Page 548 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

5 08 THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TAOISM A-L

Huang-Lao

Yellow [Emperor] and Old [Master]

The term "Huang-Lao" was first coined in the Former Han dynasty in the
second century BCE. Huang Ji: refers to *Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) and
Lao ~ refers to Laozi. Huang-Lao thought is said to have flourished at the
courts of Han Wendi (r. 180-157 BCE) and HanJingdi (r. 157-141 BCE), strongly
supported by the Empress, later Dowager Empress, Dou before Confucian
influence achieved dominance under Han Wudi from 136 BCE (Si Xiuwu 1992;
Un Congshun 1991).
Among the prominent early Han intellectuals who were attracted to
Huang-Lao thought was Sima Tan m,~~!R (?-IIO BC E), the father of Sima
Qian P] ~~ (145?-86? BCE, the author of the Shiji or Records of the Historian).
He is said to have studied under a Huang-Lao master, and sources claim the
existence of a lineage of such masters reaching back into Warring States times
to philosophers gathered at the famous Jixia f~F academy at the court of
the rulers of the state of Qi 'f!t (modern Shandong). In the Later Han dynasty,
Huang-Lao appears to have been incorporated into the ideas and practices
aimed at achieving physical immortality developed by religious masters who
founded the *Yellow Turban and Five Pecks of Rice (*Wudoumi dao) move-
ments. Later on, virtually all of the early texts disappeared and knowledge
about original Huang-Lao was lost.
Thinkers and texts. Many early philosophers and texts are said in the sources,
or thought by modern scholars, to be influenced by, or representative of,
Huang-Lao thought, which they consider to be a form of syncretic Taoism.
Among these are the Confucian Xunzi 1U {- (ca. 335-ca. 238 BCE); Han Feizi
~1~f (ca. 280-ca. 233 BCE), usually associated with the fajia l~ #: (legalists);
Shen Dao ,t~ ::fIJ (ca. 360-ca. 285 BCE; Thompson 1979), Shen Buhai $:;f ~ (ca.
400-ca. 340 BCE; Creel 1974), the naturalist Zou Yan .~m (third century BCE;
Peerenboom 1993), Tian Pian IH.~ (ca. 319-284 BCE), and Song Xing *m (ca.
334-301 BCE), who is more commonly recognized as a Mohist (Shi Huaci 1994);
the "Yueyu xia" ~ Mt r' section of the Guoyu ~ ~g (Discourses of the States)
that possibly represents the ideas of the strategist Fan Li m;ft (fl. late sixth to
early fifth century BCE; Ryden 1997; Li Xueqin 1990); parts of the *Zhuangzi
(Roth 199Ib); the LiLshi chunqiu PI B::: ¥J:-f:k (Springs and Autumns of Mr. Lii;
239 BCE; Knoblock and Riegel2000); the Heguan zi ~m~ (Book of Master