從「冥契」途徑論王弼《老子注》之知識論向度

An Analysis of the Epistemological Dimension of Wang Bi’s Commentary on the Laozi from the Approach of Mysticism

本文旨在探究王弼老學之知識理論，首先確立「道」為王弼老學的究極知識，再透過先秦儒道二家至兩漢經學體系對「名號」的定義與運用，說明兩漢時期以天道為根源之「名號」觀念，符合王弼「名號生乎形狀」的定義。然而無形無名的「道」無法用確鑿的「名號」定義，故別立「稱謂」以指點描述；人即難於直截透過各種對「稱謂」的學習與認識理解「道」，此即開啟「道」之特殊體證途徑。目前學界對「境界型態」的論述甚深，卻較少具體描述人臻至「沖虛玄德」之境界的過程，故筆者援引「統合內外的自然冥契類型」的理論，取其透過修為與體正合於「道」之義，深論人由內即外的冥契過程。首先，作為修養主體之心先損之又損而回復虛靈狀態，再統攝身體官能，使其應物而無累；其次，心依任體內之氣臻至虛靈靜妙而周流不息，身體即超越「形」之窒礙，通體皆為「知常之明」的透亮遍顯，體現王弼所論無形無名之「道」。人在體道的境界中，心向外觀照，在天地萬物上，能遍知萬事運作之理與萬物生化長養之性，又能隨順此性此理實踐出自然而然的相應行為；在人倫世界上，能崇本舉末，把握各種儒家所正面肯認的倫理秩序與美善德行之本質，使本末一如。如此，心之認識能力，可通透內外、活潑靈透地體現於對自身、對天地自然環境與人倫社會的觀照與成全。

The substance of this paper concerns the epistemology of Wang Bi’s 王弼 Commentary on the Laozi. I begin the paper by establishing that the dao 道 represents the ultimate source of knowledge in Wang Bi’s study of the text. I then attempt to explain the concept of minghao 名號, which during the Han Dynasty was rooted in the heavenly dao, through reference to the definition and application of minghao within the Confucian and Daoist classical corpus. In antiquity, the sages observed the stars above, investigated the terrain below, and named all beings according to their true form on the basis of the heavenly dao. In this way, the sages assured that the names conformed to the truth of all beings. This conception of minghao conformed to Wang Bi’s view; however, since Wang Bi held that the dao transcended all minghao, it was not possible to give it a precise name or definition. For this reason, he established the theory of chengwei 稱謂 to describe it. Yet, it was difficult for people to recognize and grasp the dao directly through the study of this theory, and this opened the way to a special approach of physical verification rooted in experience. Wang Bi established the idea of experiencing the dao, but scholars have by and large only researched his theory of the dao, and, as a consequence, they have failed to pay sufficient attention to the mystical process leading to its realization. In an attempt to rectify this deficiency in contemporary scholarship, this paper utilizes theories of Inner Mysticism to shed light on the special epistemology found in Wang Bi’s conception of experiencing the dao.