to distinguish between Poor and Rich by Barbara Hendrischke Themes: Yellow Turbans Overview: Hendrischke gives an overview of the section before the translation. It focuses on wealth, and the lot of women. As well as describing what’s within, she highlights points that she things ar...