眾生入佛國 神靈降人間──《冥祥記》的空間與慾望詮釋

The Dissemination of the Dharma: Hermeneutic Approaches to Space and Desire in Ming Xiang Ji

本文擬以王琰《冥祥記》為主要材料，將其置於整個六朝「釋氏輔教之書」的脈絡中加以觀察，建構出該書的文化情境；繼而微觀特定的文本，試圖剖析其思想與象徵、概念與隱喻、精英與民間、理性與信仰之間，所顯現的內在辯證關係。換言之，本文的核心主旨，正在於反覆印證《冥祥記》中所呈現的各種空間，並非僅是作者所聽聞、或想像的空間，而是各種宗教符號再現所構成的象徵空間，與其地位、立場等社會資源的分配，都有絕對密切的關聯，最後透過書寫，落實到南朝現實的、歷史的佛教空間。在從生活世界、救度空間和涅槃境界三個角度的論析下，可知《冥祥記》中的空間書並非凝滯不動的，空間不僅作為生命事物據以存在的活動場域，提供六朝人士具體的歷史、地理空間，並透過宗教體驗的內在啟蒙，認知自我情慾生成、了悟萬物苦聚無常的過程，對於自身與周遭的際遇或苦難，得以用因業輪迴予以合理詮釋；同事藉由禮佛、誦經、建塔等具體宗教實踐，當下的苦聚世界隨即聖化，神佛降臨，智光普照，從而轉懼為喜，轉危為安；並激勵信眾歸心淨土，朝向光明可期的未來樂土。而王琰也藉由《冥祥記》中實而有徵的具體事例，以及細微可感的宗教體驗描寫，作為自身體驗與所遭遇的宗教論辯提供了最佳的辯護。

This paper attempts to examine and construct the cultural context of Wang Yan’s王琰 book Ming Xiang Ji《冥祥記》, a major material of this paper, in the context of “Works Support to Buddhism Doctrine” 釋氏輔教之書 during the Six Dynasties period in China. In order to analyze the inherent dialectical relationship exhibited between its thoughts and symbols, ideas and metaphors, the elite and the common, its reason and beliefs, certain texts in the book are intensively surveyed. In other words, the core motif of this paper is a study that repeatedly proves that the different spaces shown in Ming Xiang Ji are not just something based on what the author hears or imagines, but is symbolic spaces filled with various religious symbols and dialectics. These symbolic spaces are closely connected to the author’s social status, political stance, social sources distribution he receives and many other various forms of desires. These elements will eventually be reconciled and realized in the realistic and historical space of the Six Dynasties period through the act of writing. If viewed from the analytical perspectives of the living reality, the salvation space and the nirvana realm, we see that the writing space in Ming Xiang Ji is not fixed or static. It does not just composes t a physical place where the living being exist and die, providing the people in the Six Dynasties with concretely historic and geographical significance, but also depicts the inherent enlightenment brought by religious experiences, the recognition of one’s own desires, and the understanding of the process by which all things in the world gather and part. As a result, the author offers a reasonable interpretation of all the happenings in one’s life by the concepts of reincarnation and karmic retribution. At the same time, the book also describes concrete religious practices such as Buddha worship, sutra chanting and stupa building to sacralize the present world that is filled with pain and suffering of all kinds. Through such religious practices, spirits and Buddha descend into this world; the light of wisdom is spread widely; the fear indwelling man’s heart is turned into happiness, and the danger lurking in the dark is turned into peace. By such writing, the book advocates the Buddhist beliefs of the Pure Land 淨土, and promises the followers the Land of Bliss 樂土 in their future lives. Finally, Wang Yan also successfully defends himself in many religious debates by providing his audience these concrete and detail examples or writings on his subtle but palpable religious experiences.