Tài xuán zhēn yī běn jì miào jīng 太玄真一本際妙經
Most Mysterious Perfect-One Wondrous Scripture of the Original Limit
Anonymous; early Táng
A major early-Táng Daoist philosophical-soteriological scripture in 10 juàn, articulating the Chóng xuán 重玄 (“Twofold Mystery”) metaphysics through dialogues between Tài shàng Lǎo jūn 太上老君 and a celestial retinue. The Běn jì jīng 本際經 was one of the most influential Táng Daoist scriptures, extensively quoted in Táng canonical compilations. Recovered by modern scholars in part from Dūnhuáng 敦煌 fragments, which supply portions missing from the Dào zàng copy. Preserved as DZ 1111 / CT 1111 (Tài píng bù 太平部).
Dating. Early 7th century. Dynasty: 唐初期.
Translations and research
- Ōfuchi Ninji 大淵忍爾. Dōkyō to sono kyōten: Dōkyō shi no kenkyū, sono ni 道教とその經典:道教史の研究其の二. Tokyo, 1997. Extensive analysis of the Běn jì jīng.
- Assandri, Friederike. Beyond the Daode Jing: Twofold Mystery in Tang Daoism. Three Pines Press, 2009.
- Wán Jīnchuān 萬金川 and others have published reconstructions from Dūnhuáng manuscripts.