| Abstract |
Zhang Sicheng, the thirty-ninth Celestial Master who led both the Jiangnan Taoism and the sanshan fulu, played an essential role on the history of Yuan Taoism. In the Yuan dynasty, the Neo-Confucianism had been matured and widely spread. To promote the theories of the nature-life in the Neidan studies of the Taoism, Taoists were inclined to integrate the mind-nature, an essential topic, into the interpretations when annotating Lao-ze. However, throughout the Lao-ze, “nature” is not even mentioned; likewise, “mind” and “life” appeared only few times. How did Zhang Sicheng develope the mind-nature theory in his Daode Zhenjing Zhangju Xunsong? This essay aims to explore this topic in three stages. Firstly, dimensions of the meaning of “nature-life” are interpreted and explained through “Li Qi.” In addition, the development and promotion of “mind” is examined. Lastly, the self-cultivation as a path to pursue the truth is discussed. Scholars studying Lao-ze studies, Neo-Confucianism, Neidan studies of Taoism and the concept of “merging Neo-Confucianism in Lao-ze” may find the results of this essay helpful and beneficial. |
