This paper takes the different interpretations of one and the same sentences in the Daode jing as “inner cultivation” or “worldly power” respectively, in the commentaries of two closely related early Tang Daoist authors, Cheng Xuanying 成玄英 and Li Rong 李荣, as a starting point to approach the question of interaction of Buddhism and Daoism from a new angle. Instead of trying to pinpoint influences, origins, and derivatives, I propose to delineate philosophical discourses that cross the boundaries of the three teachings. Parallel excerpts from both commentaries show how Cheng reads the Daode jing as a guidebook for cultivation, and how Li Rong reads it as a guideline for governing. I argue that the differences could be read as the authors’ participation in different philosophical discourses, and I will show, for the case of Cheng Xuanying, how terminological overlap with contemporary Buddhist authors indicates that Buddhists and Daoists both participated in the discourse on inner cultivation with commentaries to their respective sacred scriptures.
a Laozi: xuan zhi you xuan, zhong miao zhi men. Commentary: The man who has desires, he is being hindered only by his [one-sided clinging to] being. The gentleman who has no desires, he instead is hindered by his [one-sided clinging to] non-being. Thus he [i.e., Laozi] says the first xuan in order to eliminate these two [onesided] views. But then he is afraid, that the adept may be hindered by this xuan. So, when he says xuan again, he eliminates also this last illness. Thus he not only obtains, that there are no more hindrances, but he also obtains, that being without hindrance in itself does not become a hindrance. This is the rejection, that's why he says xuan and again xuan.Before he took the Dao of the one middle in order to eliminate the clinging to the two extremes [of being and non-being]. Once the sickness of the [clinging to the] two extremes is eliminated, one also has to eliminate the medicine of the one middle. Therefore medicine and illness are both eliminated. This is the highest of the wonderful and the finest essence, it explains completely the principle and penetrates exhaustively the nature [of all things]. How would this not be door and window of all saints and also the dharma gate of all mysteries. 3
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