Gan Zhongke甘忠可

Period

Western Han

Dates

? — c. 20 BCE

Role

Fangshi (Master of Methods)Author of early Daoist scriptures

Birthplace

State of Qi

Life

Gan Zhongke, a master of esoteric arts from Qi in the time of Emperor Cheng of Han, is recorded in the "Biography of Li Xun" in the Book of Han as having composed the twelve-scroll Tianguan li baoyuan taiping jing (Celestial Offices Calendar and Scripture of Embracing the Origin and Great Peace), proclaiming that "the house of Han has met the great end of Heaven and Earth, and must again receive its mandate from Heaven; the Celestial Emperor has sent the Perfected Chijingzi (Master of Red Essence) down to teach me this Way," and taught this to Xia Heliang, Ding Guangshi, Guo Chang and others. Liu Xiang, Colonel of the Central Base, memorialized that he was "falsely invoking ghosts and spirits to deceive his superiors and delude the masses," and Gan Zhongke was imprisoned, where he fell ill and died. Under Emperor Ai, his disciple Xia Heliang again submitted a memorial, and Emperor Ai briefly changed his reign title to "Taichu Yuanjiang" and styled himself "August Sovereign of Great Peace of the House of Chen and Liu" (Chen Sheng Liu Taiping Huangdi), but was soon executed for his reckless claims. Gan Zhongke's Baoyuan taiping jing is lost, but its notions of "Great Peace," "renewal of the mandate," and "transmission of scriptures by a descending Perfected" are regarded as forerunners of the Eastern Han Scripture of Great Peace and the thought of the Way of Great Peace, making him an important figure in the incubation period of Daoist scriptures.

Contributions & Influence

• Composed the Celestial Offices Calendar and Scripture of Embracing the Origin and Great Peace, a forerunner of Daoism's "Great Peace" scriptures
• Established the pattern of scripture-creation through "transmission by a descending Perfected"

Works

• Tianguan Li Baoyuan Taiping Jing (Scripture of the Celestial Offices' Calendar Embracing the Origin of Great Peace) (lost)