The Daoist Scriptures Are Huge
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While the Bible or the Quran can fit into a single volume, the Daoist canon of scriptures contains around 1,500 texts. It is huge. So what is the Daoist canon all about? How did it form?
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The Daoist Canon (Dao Zong) is a vast, evolving collection of over 1,500 texts assembled over centuries by imperial authority that reflects Daoism's flexibility and multiplicity of valid spiritual paths, fundamentally different in function and logic from Western religious scriptures like the Bible.
- The Canon grew from 5th-century compilation through multiple imperial expansions and survived near-destruction twice, incorporating diverse genres from alchemy to cosmology rather than forming a coherent doctrinal whole
- Daoists interpret scriptures metaphorically or literally depending on context and select texts relevant to their individual practices rather than treating the Canon as unified revealed doctrine
- The Canon's structure and use reflects Daoism's core teaching that multiple valid methods exist to align with the Dao, contrasting sharply with religions claiming singular scriptural authority
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A key difference between the Daoist Canon and the Bible is that some Daoist scriptures claim divine revelation (especially the earliest scriptures and the Celestial Masters, Upper Clarity, and Numinous Treasure traditions), but Daoist scholars don't call Daoists 'scriptural literalists' like certain Evangelical Christians
“some might say that the DST Cannon is like the Bible for dsts but this isn't quite accurate religious study Scholars call comparisons like this the square peg round hole fallacy because different religious Traditions have different internal Logics so yes the da zong is technically a sacred set of scriptures for dsts like how the Bible is the sacred set of scriptures for Christians but the internal logic of how the da zong functions in dosm doesn't really match how Christians understand the Bible for example consider the idea of divine inspiration many da scriptures do contain headers saying that they were received by Revelation from the Lord Lao the deified lau this is especially true with the earliest scriptures and the celestial Masters upper Clarity and numinous treasure Traditions so at least some of the texts could be called revealed scripture but Scholars don't really call dsts scriptural literalists like certain Evangelical Christians”
Underlying Daoist flexibility in scriptural interpretation is the foundational teaching from the opening line of the Daodejing that 'the way that can be spoken of is not the true way,' reflecting the Daoist understanding that human language and comprehension are inherently limited
“this whole shift was made possible in part because scriptures are often interpreted metaphorically of course underpinning all of this flexibility is the dowst understanding that human language and comprehension are inherently limited remember the opening line of the daaj Jing the way that can be spoken of is not the true way”
The Daoist Canon includes diverse genres of texts: philosophical works, esoteric texts on alchemy and magic, liturgical instructions, meditation and visualization guides, histories of Daoist schools, divine revelations on topics from illness to cosmology, prophecies, commentaries, diagrams, maps, biographies of religious figures, and chemical formulas for elixirs of immortality
“You'll find all kinds of different genres some are texts you've probably heard of if you studied DSM before like the da Jing and the jangu Lesser known works that have been massively important in the history of dosm include the bzi a complex text of philosophy esotericism Alchemy and Magic”
Daoist scriptures often employ metaphorical interpretation, as exemplified by the shift from external alchemy (combining physical substances like herbs, minerals, and metals through specific formulas) to internal alchemy (a metaphysical practice using meditation to purify and transform internal body energy)
“many scriptures can be interpreted either metaphorically or literally for example consider the shift from external Alchemy to internal Alchemy external Alchemy involves what we traditionally think of when we talk about alchemy combining various substances like herbs minerals and metals and following specific formulas and procedures while internal Alchemy is a ritual practice that focuses on purifying and transforming the internal energy of the body through practices like meditation”
Daoist practitioners select texts for study based on their personal spiritual interests: devotees of a particular deity study scriptures dedicated to that deity as an act of devotion; those interested in longevity and health study texts on dietetics or chi circulation; ritual specialists study liturgical texts to perform ceremonies
“devotees of a particular deity will read a scripture from that deity as an act of devotion those interested in longevity and health will study texts on dietetics or circulating Chi ritual Specialists like priests are particularly familiar with lurgical texts so they can perform those liturgies”
Later Daoist compilers expanded Lou Xiujing's three-cavern system by adding four auxiliaries as complements, allowing for texts revealed after Lou's time or older works not included in his initial list to be incorporated
“later compilers kept his three Cavern system but then added four auxiliaries as complements to the original system this allowed for later Dost to account for new scriptures that had been revealed since Lou's time or older works that were generally viewed as dowst but were not included in his initial list”
