Sui and Tang · Daoist and Scholar

Du Guangting 杜光庭

Attested AD 874 - AD 918

Passages: 6
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Du Guangting was a Daoist and Scholar.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 880 僖宗之幸蜀
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passages 147-148
AD 891 to AD 918 及王建據蜀
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passages 152-153
AD 874 to AD 880 應九經舉不第
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 146
AD 885 駕回
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passages 149-151

Career and standing

Daoist master 天師
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 152
purple robes 紫衣
Bestowed · Authority Emperor Xizong (僖宗)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 151

Places and affiliations

Polity Shu 蜀 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 152
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 151
At Chang'an 長安
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 146
At Chang'an 長安 · Relation Lived in
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passages 146-147
At Shu 蜀 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passages 151-152

Learning and skills

Institution Nine Classics examination 九經舉 · Result failed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 146
Attempted
Credential Nine Classics examination degree 九經 · Negated true
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 146
Belief Daoism 道門 · Relation Adherent of
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passages 151-152

Works and attributed material

Broad Completion Exegesis 廣成義
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 153
Broad Completion Exegesis 廣成義
Relation Author · Extent eighty chapters 八十卷
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 153

Events and relationships

Invested as daoist
Religious · Ordinand · With Emperor Xizong (僖宗)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 151
Sent post haste to Shu
Travel · Envoy designee
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 151
Relation Student visitor of · Person Master Pan (潘尊師)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 147

Assessments and attributes

Assessment men of insight approved his exegesis and other arts · Mode commentator-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 153
Assessment simple nature, clear spirit, broad capacity, far insight, weary of fame and profit · Mode named-source-report Source Person Id Master Pan (潘尊師)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 150
Item purple robes 紫衣 · Relation Bestowed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 151

Source notes

Value historical
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 136, passage 146

References in the histories

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 136Volume 136: Biographies of Usurpers 3: Wang Jian, Meng Zhixiang · 6 passages

杜光庭，長安人，應《九經》舉不第。 Du Guangting came from Chang'an. He took the Nine Classics examination and failed.

時長安有潘尊師者，道術甚高，僖宗所重，光庭素所希慕，數遊其門。 In Chang'an there was Master Pan, a Daoist of great renown whom Emperor Xizong esteemed. Guangting had long admired him and often visited his house.

臣於科場中識《九經》杜光庭，其人性簡而氣清，量寬而識遠，且困於風塵，思欲脫屣名利久矣，以臣愚思之，非光庭不可。」 I know Du Guangting from the examination grounds—a man of simple nature and clear spirit, broad in capacity and far in insight, weary of the world's turmoil and long eager to cast off fame and profit. In my humble judgment, none but Guangting will do."

僖宗詔而問之，一見大悅，遂令披戴，仍賜紫衣，號曰廣成先生，即日馳驛遣之。 Emperor Xizong summoned Guangting and was delighted at first sight. He had him invested as a Daoist priest, bestowed purple robes, styled him Master of Broad Completion, and sent him post-haste to Shu that same day.

及王建據蜀，待之愈厚，又號為天師。 When Wang Jian held Shu he treated Guangting even more generously and again styled him Celestial Master.

光庭嘗以《道》、《德》二經註者雖多，皆未能演暢其旨，因著《廣成義》八十卷，他術稱是，識者多之。）〉 Guangting once observed that although many had commented on the Dao and De Classics, none had fully unfolded their meaning. He therefore composed the Broad Completion Exegesis in eighty chapters and was likewise praised in other arts—men of insight approved him.)〉