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Confucius and Laozi at the altar: reconsidering a Tangut manuscript

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Abstract

In the Russian collection of Tangut material there is a manuscript which describes a meeting between Confucius and an old sage. It is generally assumed that it is a translation of a Chinese work but attempts at identifying the source text have not been successful. The Tangut title survives on the last page and it has been translated as the Altar Record of Confucius’s Conciliation. This paper identifies the Chinese original among Ming-Qing religious scriptures of secret societies and suggests a new interpretation for the Tangut title. Connecting the title and the text with Chinese religious and intellectual traditions of the Song period also enables us to date the Chinese source text to the late eleventh or early twelfth century.

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Keywords

Tangut texts, Confucius, Laozi, secret societies, Patriarch Luo, $\textit{Wubu liuce}$, Apricot Platform

Journal Title

Studies in Chinese Religions

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2372-9988
2372-9996

Volume Title

2

Publisher

Taylor & Francis
Sponsorship
This paper was written as part of the Tangut Manuscripts Project sponsored by the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Hamburg University.