The 2003 Daoist Canon edition contains the oldest known versions of the Daode Jing and other historically significant texts because of texts discovered in Dunhuang, meaning the newest Canon version is paradoxically the source for the most ancient textual versions
“this means that even though it's the newest version of the Canon it contains the oldest versions of the daa Jing and other historically popular texts”
The Daoist Canon was determined by handpicked groups of eminent Daoists working under the authority of the emperor, unlike Christianity which has a single human representative (the Pope) or councils that convene to unify doctrine
“by now you've probably caught on who decided what was in and what was out handpicked groups of eminent daoists working under the authority of the emperor dosm does not have a single source of authority individual schools and lineages do have hierarchies as a matter of administration but the head of a school or a lineage is not the Dows representative on Earth or anything like the pope and Catholicism”
Daoist scripture use reflects the multiplicity of valid ways to achieve harmony with the Dao, with different texts supporting different spiritual goals and methods rather than a single unified path
“of course this also reflects the multiplicity of ways to achieve harmony with a DA have I mentioned how flexibility is an important aspect of dosm”
The Daoist Canon includes many texts that are not strictly Daoist in character, including general works on astrology, magic, and even non-religious texts on mineralogy, reflecting the Canon's function as a comprehensive compendium of practical and philosophical knowledge
“The Scholar Jeffrey cotic notes that a lot of the texts in the DST Cannon are not strictly dowst in character including General works on astrology or magic many texts are not even religious like ones focusing on minerology”
The Daoist Canon was the product of prolonged negotiation between Daoism and other religious and philosophical systems of China, including Buddhism and Confucianism, not an isolated Daoist composition
“the scholar Christopher shipper says the DS Cannon was the product of a prolonged negotiation and part of that negotiation was with the other religious and philosophical systems of China”
Daoist scholars do not call Daoists 'scriptural literalists' like some Evangelical Christians because Daoists understand that even texts claiming divine origins have passed through human hands that edited and shaped them
“Scholars don't really call dsts scriptural literalists like certain Evangelical Christians dsts understand that even texts that claim divine origins have passed through human hands who edited and shaped them”
Daoists do not expect their scriptures to be error-free or to harmonize together into a coherent whole, unlike religions emphasizing doctrinal unity and textual inerrancy
“nor do they believe that their scriptures are free from mistakes and they don't expect them to harmonize together to create a coherent whole”
Daoists do not engage in debates about scripture reconciliation or doctrinal unity because the tradition teaches that there are multiple valid pathways to capital-T Truth and multiple methods to achieve union with the Dao or immortality
“Dost don't really get caught up in these sorts of debates because there are multiple Pathways to capital T truth multiple Pathways to achieve Union with a Dao or to achieve immortality some methods may be easier or faster or more effective under certain circumstances but all method methods will eventually get you to the same place”
The shift from external alchemy to internal alchemy in Daoist practice was made possible partly because Daoist scriptures are often interpreted metaphorically, allowing physical chemical processes to be understood as corresponding to internal spiritual processes
“it's more of a metaphysical counterpart to the physical process of external Alchemy this whole shift was made possible in part because scriptures are often interpreted metaphorically”
Given the Daoist Canon's massive size (1,500+ texts) and broad scope, most Daoists will never read the entire Canon but instead select individual texts relevant to their own lives and spiritual practices
“given its size and very broad scope most dsts will never come close to reading the whole Canon rather they'll select individual texts that are relevant to their own lives and focus on those”
The most observant Daoists might memorize scriptures that are chanted during major religious events or holidays, indicating a participatory rather than purely intellectual engagement with the texts
“the most observant might memorize as they're chanted during major religious events or on holidays”
The Daoist Canon formed incrementally over time, with the earliest edition being the smallest, with texts continually added across centuries as new revelations or commentaries emerged from various schools
“like most sets of scripture the Dows Cannon formed over time so the earliest Edition is also the smallest but dsts continually added to the Canon over the centuries so an example of this would be the alchemical text the triplex Unity which dates to the late Han Dynasty it's included in the cannon along with eight different commentaries so a philosopher would roll out a new commentary and the commentary would be rolled into the cannon”
Chinese woodblock printing involved carving negative space around characters on wooden boards, inking the raised characters, placing paper on top, and rolling over it to produce the printed text—a technique still used by Daoist monks at Ching Yong Gong Temple in South Central China
