The Compiled Commentary of Xuande 道德真经玄德纂疏

Compiled by Qiang Siqi.

Qiang Siqi was a Taoist priest of the Former Shu Dynasty and was bestowed the title of Master Xuande, hence the work’s title Xuande Zuan Shu.

Consisting of twenty volumes, it is included in the Yujue (Jade Commentary) category of the Dongshen Section of the Daozang (Daoist Canon). This work comprehensively collects the commentaries on the Laozi by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Heshi Gong, Yan Zun and Li Rong, as well as the subcommentary by Cheng Xuanying, basically transcribing the full texts of these works. Preceding each chapter is an explanation of the chapter title, which expounds on the sequence of the chapters, the core purport of each chapter and the main idea of its paragraphs. Some attribute these chapter explanations to Qiang Siqi, but this is incorrect—they are actually the thematic interpretation format from Cheng Xuanying’s subcommentary on the Laozi.

Both Cheng Xuanying’s subcommentary and Li Rong’s commentary have survived in their complete forms thanks to this compilation. However, Li Rong’s commentary contains interpolated content, which can be collated against Dunhuang manuscripts for textual verification.