The Daozang (Daoist Cannon) consists of almost 5000 individual texts that were collected circa C.E. 400 (quite some time after the Dao De Jing and Zhuang Zi which are the core Daoist texts). They were collected by Daoist monks of the period in an attempt to bring together all of the teachings of Daoism, including all the commentaries and expositions of the various masters from the original teachings found in the Dao De Jing and Zhuang Zi. It was split into Three Grottoes, which mirrors the Buddhist Tripitaka (three baskets) division. These three divisions were based on the main focus of Daoism in Southern China during the time it was made, namely; meditation, ritual, and exorcism. For other uses of the words tao and dao, see Dao (disambiguation). ... The Tao Te Ching (道德經, Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng, thus sometimes rendered in recent works as Dao De Jing; archaic pre-Wade-Giles rendering: Tao Teh Ching; roughly translated as The Book of the Way and its Virtue (see dedicated chapter below on translating the title)) is an ancient Chinese... // The Person Zhuāng Zǐ (pinyin), Chuang Tzu (W-G), or Chuang Tse (Chinese 莊子, literally meaning Master Zhuang) was a famous philosopher in ancient China who lived around the 4th century BC during the Warring States Period, corresponding to the Hundred Schools of Thought philosophical summit of Chinese thought. ... The Tao Te Ching (道德經, Pinyin: Dào Dé Jīng, thus sometimes rendered in recent works as Dao De Jing; archaic pre-Wade-Giles rendering: Tao Teh Ching; roughly translated as The Book of the Way and its Virtue (see dedicated chapter below on translating the title)) is an ancient Chinese... // The Person Zhuāng Zǐ (pinyin), Chuang Tzu (W-G), or Chuang Tse (Chinese 莊子, literally meaning Master Zhuang) was a famous philosopher in ancient China who lived around the 4th century BC during the Warring States Period, corresponding to the Hundred Schools of Thought philosophical summit of Chinese thought. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... The Tripitaka (Sanskrit, lit. ... Meditation usually refers to a state in which the body is consciously relaxed and the mind is allowed to become calm and transcend. ... A ritual is a formalised, predetermined set of symbolic actions generally performed in a particular environment at a regular, recurring interval. ... Exorcism is the practice of evicting or destroying demons or other evil spiritual entities which are supposed to have possessed (taken control of) a person or a building. ...

These Three Grottoes were used as levels for the initiation of Daoist masters, from lowest (exorcism) to highest (meditation).

• Note: Until the Tang dynasty there were actually 5 levels

As well as the Three Grottoes there were Four Supplements that were added to the Cannon circa C.E. 500. These were mainly taken from older core Daoist texts (e.g. [Dao De Jing])apart from one which was taken from an already established and separate philosophy known as Tianshi Dao (Way of the Heavenly Masters).

Although the above can give the appearance that the Cannon is highly organised this is far from the truth. Although the present-day Cannon does preserve the core divisions there are substantial forks in the arrangement due to the later addition of commentaries, revelations and texts elaborating upon the core divisions.

Timeline

1. The First Daozang
   • This was the first time an attempt was made to bring together all the teachings and texts from across China and occurred circa C.E. 400 and consisted of roughly 1,200 scrolls
2. The Second Daozang
   • In C.E. 748 the Tang emperor Tang Xuan-Zong (claimed to be an ancestor of Lao Tse), sent monks to collect further teachings to add to the Cannon.
3. The Third Daozang
   • Around C.E. 1016 of the Song dynasty, the Daozang was revised and many texts collected during the Tang dynasty were removed. This third Daozang consisted of approximately 4500 scrolls.
4. The Fourth Daozang
   • In C.E. 1444 of the Ming dynasty, a final version was produced consisting of approximately 5300 scrolls.

Lao Zi (also spelled Laozi, Lao Tzu, or Lao Tse) was a famous Chinese philosopher who is believed to have lived in approximately the 4th century BC, during the Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Periods. ...

Constituent Parts

Three Grottoes (sandong) C.E. 400

1. Authenticity Grotto (Dongzhen): Texts of Supreme Purity (Shangqing) tradition
   • This grotto is concerned mainly with meditation and is the highest phase of initiation for a Daoist master.
2. Mystery Grotto (Dongxuan): Texts of Sacred Treasure (Lingbao) tradition
   • This grotto is concerned mainly with rituals and is the middle phase of initiation for a Daoist master.
3. Spirit Grotto (Dongshen): Texts of Three Sovereigns (Sanhuang) tradition
   • This grotto is concerned mainly with exorcisms and is the lowest phase of initiation for a Daoist master.

Each of the above Three Grottoes then has the following 12 chapters

1. Main texts (Benwen)
2. Talismans (Shenfu)
3. Commentaries (Yujue)
4. Diagrams and illustrations (Lingtu)
5. Histories and genealogies (Pulu)
6. Precepts (Jielu)
7. Ceremonies (Weiyi)
8. Rituals (Fangfa)
9. Practices (Zhongshu)
10. Biographies (Jizhuan)
11. Hymns (Zansong)
12. Memorials (Biaozou)

Four Supplements C.E. 500

1. Great Mystery (Taixuan): Based on the [Dao De Jing]
2. Great Peace (Taiping): Based on the Taiping Jing
3. Great Purity (Taiqing): Based on the Taiqing Jing and other alchemical texts
4. Orthodox One (Zhengyi): Based on the Way of the Heavenly Masters (Tianshi Dao) tradition.