A Study Of Wang Xuanlan's Thought Of Taoism

Wang Xuanlan (626-697 A.D.) was born in 9th Wu De year unde Emperor Gao Zu's rule in the Tang dynasty, and died in the first Shen Gong year in the rule of Emperor Wu Zhetian. As one of the most famous Daoist scholar in the history of Daoism, Wang Xuanlan's reputation went byond Mian Zhu, this home town in Sichuan and reached to almost all country, where he was known as Xuanlian, instead of Hui, his original name. Among his disciples, he was also known as Master Hong Yuan.Wang Xuanlan integrated the concept "Dao" from Laozi into Buddhism, and discussed the origin, quality, charateristic and its relations with other elemnets in the nature. He argued, the nature of Dao was "emptiness", which also constituted the core of relation between Dao and myarid beings as well as the relation between human inner nature and mind. His unique understanding about Dao led to his ideas about methods for cultivating Dao, the way to immortality in Daoism. In this sense, Wang Xuanlan's theory about Dao was connected with his ideas about cultivating one mind and inner nature.Another charateristic of Wang's theory about Dao was his borrowings from Buddhism in reinterpreting the nature of Dao and cultivation of Dao. This became the important contribution in pushing the integration between Daoism and Buddhism.In the disertation, the author discussed Wang Xuanlan's life, his academic books and personal life as a Daoist. In the discussion, the author focuses his attention on Wang's unique viewpoints about Dao, the nature of Dao and cultivations of Dao. Through his study, the author provides us a clear picture of the time Wang Xuanlan lived, and his extraordinary thinking about Dao and the ways to immortality, namely, the realization of Dao in human body.