Wang Qinruo王钦若（附）

Style & Daoist names

Dingguo

Period

Northern Song

Dates

962 — 1025

Role

ChancellorDirector of the compilation of the Daozang

Birthplace

Xinyu, Linjiang Military Prefecture (present-day Xinyu, Jiangxi)

Life

Wang Qinruo, courtesy name Dingguo, was a Northern Song minister who twice served as chief councillor and was counted one of the "Five Ghosts." He was the chief architect of the "Heavenly Writ" and feng and shan sacrifices of Emperor Zhenzong's reign, advising the emperor to overawe the Khitan by instituting teaching through the way of the spirits, whence came the Heavenly Writ, the feng and shan sacrifices, the sacrifice at Fenyin and the descent of the Sagely Ancestor during the Dazhong Xiangfu era. Charged with directing the compilation of the Daoist Canon, he employed Qi Lun, Chen Yaozuo, Zhang Junfang and others in succession to collate and revise it, and in the ninth year of the Dazhong Xiangfu era (1016) completed the canon catalogue Baowen tonglu (recording 4,359 juan of Daoist books); thereafter Zhang Junfang continued the work and in the third year of the Tianxi era (1019) completed the Precious Canon of the Celestial Palace of the Great Song in 4,565 juan. He also wrote the Yisheng baode zhuan (Biography of the Assisting Sage of Protecting Virtue), recording the manifestations of the "Perfected Lord Yisheng" venerated by Zhenzong, and produced Daoist works such as the Luotian dajiao yi (Liturgy of the Great Offering to All Heavens) and the Liexiu wanling chaozhen tu (Chart of the Myriad Numina of the Lunar Mansions in Audience before the Perfected). Though a scholar-official, he was deeply involved in Daoist affairs and was a key figure in the officialization of Daoism under the Northern Song. This entry is an appendix figure.

Contributions & Influence

• Devised Emperor Zhenzong's Heavenly Writ and feng and shan sacrifices, advancing the Northern Song veneration of Daoism
• Directed the compilation of the Precious Canon of the Celestial Palace of the Great Song

Works

• Yisheng Baode Zhuan (Biography of the Assistant Sage who Preserves Virtue)
• Luotian Dajiao Yi (Rites of the Great Offering to All Heavens)
• Baowen Tonglu (catalogue, lost)