“the DS monks of the Ching Yong gong Temple in South Central China still print scriptures using this technique a Carver takes a long flat board and cuts out the negative space around each character then the printer takes the board spreads ink over the raised characters lays a piece of paper on it and runs a roller over it lift up the paper and voila the printed word”
The Daoist Canon represents a vast, continually evolving collection that has never attempted doctrinal harmonization, illustrating how Daoism's flexibility as a tradition has allowed it to absorb and integrate a wide array of texts and practices over centuries
“this vast and continually evolving collection underscores the flexibility of dosm illustrating how the tradition has absorbed and integrated a wide array of texts and practices over the centuries”
Unlike Christian canon formation, Daoist canon formation was not driven by attempts to create doctrinal coherence because the tradition's underlying theology permits and even celebrates multiple valid spiritual paths
“they never tried to harmonize any of the texts into a coherent ho there isn't really a need to do that because dosm doesn't teach a singular path to return to the DA”
Daoism does not practice convening councils to unify doctrine because multiple valid methods for aligning oneself with the Dao are theologically acceptable, unlike religions that require doctrinal coherence
“nor do they convene councils to unify Doctrine because because that's not really critical in a religion that teaches multiple valid methods to aligning oneself with the Dao”
Non-Daoist texts including ancient Confucian works like the Mozi and Buddhist sutras and tantric rituals were incorporated into the Daoist Canon because they were recognized as important to the religious and philosophical traditions of China, reflecting a syncretic approach
“which is how ancient yet decidedly non-st Works made their way into the cannon like the Motu an ancient Chinese text representing the teachings of the philosopher Motu even Buddhist style sutras and tantric rituals made their way into the DST Cannon”
Daoism does not have a centralized doctrinal authority figure or convene councils to unify doctrine because Daoism teaches multiple valid methods to align oneself with the Dao, making doctrinal uniformity unnecessary
“nor do they convene councils to unify Doctrine because because that's not really critical in a religion that teaches multiple valid methods to aligning oneself with the Dao”
Daoists don't get caught up in scriptural debates about coherence or canonical uniformity because there are multiple pathways to capital-T truth and multiple methods to achieve union with the Dao or immortality, with all methods eventually leading to the same place though some may be easier, faster, or more effective under certain circumstances
“Dost don't really get caught up in these sorts of debates because there are multiple Pathways to capital T truth multiple Pathways to achieve Union with a Dao or to achieve immortality some methods may be easier or faster or more effective under certain circumstances but all method methods will eventually get you to the same place”
Many Daoist scriptures can be interpreted either metaphorically or literally, including texts on alchemy which shifted from external alchemy (combining substances like herbs, minerals, metals through specific formulas) to internal alchemy (ritual practice focusing on purifying internal energy through meditation)
“moreover many scriptures can be interpreted either metaphorically or literally for example consider the shift from external Alchemy to internal Alchemy external Alchemy involves what we traditionally think of when we talk about alchemy combining various substances like herbs minerals and metals and following specific formulas and procedures while internal Alchemy is a ritual practice that focuses on purifying and transforming the internal energy of the body through practices like meditation it's more of a metaphysical counterpart to the physical process of external Alchemy this whole shift was made possible in part because scriptures are often interpreted metaphorically”
A key difference between the Daoist Canon and other sacred scriptures is how they are used: given its immense size and broad scope, most Daoists will never read the entire Canon; instead, they selectively use individual texts relevant to their own lives and spiritual focus
“another difference we can draw between the Dao Zong and other Sacred Scriptures is how they're used given its size and very broad scope most dsts will never come close to reading the whole Canon rather they'll select individual texts that are relevant to their own lives and focus on those”
The multiplicity of Canon use in Daoism (selective texts for different practitioners and purposes) reflects the tradition's core teaching about multiple valid pathways to achieve harmony with the Dao
“of course this also reflects the multiplicity of ways to achieve harmony with a DA have I mentioned how flexibility is an important aspect of dosm”
Daoists understand that even texts claiming divine origins have passed through human hands that edited and shaped them, nor do they believe their scriptures are free from mistakes, and they don't expect them to harmonize together to create a coherent whole
“dsts understand that even texts that claim divine origins have passed through human hands who edited and shaped them nor do they believe that their scriptures are free from mistakes and they don't expect them to harmonize together to create a coherent whole”
The father of Neo-Confucianism, Zhu Xi, famously believed that using printed texts made students lazy and caused them to undervalue knowledge, a concern ironically parallel to how the internet was discussed in the early 2000s
