The Rooted Commentary on Zhuangzi 南华真经循本

Also known as Zhuangzi Xunben (Tracing the Original Meaning of the Zhuangzi).

Composed by Luo Miandao of the Ming Dynasty.

Consisting of thirty volumes, it is included in the Yujue (Jade Commentary) category of the Dongshen Section of the Daozang (Daoist Canon).

The Rooted Commentary on Zhuangzi

With the tenet of tracing the original intent of the Zhuangzi, this work argues that previous annotators "either indulged in idle Xuanxue discussions, incorporated Chan Buddhist phrases, or forcedly attached Confucian orthodox doctrines, most of which deviated from the text’s original meaning". Therefore, it interprets the sentences of the Zhuangzi by referencing the terms, objects, institutions and decrees of the pre-Qin period, yielding substantial insightful findings.