Annals of the Primordial Origin 混元圣纪

Full title: The Supreme Lord Laozi's Chronicle of the Primordial Origin.

Compiled by Xie Shouyuan, a Taoist priest of the Southern Song Dynasty.

Consisting of nine volumes, it is included in the Genealogy and Record Category of the The Dongshen Section within the The Daozang.

Annals of the Primordial Origin

This work is a mythological biography of Lord Laozi. Opening the compilation is Memorial Presenting the Book written by Xie Shoubin in the second year of the Shaoxi reign (1191), which claims that biographies of Lord Laozi from successive dynasties were mostly sketchy, capturing barely one in a hundred details. Some, though quite detailed in narration, digressed with excessive citations and lacked coherence in structure, confusing readers. Struck by this, the author thoroughly researched the classics and biographies of the three teachings, traced their origins and development, and compiled this book. The first volume, Chronological Life of Lord Laozi, briefly narrates the entire story of Lord Laozi's deeds from the creation of heaven and earth up to the Xuanhe reign of the Northern Song Dynasty in a chronological format, and also records the worship of Lord Laozi by emperors of all dynasties. Volumes Two to Nine elaborate on the miraculous stories of the Supreme Lord Laozi manifesting in the world, establishing teachings, and transfiguring his form in each successive dynasty. The book is extremely rich in citations, narrates extensively yet without disorder, and stands as the most detailed surviving biography of Lord Laozi.