“the father of neoc Confucianism Jui famously believed that using printed texts made students lazy and caused them to undervalue knowledge which ironically enough is how the internet was talked about back when I was in Middle School in the early 2000s so some things never change”
The Daoist Canon was 'fuzzier' than Christian Canons partially because there have been several different Daoist Canons throughout history, unlike Christianity which settled on fewer canonical collections
“it's fuzzier and dosm partially because there have been several DST cannons throughout history”
The 2003 Jiangxi Daozang edition included texts discovered in tombs and document stores in Dunhuang, China, making it contain the oldest known versions of the Daodejing and other historically important texts despite being the newest Canon edition
“one of the advantages of the new edition is that in included texts discovered in tombs and document stores in dong hang China this means that even though it's the newest version of the Canon it contains the oldest versions of the daa Jing and other historically popular texts this was a big deal”
Buddhist-style sutras and tantric rituals made their way into the Daoist Canon, demonstrating the cross-pollination of religious traditions in Chinese religious history
“even Buddhist style sutras and tantric rituals made their way into the DST Cannon”
Who decided what texts were canonical in Daoism: handpicked groups of eminent Daoists working under imperial authority, not a single religious authority figure like the Pope in Catholicism, and not through unified doctrinal councils
“by now you've probably caught on who decided what was in and what was out handpicked groups of eminent daoists working under the authority of the emperor dosm does not have a single source of authority individual schools and lineages do have hierarchies as a matter of administration but the head of a school or a lineage is not the Dows representative on Earth or anything like the pope and Catholicism nor do they convene councils to unify Doctrine”
Scholar Christopher Shipper argues that the Daoist Canon was the product of a prolonged negotiation between Daoism and other religious and philosophical systems of China
“the scholar Christopher shipper says the DS Cannon was the product of a prolonged negotiation and part of that negotiation was with the other religious and philosophical systems of China”
The Daoist Canon would have been lost entirely after the Boxer Rebellion had a secondary copy not been later located in Shanghai in the 1920s, and through photolithography technology it was made widely available to the public for the first time in history
“the cannon would have been lost en irely had not a secondary copy been later located in Shanghai by the 1920s only two or three copies of the Ming Cannon survived but thanks to A Renewed effort to reprint the cannon and thanks to another fancy technology called photolithography the Dallas Cannon was made widely available to the public for the first time in history”
The Ming Dynasty Daoist Canon remained the official version until 2003, when the Chinese Daoist Association released the Zhengtong Daozang edition, which includes texts discovered in recent decades in tombs and document stores in Dunhuang, China
“the M Cannon was the longest lasting dowst Cannon until 2003 that year the Chinese Dows Association released a new addition called the Jang haa daong one of the advantages of the new edition is that in included texts discovered in tombs and document stores in dong hang China”
Lou Xiujing (劉宣卿), a 5th-century CE Daoist scholar whom the Emperor built an abbey for, created the first comprehensive attempt at compiling the Daoist Canon by organizing texts into three Caverns based on major Daoist schools
“The very first attempt at compiling a comprehensive set of DS texts was undertaken back in the 5th Century CE by a man named luu xiu Jing luu was very famous at the time and the Emperor built an Abby just for him where he could access the Imperial Library Lou used this access to create a list of all the true scriptures”
Although Emperor Kangxi's book burning campaign in 1281 destroyed many texts, pieces of various Canons and independent copies of texts survived, allowing later scholars to reconstruct portions of the Canon
“kuan's book burning campaign ensured that a lot of texts were lost but pieces of various cannons and independent copies of texts still managed to survive”
The Ming Dynasty emperor ordered compilation of a new Daoist Canon called the Zhengtong Daozang (named after the era of compilation), which remained in official use from 1444 until 2003, making it the longest-lasting Daoist Canon
“not long after the Ming Dynasty Consolidated their power the emperor ordered a new dowst Cannon this is the Jang Tong daong named after the era it was compiled in you'll sometimes see it just called the Ming Cannon this cannon was used from 1444 all the way down to 2003”
The official copy of the Ming Dynasty Daoist Canon was destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 when gunfire destroyed the temple where it was housed, representing the second time the Canon faced near-total destruction
“The official copy of the M Cannon was destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 when gunfire destroyed the temple where it was held that's the second time the Dallas Cannon was almost destroyed”
The Daoist Canon (Dao Zong) consists of over 1,500 texts filling 49 volumes, representing easily over 100,000 pages when accounting for different editions across history
“this is the DST Canon the Sacred Scriptures of dosm notice it looks like a pile of Bibles depending on the addition the dowst cannon ranges between 1,000 and 1500 texts easily over 100,000 Pages”
