The Triple Exegesis of Dao De Jing 道德真经三解

Composed by Deng Qi of the Yuan Dynasty.

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

The Triple Exegesis of Dao De Jing

The "Threefold Exegesis" refers to exegesis of the scripture, exegesis of the Dao, and exegesis of De. Exegesis of the scripture means "merely sorting out the punctuation of the original classic, adding or deleting one or two function words, enabling readers to first grasp the authentic meaning of each chapter—seamless and flawless as if created by nature". Exegesis of the Dao means "directly expounding the great Dao of heaven and earth, from its origin to its end and its reversal, with its numerology and principles matching perfectly like tally marks". Exegesis of De means "intertwining heaven and earth, reversing water and fire, positioning metal in the east and wood in the west, refining mercury and condensing lead; every movement and stillness conforms to the great Dao".

This work interprets the Laozi from the perspective of inner alchemy theory. It also includes Xiao Tingmang’s Daodao Zhengtong (Orthodoxy of the Great Dao), which narrates the lineage of immortal Taoism—originating from the Yu Li Yuan Shi Tian Zun (Jade Pristine Heavenly Venerable of the Primordial Beginning) and concluding with Peng Si of the Southern School of Golden Elixir and the Seven True Masters of the Quanzhen Dao. The preface refers to Taishang Laojun (Supreme Lord Lao) as the Four Poles True Person, indicating that this work belongs to one of the mainstream schools of inner alchemy Taoism prevalent in the Yuan Dynasty.