This paper focuses on the study of the concept of fan 梵 in the Daoist Ling-bao scriptures of the fifth century. The concept of fan in Ling-bao scriptures was borrowed from translated Buddhist scriptures in the 2nd-3rd centuries. In Chinese Buddhist literature, the word fan has various meanings, depending on the context. The word was derived from the name "Brahma," and was used to refer to celestial heavens, celestial scripts or certain religious practices. During the period of the 4th -5th century, Buddhism had already been popular among the gentry and the aristocracy of Southern China. Certain terms and notions of Buddhism had impact on Chinese culture and literature. The authors of Ling-bao scriptures not only adopted the idea of fan from the Buddhist contexts, but also modified the concept in order to construct a new model of cosmology. The discussion of the concept of fan in Ling-bao scriptures in this paper will focus on three issues: the Brahma heaven in cosmology, the Brahma script in celestial writing and the sound of Brahma in ritual chanting. For example, according to the Ling-bao tradition, "Brahman Qi" refers to the "primal pneuma" which swirled in undifferentiation before the separation of Yin and Yang. In this context, the Brahma was not created by celestial beings but generated spontaneously at the time of cosmogenesis. This research will explore these three issues and explain how the authors of Ling-bao scriptures transformed and reinterpreted the notion in order to constitute a new model of textual exegesis. In this manner, they created a broader and superior worldview, which integrated Buddhist and Chinese elements. This borrowing and transformation of the notion "Brahma" eventually served its purpose, integrated a new concept into the Daoist context, and attracted more followers.
