Baopuzi. The Sage Embracing Original Simplicity

"Baopuzi", which can be translated as "The Sage Embracing Simplicity", is a philosophical and alchemical treatise created in the 4th century by the outstanding Taoist Ge Hong. The book is one of the most important works of the Taoist tradition,... a kind of encyclopedia of the teaching on the "way of things", covering questions of ontology, alchemy, practical magic, as well as inner self-improvement and immortality.The ideas of traditional Taoism are combined here with certain principles of Confucianism and Legalism, reflecting the author's aspirations for a synthesis of various philosophical currents and spiritual practices on the path of knowledge and merging with Dao.The text is published in the translation of the outstanding religious scholar, sinologist, and Buddhologist Professor E. A. Torchínov.