Dào shū 道樞

The Pivot of the Way

compiled by 曾慥 (Zēng Zào, d. 1155)

The great 42-juàn Daoist anthology of the Southern Sòng — a vast topically-organized compendium of Daoist meditative, alchemical, and philosophical passages, collected under 100+ thematic headings. Compiled c. 1151. An indispensable primary source: many passages quoted in the Dào shū derive from texts otherwise lost, and the anthology’s topical arrangement provides one of the earliest systematic syntheses of Chinese yǎng shēng / inner-alchemical culture. Preserved as DZ 1017 / CT 1017 (Tài xuán bù 太玄部).

Dating. c. 1151, finished before Zēng Zào’s death in 1155. Dynasty: 南宋.

Translations and research

  • Boltz, Judith M. A Survey of Taoist Literature. Berkeley: Institute of East Asian Studies, 1987. Notice on the Dào shū.
  • Despeux, Catherine. Immortelles de la Chine ancienne: Taoïsme et alchimie féminine. Paris: Pardès, 1990. Makes use of Dào shū materials.