Zuowanglun

The Zuowanglun or Zuowang lun is a Taoist meditative text that was written by the Shangqing School patriarch Sima Chengzhen (647–735). Taoism incorporated many Buddhist practices during the Tang dynasty (618–907), and the Zuowanglun combined meditation techniques from Taoism (e.g., 坐忘 zuòwàng "sitting forgetting", and 觀 guān "observation"), Buddhism (śamatha "calm abiding", and vipaśyanā "insight") and Confucian concept (正心誠意). Sima Chengzhen (or Si-ma Ch'eng-chen) 司馬承禎 (647–735), also known as Daoyin 道隐 "Recluse of the Tao" and Baiyunzi 白雲子 "Master of the White Cloud", was a native of Henan. He was a descendant of the Jin dynasty (266–420) imperial house, and his family included many high-ranking scholar-officials. Although Sima received a traditional education in the Confucian classics, he converted to Taoism, and was ordained by the Shangqing "Highest Clarity" School in 669. Sima was promoted to Shangqing Grand Master in 684, and became a favorite of the imperial court and aristocracy. Russell Kirkland (2008:911) describes Sima Chengzhen as "perhaps the most important Taoist of Tang times." There are two received Zuowanglun editions and a stone inscription on Mount Wangwu. The Zuowanglun text exists in two main editions. One is in Zhang Junfang's (1019) Yunji Qiqian 雲笈七籤 " Seven Cloudy Satchel" and Xu Song's (1819) Quan Tangwen 全唐文 "Complete Tang Literature". Another is in the (1444) Daozang "Taoist Canon" and (1796–1820) Daozang jiyao 道藏輯要 "Essentials of the Taoist Canon". There are two prefaces with the text, one by the author Sima Chengzhen and another by the otherwise unknown recluse Zhenjing (真靜). A shorter Zuowanglun inscription on a stele, dated to the year 829, was placed in front of a temple dedicated to Sima Chengzhen erected in Jiyuan on Mount Wangwu, his last residence. It summarizes the key features of the text. Kohn says it "is probably an early forerunner", and translates this "Inscription on Oblivion".