Emperor Hong's printing project for the Daoist Canon required approximately 70,000 woodblocks to be carved, which corresponds to 140,000 pages, representing an enormous technological undertaking for its time
“there are about 20,000 blocks in the Ching Yong gong library but by comparison about 70,000 blocks were cut for Hong's da zong which corresponds to 140,000 Pages”
Lu Xiujing claimed that his Canon list included dozens of texts that 'had yet to be revealed,' meaning they existed in the heavens but had not yet been revealed by the Lord Lao or other gods to mortals
“Lou used this access to create a list of all the true scriptures including dozens of texts that had yet to be revealed meaning that they existed in the heavens but they had yet to be revealed by the Lord Lao or some other God to mere mortals”
Daoist devotees of particular deities read scriptures from that deity as acts of devotion, those interested in longevity and health study texts on dietetics or circulating chi, and ritual specialists like priests become particularly familiar with liturgical texts so they can perform those liturgies
“devotees of a particular deity will read a scripture from that deity as an act of devotion those interested in longevity and health will study texts on dietetics or circulating Chi ritual Specialists like priests are particularly familiar with lurgical texts so they can perform those liturgies”
Chinese Buddhists had been printing scriptures for at least 300 years before Emperor Hong's Song Dynasty printing project (suggesting Buddhist printing began by the 7th century CE), using woodblock printing techniques that were more advanced than European printing at the time
“Chinese Buddhists were printing scriptures for at least 300 years by then”
The Daode Jing is not the Daoist equivalent of the Christian Bible because it is only one text within the much larger Daoist Canon, alongside over 1,500 other texts spanning multiple genres and traditions
“we can't really call the daa Jing the dowst Bible because it's part of this much larger body of texts in English it's simply called the DST Canon”
Emperor Hong of the Song Dynasty was a major patron of Daoism who ordered a comprehensive expansion and printing of the Daoist Canon, but this project was never completed because the Jurchen people conquered northern China and carried away the Imperial Court including Emperor Hong
“first the reign of the song emperor Hong he was a huge fan of dosm and ordered a major expansion of the Dao zong but he decided that they should try this not exactly new technology called printing”
A secondary copy of the Ming Dynasty Daoist Canon was later located in Shanghai by the 1920s, and only 2-3 copies of the Ming Canon survived in total, allowing the Canon to be preserved when photolithography technology made it possible to print multiple copies for widespread distribution
“if you're keeping score the cannon would have been lost en irely had not a secondary copy been later located in Shanghai by the 1920s only two or three copies of the Ming Cannon survived but thanks to A Renewed effort to reprint the cannon and thanks to another fancy technology called photolithography the Dallas Cannon was made widely available to the public for the first time in history”
Underpinning Daoist scriptural flexibility is the philosophical principle that human language and comprehension are inherently limited, illustrated by the opening line of the Daode Jing: 'The way that can be spoken of is not the true way'
“of course underpinning all of this flexibility is the dowst understanding that human language and comprehension are inherently limited remember the opening line of the daaj Jing the way that can be spoken of is not the true way”
The Daoist Canon is fundamentally different from the Christian Bible or Islamic Quran in its internal logic and function, making direct comparisons a 'square peg round hole fallacy,' despite both traditions having collections of sacred scriptures
“so to review doist do have a Canon of scripture but it's a lot more than just the famous ones like the da of Jing and the dongu they are part of it along with 1500 other texts with the exception of the first Canon all of this was done by groups of prominent dsts working under the authority of the government they aim to be faithful to earlier copies of the Canon while correcting mistakes and including new material but they never tried to harmonize any of the texts into a coherent ho there isn't really a need to do that because dosm doesn't teach a singular path to return to the DA”
The vast and continually evolving Daoist Canon underscores the flexibility of Daoism, illustrating how the tradition has absorbed and integrated a wide array of texts and practices over the centuries
“this vast and continually evolving collection underscores the flexibility of dosm illustrating how the tradition has absorbed and integrated a wide array of texts and practices over the centuries”
Texts were selected for inclusion in the Daoist Canon based on their age and general popularity, with older texts being more likely to be agreed upon as essential, and with non-Daoist works like the Mozi (teachings of the philosopher Mo-zi) making their way into the Canon because they were recognized as important to tradition
“ultimately it was the emperor that declared something officially scripture by authorizing the production of a cannon and distributing that Cannon to specific temples practically speaking though the texts were chosen based on their age and general popularity older texts were more likely to be agreed upon as essential as were texts recognized as important to tradition which is how ancient yet decidedly non-st Works made their way into the cannon like the Motu an ancient Chinese text representing the teachings of the philosopher Motu”
