Page 650 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

608 THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OP TAOISM A-L

Laojun shuo yibai bashi jie

The Hundred and Eighty Precepts Spoken by Lord Lao

The Hundred and Eighty Precepts Spoken by Lord Lao dating, in all likelihood,
from the fourth century is probably the earliest set of behavioral rules for
Taoist priests. The text divides into two parts: the hundred and eighty pre-
cepts themselves and a later preface that describes how the precepts came to
be transmitted. There are four sources that give partial or full versions of the
Hundred and Eighty Precepts:
I. Taishang Laojun jing/ii A...t ~ ~ ~~ ff. (Scriptural Regulations of the Most
High Lord Lao; eT 786), 2a-I2b
2. *Yunji qiqian (eT 1032) 39.Ia-I4b
3. Yaoxiu keyi jielii. chao ~ {I~ fj· {i Jt:X: 1* jijr (Excerpts from the Essential litur-
gies and Observances; eT 463), 5.I4a-I9b
4. The original *Dunhuang manuscript from which the two manuscripts
in the Pelliot collection P 4562 and P 4731 were taken (these manuscripts
are reproduced in 6fuchi Ninji 1978-79, 2: 685)
The preface concerns *Can]i to whom the Dao was transmitted by Laozi
during the reign of King Nan of Zhou (Nanwang #fl r., r. 314-256 BCE). Can
]i passed it on to Bo He 01 trl and both propagated the doctrine. On Laozi's
return from his western sojourn converting the barbarians, he is shocked to
see the corrupt state of the community who bicker and disagree, make profits
from offerings, and are jealous and boastful. The precepts are granted to bring
the community back to right behavior.
The hundred and eighty precepts themselves are not divided into formal
groups, as are some sets of Taoist and Buddhist precepts. However, there is an
implicit division after number 140 between those that prohibit certain conduct
and those that are exhortatory. Some of the rules prohibit actions that are
banned in most cultures (for example, 3: You should not steal other people's
property; 50: You should not deceive others). Some give perhaps unintended
insights into the lives of the Taoist clergy of the time (13: You should not
use herbal medicines to perform abortions; 15: You should not eat off gold
or silverware; 72: You should not poke your tongue out at other people; 99:
You should not bore holes in the walls of other people's houses to spy on the
women and girls inside). A few are specifically Taoist (147: You should exert