The Collected Works of Master Zongxuan 宗玄先生文集

Compiled by Wu Yun, a renowned Taoist scholar of the Tang Dynasty, this three-volume collection is included in the Taixuan Section of The Daozang.

As a collection of Wu Yun’s poems and prose, it opens with a preface by Quan Deyu, Vice Minister of Rites in the Tang Dynasty, briefly outlining Wu Yun’s life. It is recorded that Wu Yun composed "a total of 450 works", but the existing version in The Daozang only preserves 108 five-character ancient poems, 8 rhapsodies (fu), and 3 treatises.

Most of his poems and rhapsodies praise the noble integrity of hermits and recluses, depict objects to express emotions, and elaborate on the profound The Dao. Some also criticize Buddhism for corrupting social customs, accusing it of "disrespecting monarchs and relatives, and contemptuously ignoring ethical norms" as well as "usurping Confucianism and suppressing Taoism, overshadowing emperors and kings".

The three treatises are the essence of the collection. The first one, Treatise on the Attainability of Immortality Through Learning, argues that ordinary people can become immortals and attain the Dao through cultivation. It states that purifying the mind and reducing desires to nourish life, and preserving essence and nurturing Qi to harmonize the spirit will lead to immortality. It also claims that people who uphold loyalty, filial piety, integrity, and chastity "die yet do not perish"—though their physical bodies cease to exist, their moral principles endure forever. This reflects the author’s integration of Confucian and Taoist outlooks on life.

The second treatise, Treatise on the Mind and Eyes, uses a hypothetical debate between the mind and the eyes to clarify that "the spirit stirs the mind, and the eyes disturb the mind". It argues that when people’s gaze wanders outward and they are tempted by material gains, their minds become muddled, their spirits exhausted, and their bodies deteriorate. Instead, one should uphold emptiness to align with the Dao, restrain desires to resolve entanglements, and maintain inner purity—thus the spirit will thrive and the body will be harmonious.

The third treatise, Treatise on the Preservation of Form and Spirit, expounds on techniques for nurturing life and achieving longevity, divided into five chapters: Upholding the Dao, Taking Natural Substances, Nourishing the Body, Safeguarding the Spirit, and Golden Elixir. Its core tenets also center on purifying the mind, harmonizing the spirit, and preserving essence and consolidating Qi.

Wu Yun was a prominent Taoist scholar of the Tang Dynasty, renowned for his literary talent. His poems and prose are either rich and vivid in diction or elegant and fresh, blending narrative and reasoning with profound emotion—truly masterpieces worthy of admiration.