No scholarly English translation of the complete Daoist Canon exists; the closest available is Steven Bokenkamp's 'Early Daoist Scriptures' which provides only a small sampling from each of the major early traditions
“I would recommend a scholarly English translation for you all but it doesn't exist the closest you can get is this book Steven boken Camp's early Dallas scriptures but even this is just a small sampling from each of the major early Traditions”
During the Song Dynasty reign of Emperor Hong, he ordered a major expansion of the Dao Zong and attempted to print it using woodblock technology, a then-uncommon practice despite Chinese Buddhists having printed scriptures for at least 300 years
“first the reign of the song emperor Hong he was a huge fan of dosm and ordered a major expansion of the Dao zong but he decided that they should try this not exactly new technology called printing see it's one thing to print the 49 volumes of the Dallas Cannon today with modern technology but back then all copies were made by hand which was a colossal undertaking since by the year 1016 the Canon had grown to fill over 4,300 Scrolls now many Chinese Scholars viewed printing skeptically despite the fact that Chinese Buddhists were printing scriptures for at least 300 years by then”
By the year 1016, the Daoist Canon had grown to over 4,300 scrolls, which would have required approximately 70,000 woodblocks to be carved, corresponding to about 140,000 pages
“since by the year 1016 the Canon had grown to fill over 4,300 Scrolls now many Chinese Scholars viewed printing skeptically despite the fact that Chinese Buddhists were printing scriptures for at least 300 years by then the father of neoc Confucianism Jui famously believed that using printed texts made students lazy and caused them to undervalue knowledge which ironically enough is how the internet was talked about back when I was in Middle School in the early 2000s”
Emperor Hong's project to print the expanded Daoist Canon was never completed because the Jurchen confederation swept down from the northeast, conquered the top half of China, and carried away the entire imperial court including Emperor Hong
“it would have been amazing to see and I say would because this was never completed a confederation of semi-nomadic peoples called the jurchens swept down from the Northeast and conquered the top half of China and carried away the entire Imperial Court including Emperor Hong”
The official copy of the Ming Canon was destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 when gunfire destroyed the temple where it was held, representing the second time the Daoist Canon was nearly destroyed entirely
“the official copy of the M Cannon was destroyed during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 when gunfire destroyed the temple where it was held that's the second time the Dallas Cannon was almost destroyed if you're keeping score”
Emperor Kublai Khan ordered the entire Daoist Canon to be burned in 1281, after becoming tired of referee-ing disputes between Buddhists and Daoists, resulting in the loss of many texts though pieces of various Canons and independent copies survived
“Canon canel a later Emperor had a soft spot for DSM as well and ordered a new Cannon to be compiled in 1192 but then in 1281 kuon got tired of needing to referee fights between Buddhists and daoists and ordered the entire thing to be burned books blocks all of it kuan's book burning campaign ensured that a lot of texts were lost but pieces of various cannons and independent copies of texts still managed to survive”
The concept of Canon is 'fuzzier' in Daoism than in Christianity because there have been several different Daoist Canons throughout history rather than a single authoritative version
“it's fuzzier and dosm partially because there have been several DST cannons throughout history”
The earliest edition of the Daoist Canon was the smallest, and Daoists continually added to the Canon over the centuries, with later editions including new commentaries on earlier texts
“like most sets of scripture the Dows Cannon formed over time so the earliest Edition is also the smallest but dsts continually added to the Canon over the centuries so an example of this would be the alchemical text the triplex Unity which dates to the late Han Dynasty it's included in the cannon along with eight different commentaries so a philosopher would roll out a new commentary and the commentary would be rolled into the cannon”
Later compilers retained Lu Xiujing's three-Cavern system but added four auxiliaries as complements to account for new scriptures revealed after Lu's time or older works not included in his original list
“later compilers kept his three Cavern system but then added four auxiliaries as complements to the original system this allowed for later Dost to account for new scriptures that had been revealed since Lou's time or older works that were generally viewed as dowst but were not included in his initial list”
Lou Xiujing organized the Daoist texts into three Caverns: the Cavern of Perfection (Highest Clarity School), the Cavern of Mystery (Numinous Treasure School), and the Cavern of Spirit (Rite of the Three Sovereigns talismans)
“Lou organized The Works into three Caverns the cavern of perfection which contained works from the highest Clarity School which was a major DST School the cavern of mystery which contained works from Lone group the numinous treasure school and the cavern of spirit which contained works from something called the RIT of the three sovereigns”
