論《老子》及其於煉養視域中的身體觀

On the Laozi’s Concept of Body and its View of Cultivating the Self

在以往的研究中，學者們已理析出從「有身」到「無身」的《老子》身體觀之基本架構，並且也已清楚地展示，無名與虛靜乃是轉往「無身」的重要修養工夫。而為避免重複前賢之研究成果，本文轉而將焦點集中於兩個議題上，一是將討論的文獻依據，從「身」轉往《老子》的「精」、「氣」、「魄」、「和」、「柔」等等，有助於探究《老子》身體觀的重要概念；二是將討論的視野，擴及至從煉養生理學的角度，闡發《老子》之身體與工夫向度的養生方技傳統。本文經過論證分析後，認為在《老子》所言的「專氣致柔」、「骨弱筋柔」、「沖氣以為和」等文句中，很可能蘊含著一種與《莊子》相似之與天地同流的宇宙性身體的思想，而於「載營魄抱一」與「精之至」則可見到《老子》於工夫修練上的細膩深入以及體道者之精氣渾全的身體氣象。至於煉養家們於《老子》中所解讀出的，諸如陽生藥產、意守丹田、小周天循環或陽神出竅一類的煉養生理與工夫等等內容，由於恐有逸出文本脈絡的嫌疑，因此，可能較多是屬個人的引申發揮，而未必是依文解義下的如實解釋。

This study examines the concept of body advanced in the Laozi 老子 through the analysis of terms such as jing 精, qi 氣, po 魄, he 和 and rou 柔 used in the book. This analysis reveals that jing should be interpreted as referring to the jing in jingqi, which was related to reproduction and breeding, and that rou encapsulated a view of the cosmic body similar to the Zhuangzi’s tijin wuqiong 體盡無窮 and zhoujin yiti 周盡一體. In addition, as he was identical to rou in its aspect of cosmic body, he also connoted the state of not being disturbed by, and remaining calm and composed in the face of, gain and loss. With respect to qi carrying the meaning of body and form, it can also be said to have embraced the idea of the cosmic body. Po referred to a more hidden perception inside a form, and the greatest difference between po and general perception was that it could still exist outside a body after the body’s demise. Finally, the manner in which scholars of self-cultivation have interpreted the Laozi’s concept of body and theory of self-cultivation at times strays from the context of the book. Such interpretations are thus perhaps better viewed as elaborations of personal views rather than conclusions firmly grounded in the content of the text.