The Complete Collection of Deities from the Three Teachings (San Jiao Yuan Liu Sou Shen Da Quan; 三教源流搜神大全) is a biographical work on Chinese deities and immortals, authored anonymously and comprising seven illustrated volumes. Likely completed during the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

(1368–1644), it was later reprinted by Ye Dehui during the Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and included in the ''Lilou Congshu'' (丽楼丛书) collection. The title reflects its compilation of saints, sages, and deities from

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of li ...

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

, and

Taoism Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ' ...

, making it a valuable reference for studying the Taoist pantheon and folk religious traditions. The text features over 120 divine portraits, each accompanied by details such as the deity's name, titles, posthumous honors, and accounts of their miracles or deeds. Its content parallels the ''Continued Daozang of the Wanli Era: Soushen Ji'' (万历续道藏·搜神记, Records of the Search for the Divine), though the latter lacks illustrations but includes more entries, documenting over 160 deities. While ''Soushen Ji'' prioritizes breadth, ''Comprehensive Compilation'' distinguishes itself with its rich visual depictions and concise annotations, offering unique insights into Ming-era religious syncretism and iconography.

References

{{Chinese mythology Ming dynasty literature Taoist texts Ming dynasty Works published anonymously