Emperor Kangxi ordered the entire Daoist Canon to be burned (texts, woodblocks, and all copies) in 1281 because he was tired of mediating disputes between Buddhists and Daoists, representing the second major threat to the Canon's survival
“a later Emperor had a soft spot for DSM as well and ordered a new Cannon to be compiled in 1192 but then in 1281 kuon got tired of needing to referee fights between Buddhists and daoists and ordered the entire thing to be burned books blocks all of it”
Texts were selected for inclusion in the Daoist Canon based primarily on their age and general popularity in the tradition, with older texts more likely to be agreed upon as essential and texts recognized as important to Daoist tradition having priority
“ultimately it was the emperor that declared something officially scripture by authorizing the production of a cannon and distributing that Cannon to specific temples practically speaking though the texts were chosen based on their age and general popularity older texts were more likely to be agreed upon as essential as were texts recognized as important to tradition”
Some Daoist scriptures contain headers claiming they were received by revelation from the Lord Lao (the deified Laozi) or other gods, with this claim being especially prevalent in earliest scriptures and the Celestial Masters, Upper Clarity, and Numinous Treasure traditions
“many da scriptures do contain headers saying that they were received by Revelation from the Lord Lao the deified lau this is especially true with the earliest scriptures and the celestial Masters upper Clarity and numinous treasure Traditions”
No complete scholarly English translation of the entire Daoist Canon exists; the closest available is Stephen Bokenkamp's 'Early Daoist Scriptures,' which is merely a small sampling from each major early tradition
“I would recommend a scholarly English translation for you all but it doesn't exist the closest you can get is this book Steven boken Camp's early Dallas scriptures but even this is just a small sampling from each of the major early Traditions at best only a few hundred individual texts have been translated into English and even few have been published”
After the Ming Dynasty consolidated power, the emperor ordered compilation of a new Daoist Canon (Jiajing Daozang, named after the era it was compiled in), which was also called the Ming Canon and was used from 1444 until 2003
“not long after the Ming Dynasty Consolidated their power the emperor ordered a new dowst Cannon this is the Jang Tong daong named after the era it was compiled in you'll sometimes see it just called the Ming Cannon this cannon was used from 1444 all the way down to 2003”
Scholar Geoffrey Kotick notes that many texts in the Daoist Canon are not strictly Daoist in character, including general works on astrology or magic
“the Scholar Jeffrey cotic notes that a lot of the texts in the DST Cannon are not strictly dowst in character including General works on astrology or magic”
Many texts in the Daoist Canon are not even religious, including works focusing on mineralogy
“many texts are not even religious like ones focusing on minerology”
The Daoist Canon contains diverse genres including philosophical texts (Daodejing, Zhuangzi), esoteric and alchemical works (Baopuzi), apocalyptic texts (Taiping Jing), liturgical texts, meditation instructions, school histories, divine revelations, prophecies, commentaries, maps, biographies of religious figures, and chemical texts on elixir-making
“You'll find all kinds of different genres some are texts you've probably heard of if you studied DSM before like the da Jing and the jangu Lesser known works that have been massively important in the history of dosm include the bzi a complex text of philosophy esotericism Alchemy and Magic by the Chinese philosopher Gung or the taiping Jing the scripture on the grand pacification which includes formulas for making the elixir of immortality but also discussions that read almost like a Messianic or apocalyptic text”
Lu Xiujing, a famous 5th-century CE Daoist scholar, undertook the first comprehensive compilation of Daoist texts and organized them into three Caverns (Cavern of Perfection, Cavern of Mystery, and Cavern of Spirit) based on their school origins
“the very first attempt at compiling a comprehensive set of DS texts was undertaken back in the 5th Century CE by a man named luu xiu Jing luu was very famous at the time and the Emperor built an Abby just for him where he could access the Imperial Library Lou used this access to create a list of all the true scriptures including dozens of texts that had yet to be revealed meaning that they existed in the heavens but they had yet to be revealed by the Lord Lao or some other God to mere mortals Lou organized The Works into three Caverns the cavern of perfection which contained works from the highest Clarity School which was a major DST School the cavern of mystery which contained works from Lone group the numinous treasure school and the cavern of spirit which contained works from something called the RIT of the three sovereigns”
The Daoist Canon (Dao Zong) contains over 1,500 texts that easily comprise over 100,000 pages depending on the edition
“this is the DST Canon the Sacred Scriptures of dosm notice it looks like a pile of Bibles depending on the addition the dowst cannon ranges between 1,000 and 1500 texts easily over 100,000 Pages”
Some Chinese scholars, including the father of Neo-Confucianism Zhu Xi, viewed printing skeptically, believing that printed texts made students lazy and caused them to undervalue knowledge, a concern analogous to modern anxieties about the internet in early 2000s
