Liangtongshu 兩同書

Liangtongshu 兩同書 "The two identities" is a philosophical treatise written during the late Tang period 唐 (618-907) by Luo Yin 羅隱 (833-909), original name Luo Heng 羅橫, courtesy name Zhaojian 昭諫, style Master Jiangdong 江東生.

Luo hailed from Yuhang 余杭 (today part of Hangzhou 杭州, Zhejiang) or Xindeng 新登 (modern Fuyang 富陽, Zhejiang) and was a retainer of the local military commissioner (jiedushi 節度使) Qian Liu 錢鏐 (852-931, i.e., King Suwu 武肅王 of Wu-Yue 吳越, r. 907-931), who made him district magistrate of Qiantang 錢塘. In 903, Luo was appointed administrative assistant (panguan 判官) and in 908, when the Wu-Yue empire (907-978) was founded by Qian Liu, palace steward (jishizhong 給事中). He died shortly after. In his private life, Luo Yin compiled many books. Apart from the 2-juan-long Liangtongshu, he wrote the books Jiayiji 甲乙集 and Chanshu 讒書, and 12 juan of poems. His collected prose writings (Wenji 文集) have a length of 5 juan.

The Liangtongshu includes ten chapters, the first five of which include thoughts on the Daoist philosopher Laozi 老子, and the other five deliberations about Confucius. The first part is seen as a kind of inner contemplation, while the part on Confucius deals with social and political matters. The title imitates Wu Jun's 吳筠 (d. 778) Liangtongshu that is lost today. The Liangtongshu is a text of a valuable literary quality and provides a fascinating insight into Daoist and Confucian thought during the Tang period.

It is included in the series Guang miji congkan 廣秘笈叢刊, Ershi'er zi 二十二子, Tianyige congshu 天一閣叢書, Shuofu 說郛 and Siku quanshu 四庫全書, as well as in the collection Luo Zhaojian ji 羅昭諫集 that was compiled during the Qing period 清 (1644-1911) by Zhang Zan 張瓚, and - last, but not least - the Daoist Canon Daozang 道藏.