This paper, through a detailed textual analysis of
Laozi zhigui 老子指歸, examines Yan Zun’s sophisticated intertextual strategies in elucidating the
Daodejing 道德經 and explores the eclectic and inclusive conceptual framework he constructed. First,
Laozi zhigui not only directly quotes or adapts phrases from
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This paper, through a detailed textual analysis of
Laozi zhigui 老子指歸, examines Yan Zun’s sophisticated intertextual strategies in elucidating the
Daodejing 道德經 and explores the eclectic and inclusive conceptual framework he constructed. First,
Laozi zhigui not only directly quotes or adapts phrases from major texts such as the
Zhouyi 周易,
Zhuangzi 莊子,
Huangdi sijing 黃帝四經, and
Huainanzi 淮南子, but also incorporates concepts such as
yin and
yang,
qiwu 齊物, and
yinxun 因循 from these sources. To a considerable extent, this approach has enriched the ideological connotations of the
Daodejing. Second, Yan Zun takes the core ideas of the
Daodejing as a foundation to blend the philosophies of the
Zhouyi,
Zhuangzi, and Huang-Lao Daoism. In this way, he resolves potential conflicts among these diverse textual traditions and preserves the logical coherence and value integration of
Laozi zhigui. Third, through his synthesis of these classical texts, Yan Zun develops a more comprehensive cosmological framework, alongside a practical political theory and principles for self-cultivation. Although the primary purpose of the
Laozi zhigui is to elucidate the
Daodejing, through his remarkable interpretive skills, Yan Zun’s concepts not only clarify the classic text but also generate novel perspectives, innovative concepts, and a distinctive intellectual framework.
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