Page 684 - The Encyclopedia of Taoism v1_A-L

THE ENC YC LOPEDIA OF TA OI SM A- L

in his early years, receiving basic training on Mount Fule (Fule shan j; ~ LU )
in his home district. In the 650S, he appeared in the capital, Chang'an, where
he was in close contact with high-class literati. In 658, 660, and 663, he served
at the court debates as a defender of Taoism, but- at least according to Bud-
dhist sources-shamefully embarrassed himself, being reduced to speechless
exasperation on more than one occasion. In addition, the Buddhists accused
him of plagiarizing Buddhist siitras and of gleefully enjoying the fire that
devastated the Da xingshan si *~~-;!j: (Great Monastery of Flourishing
Goodness) in the late 650S.
As a philosopher, Li Rong is known for his commentaries to the Daode jing
and the *Xishengjing (Scripture of Western Ascension). His thought closely
follows the patterns of Chongxuan, focusing on the attainment of the Dao
through two levels of truth and an increasing forgetfulne s (wang ;&) and empti-
ness (xu m). In addition, he makes a more subtle distinction between worldly
knowledge of good and evil, the wisdom of emptiness and Non-being, and
insight that reflects the reality of the world with wisdom. He also emphasizes
the necessity for enlightened teachers and sages in the world, and outlines
their duties toward humanity, rejecting the ideal of the recluse who remains
entirely uninvolved. His vision of self-cultivation, finally, is more physical than
that commonly associated with Chongxuan, stressing the importance of *qi
and its cultivation.
In a different vein, Li Rong is mentioned in Xuanyi's ~ ~ (fl. 684- 704)
*Zhenzheng fun (Essays of Examination and Correction, 52.386c) as the com-
piler of the Xiyu jing 1Jt m ~~ (Scripture of Ritual Cleanliness; S. 3380), a short
manuscript set in the Palace of the Seven Treasures (Qibao gong -ti:'§) of
the Heaven of the Mysterious Metropolis (Xuandu ~:ttn Yuanshi tianzun
5IJ~*lJ (Celestial Worthy of Original Commencement; see *sanqing) here
addresses a holy assembly in the ten directions and gives instructions on how
to purify oneself properly for interaction with the divine: upon entering the
"quiet chamber" (*jingshi), one should scatter flowers, burn incense (see
*jinxiang), and thoroughly cleanse one's body and mind. Although the text is
devotional in flavor, it may yet be in some way related to Li Rong.
Li Rong's commentary to the Daode jing is preserved partly in the Daode
zhenjing zhu @1~JU~tt (Commentary to the Authentic Scripture of the
Dao and Its Virtue; eleventh century; CT 722) and partly in the *Dunhuang
manuscripts P. 2577, 2594, 2864, 3237, 3777, and S. 2060; it is available in a critical
edition by Fujiwara Takao (1983). His work on the Xishengjing, entitled Xisheng
jingjizhu flY !ft ~~ ~ tt (Collected Commentaries to the Scripture of Western
Ascension; CT 726), has also been edited by Fujiwara (1986- 88).
LiviaKOHN

ID Fujiwara Takao 1979; Fujiwara Takao 1983 (crit. ed. of the Xisheng jing