“many Chinese Scholars viewed printing skeptically despite the fact that Chinese Buddhists were printing scriptures for at least 300 years by then the father of neoc Confucianism Jui famously believed that using printed texts made students lazy and caused them to undervalue knowledge which ironically enough is how the internet was talked about back when I was in Middle School in the early 2000s so some things never change”
No new texts were formally added to the Daoist Canon after 1600, not because Daoists stopped writing scriptures, but because later texts either did not gain enough influence, were produced by less influential schools, or came from schools geographically distant from the capital where Canon compilers operated
“practically speaking the dowo zong did not have any new texts added to it since 16007 this doesn't mean that DST stopped writing scriptures in 16007 it just means that these texts didn't make it into the Canon more than likely these texts were simply written later or produced by less than influential at the time schools or produced by schools that were farther from the capital and thus not known to those who were compiling the cannon”
Practically speaking, no new texts were added to the Daoist Canon after 1600, not because Daoists stopped writing scriptures but because later texts were either produced by less influential schools, schools farther from the capital, or were simply not known to those compiling the Canon
“this was a big deal because practically speaking the dowo zong did not have any new texts added to it since 16007 this doesn't mean that DST stopped writing scriptures in 16007 it just means that these texts didn't make it into the Canon more than likely these texts were simply written later or produced by less than influential at the time schools or produced by schools that were farther from the capital and thus not known to those who were compiling the cannon”
The most observant Daoist practitioners may memorize texts as they are chanted during major religious events or holidays
“the most observant might memorize as they're chanted during major religious events or on holidays”
Technically, scholars cannot determine exactly how many titles are in the Daoist Canon because it is difficult to identify where one text ends and another begins
“technically we don't even know how many titles are in the dowst Canon partially because it's difficult to figure out where one text ends and another begins”
In religious studies, a Canon refers to a set of texts that a particular religious community views as authoritative, from the Greek word meaning rule, standard, or measuring stick, indicating that canonical texts must measure up to accepted standards
“in the context of sacred scripture a Canon refers to a set of texts that a particular religious community views as authoritative it comes from the Greek word meaning rule standard or even measuring stick so when a text is deemed canonical it means it measures up to a standard accepted as part of the official collection of scriptures”
In religious studies, a Canon refers to a set of texts that a particular religious community views as authoritative, derived from the Greek word meaning 'rule,' 'standard,' or 'measuring stick'
“in the context of sacred scripture a Canon refers to a set of texts that a particular religious community views as authoritative it comes from the Greek word meaning rule standard or even measuring stick so when a text is deemed canonical it means it measures up to a standard accepted as part of the official collection of scriptures and thus holds a special status in the tradition”
Daoist monks of the Qingyong Temple in South Central China still print scriptures using traditional woodblock techniques, with about 20,000 blocks in their library
“the DS monks of the Ching Yong gong Temple in South Central China still print scriptures using this technique a Carver takes a long flat board and cuts out the negative space around each character then the printer takes the board spreads ink over the raised characters lays a piece of paper on it and runs a roller over it lift up the paper and voila the printed word there are about 20,000 blocks in the Ching Yong gong library”
The current Daoist Canon (gifted to Arizona State University by the Chinese Daoist Association) is the most recent version, consisting of over 1,500 texts filling 49 volumes
“the photograph I showed earlier is the copy gifted to Arizona State University by the Chinese DST Association it's the most recent DST Canon cons consisting of over 1500 texts filling 49 volumes”
Gutenberg invented his movable-type printing press around 1440, but Chinese had been printing since the late 600s using woodblock rather than movable-type technology
“now you've probably heard about Gutenberg and his printing press and how it changed Europe forever which is true but Gutenberg invented his press around 1440 the Chinese had been printing since the late 600s but instead of movable type like in Europe they used wood blocks”
The Ming Canon was the longest-lasting Daoist Canon until 2003, when the Chinese Daoist Association released a new edition called the Jiangxi Daozang
“so the M Cannon was the longest lasting dowst Cannon until 2003 that year the Chinese Dows Association released a new addition called the Jang haa daong”
The NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) is a hefty book at approximately 3.2 pounds with around 1,500 pages depending on the font size and edition
“this is the new revised Standard Version of the Bible the nrsv my preferred translation of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament it's a hefty book at 3 and2 lb I definitely would not want to drop this on my foot and depending on the font size and the addition you're looking at around 1,500 pages”