Li Rong's Commentary on Dao De Jing 道德真经注

Composed by Li Rong, a Taoist priest during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, this work consists of four volumes and is included in the Yujue (Jade Commentary) category of the Dongshen Section of the Daozang (Daoist Canon).

Only the commentaries on Chapters 1 to 36 of the original text have survived in this version. The lost parts can be supplemented with Dunhuang manuscripts and further collated against Qiang Siqi’s Collected Commentaries on the Profound Virtue of the Dao De Zheng Jing, thus restoring Li Rong’s commentary in its complete form. Centered on the Chong Xuan (Double Mystery) doctrine, this commentary serves as an important source for studying Taoist thought in the Tang Dynasty.