From Text to Praxis: Yan Zun’s Intertextual Strategies in Laozi Zhigui and the Pragmatic Synthesis of Zhouyi, Zhuangzi, and Huang-Lao Thought

This paper, through a detailed textual analysis of Laozi zhigui 老子指歸, examines Yan Zun’s sophisticated intertextual strategies in elucidating the Daodejing 道德經 and explores the eclectic and inclusive conceptual framework he constructed. First, Laozi zhigui not only directly quotes or adapts phrases from major texts such as the Zhouyi 周易, Zhuangzi 莊子, Huangdi sijing 黃帝四經, and Huainanzi 淮南子, but also incorporates concepts such as yin and yang, qiwu 齊物, and yinxun 因循 from these sources. To a considerable extent, this approach has enriched the ideological connotations of the Daodejing. Second, Yan Zun takes the core ideas of the Daodejing as a foundation to blend the philosophies of the Zhouyi, Zhuangzi, and Huang-Lao Daoism. In this way, he resolves potential conflicts among these diverse textual traditions and preserves the logical coherence and value integration of Laozi zhigui. Third, through his synthesis of these classical texts, Yan Zun develops a more comprehensive cosmological framework, alongside a practical political theory and principles for self-cultivation. Although the primary purpose of the Laozi zhigui is to elucidate the Daodejing, through his remarkable interpretive skills, Yan Zun’s concepts not only clarify the classic text but also generate novel perspectives, innovative concepts, and a distinctive intellectual framework.