Lord Lao, first known as the philosopher Laozi, the purported
author of the "Daode jing," later became an immortal, a messiah,
and high god of Daoism. Laozi, divinized during the Han dynasty and
in early Daoist movements, reached his highest level of veneration
under the Tang when the rulers honored him as a royal ancestor. In
subsequent eras he remained prominent and is still a major deity in
China today.
Livia Kohn's two-part study first traces the historical development
of Lord Lao and the roles he played at different times for
different believers. Part Two is based on one of Lord Lao's major
hagiographies, the twelfth-century "Youlong zhuan (Like Unto a
Dragon)," and studies the complex myth surrounding him. Lord Lao
appears in eight distinct mythical roles, each associated with a
particular phase in his life: He is the creator of the universe,
bringer of cosmic order, teacher of dynasties, and the divine made
flesh on earth. He is also the converter of the barbarians, the
source of major Daoist revelations, and the god of Great Peace and
political harmony. Comparing his story with related Confucian,
Buddhist, and Western mythic tropes, Kohn illuminates the dynamics
of the Daoist tale and persuades us to appreciate Lord Lao as a key
deity of traditional China. Includes illustrations and
tables.
Livia Kohn is Professor of Religion and East Asian Studies, Boston
University; Adjunct Professor of Chinese Studies, Eotvos Lorand
University, Budapest, Hungary; and Visiting Professor of Japanese
Religion, Stanford Center for Technology and Innovation, Kyoto,
Japan. Her most recent book is "Lao-tzu and the
Tao-te-ching."
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