Chen Jingyuan陈景元

Style & Daoist names

Taichu, Bixuzi, Master Zhenjing, Chen Bixu

Period

Northern Song

Dates

1025 — 1094

Role

Daoist ScholarsScriptural Commentator

Birthplace

Nancheng, Jianchang (present-day Nancheng, Jiangxi)

Places of activity

Mount Tiantai, Mount Mao (Maoshan)

Life

Chen Jingyuan, style name Taichu, sobriquet Bixuzi, was a renowned Daoist scholar of the Northern Song. In his youth he became a Daoist at the Tianqing Guan in Gao'an county, Jianchang, and later studied under Zhang Wumeng on Mount Tiantai, receiving the transmission of the Chen Tuan lineage; he also received the profound meaning of the Daodejing and the Zhuangzi from Master Hongmeng. In the first year of the Xining era (1068), Emperor Shenzong received him in audience, and he presented his commentary on the Daodejing; he was given the title "Great Master of True Tranquility" and ordered to reside at the Jianlong Guan and collate the court's Daoist scriptures, becoming the principal scholar responsible for the official collation of Daoist canonical texts in the Northern Song. His writings include the Daode zhenjing cangshi zuanwei pian (Compiled Subtleties of the Hidden Chamber of the True Scripture of the Dao and Virtue), the Nanhua zhenjing zhangju yinyi (Sounds and Meanings of the Chapters and Sentences of the Nanhua zhenjing), the Nanhua zhenjing zhangju yushi (Supplementary Matters on the Chapters and Sentences of the Nanhua zhenjing), the Xisheng jing jizhu (Collected Commentaries on the Scripture of Western Ascension), the Yuanshi wuliang duren shangpin miaojing sizhu (Four Commentaries on the Wondrous Scripture of the Upper Chapters on Limitless Salvation), and the Chongxu zhide zhenjing shiwen (Explanatory Text on the True Scripture of Void Vacuity and Utmost Virtue), among others, broadly incorporating earlier commentaries while adding his own judgments — a summative work of Song-dynasty exegesis of Daoist scriptures. His thought was rooted in the naturalness and non-action of Laozi and Zhuangzi, while also drawing on Chongxuan (Twofold Mystery) thought and Neo-Confucianism, making him an important figure in Song-dynasty scholarship on Laozi. He died in the first year of the Shaosheng era (1094).

Contributions & Influence

• Wrote commentaries on the Daodejing, the Zhuangzi, the Xisheng jing, the Duren jing, and other texts, representing Northern Song exegesis of Daoist scriptures
• Collated the court's Daoist scriptures by order of Emperor Shenzong

Works

• Daode Zhenjing Cangshi Zuanwei Pian (Compiled Subtleties from the Scripture Repository on the Perfect Scripture of the Dao and De)
• Nanhua Zhenjing Zhangju Yinyi (Chapter and Verse, with Phonetic and Semantic Glosses, on the Nanhua Zhenjing)
• Nanhua Zhenjing Zhangju Yushi (Supplementary Notes to the Chapter and Verse on the Nanhua Zhenjing)
• Xisheng Jing Jizhu (Collected Commentaries on the Scripture of Western Ascension)
• Yuanshi Wuliang Duren Shangpin Miaojing Sizhu (Four Commentaries on the Wondrous Scripture of the Upper Chapters on Limitless Salvation)
• Chongxu Zhide Zhenjing Shiwen (Textual Explanations of the Chongxu Zhide Zhenjing)
• Shangqing Dadong Zhenjing Yujue Yinyi (Phonetic and Semantic Glosses on the Jade Instructions of the Shangqing Perfect Scripture of the Great Cavern)