The Dragon-like Biography Daoist Text 犹龙传

Compiled by Jia Shanxiang, a Taoist priest of the Song Dynasty.

This three-volume work was recorded in both the Secret Catalogue of the Southern Song Dynasty and the History of the Song Dynasty · Bibliographical Treatise. The existing edition in the The Daozang is divided into six volumes and included in the Genealogy and Record Category of the The Dongshen Section.

The Dragon-like Biography

It is a mythological biography of Laozi. The book opens with a preface by the author, stating that from the Records of the Grand Historian onwards, the accounts of Laozi's incarnations in historical books of successive dynasties were mostly brief and incomplete. Thus, the author compiled this work based on relevant historical texts and Taoist scriptures "to present a more detailed account". Comprising twenty-eight chapters, the book uses a chronological format to elaborate on the miraculous deeds of Laozi's timely incarnations, his propagation of the Dao and establishment of teachings, as well as the worship of Laozi in successive dynasties. The narrative spans from the primordial era down to the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty. Though extensively researched and quoted, most content consists of mythologies falsely attributed to Taoist traditions. It is said that Confucius once exclaimed, "Laozi is like a dragon!" Hence the book was titled The Dragon-like Biography.