The Imperial Exposition on Dao De Jing
Originally attributed to Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Longji, this work was actually compiled through joint deliberation by Taoist priests and court officials well-versed in the Laozi. It was completed in the 23rd year of the Kaiyuan reign period (735).
The original text consisted of six volumes, while the version in the Daozang (Daoist Canon) is divided into ten volumes, included in the Yujue (Jade Commentary) category of the Dongshen Section.
Fragmentary Dunhuang manuscripts of this work also survive.
This subcommentary elaborates on Emperor Xuanzong’s Imperial Commentary on the Dao De Zheng Jing, and occasionally incorporates previous exegeses or contemporary discussions, referring to such content as "additional explanations". It also reflects the debates between Buddhism and Taoism in the early Tang Dynasty regarding the philosophical connotations of the Dao De Jing, which centers on the core Taoist concept of The Dao. As a sequel elaborating on the purport of Emperor Xuanzong’s commentary, this work shares the same core tenets as the original. Additionally, it adopts the Chong Xuan (Double Mystery) school’s stylistic approach of "interpreting chapter themes and explicating meanings"—that is, preceding each chapter with a "chapter explanation" section that clarifies the structural sequence of the Dao De Jing and the hierarchical philosophical implications of each chapter, consistent with Cheng Xuanying’s Commentary on the Preface, Instructions, and Essentials of the Laozi Daodejing.
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