誰在發問？誰在答覆？論袁枚《子不語》中的文人扶乩現象

Who is asking ? Who is responding? On the phenomenon of literati using planchettes in Yuan Mei's ''Zi Bu yu''

本文以清代筆記小說《子不語》為對象，討論文人扶乩的記載。面對書中多達七百多則的故事，扶乩記事僅佔三十餘則的情況下，仍選擇以此作為討論的原因在於：經過梳理發現，內容大抵書寫文人扶乩，主要圍繞卜問功名、終身、日常消遣，幾近含括文人的功名官途至日常生活。本文所關注的是，扶乩故事中呈現的乩仙身分與釋惑方式、文人扶乩目的。
文分三部分。首先，指出《子不語》扶乩儀式裡，不論扶乩者（發問者）或是乩仙（答覆者）的腳色大多為文人，從書中記事討論乩仙以文人為主的原因。其次，延續前節的探討，檢視文人在盛行科舉的時代扶乩的目的與緣由，而乩仙又以何種方式答覆。再則，從「乩判終身」、「乩卜休咎」、「乩民同樂、問藥於乩」三個小節，剖析科舉之外，扶乩在日常生活中提供文人怎樣的助益。扶乩，是清代文人筆下常見的母題，透過以上的探討同時總結出，在扶乩預卜儀式中存在的天道秩序；在不同情形下，文人與乩仙的互動與其建構出的信仰網絡，後者也是扶乩有別於其他貞卜的特殊之處。

This passage discusses the depiction of literati seeking guidance through divination in the Qing Dynasty novel ''Zi Buyu.'' Despite the numerous stories in the book—over seven hundred—the focus remains on the thirty or so instances of literati consulting divination. The decision to focus on this stems from the observation that the content primarily centers on literati seeking answers about fame, lifelong pursuits, and daily activities, covering both their official careers and personal lives.
The text is divided into three parts. Firstly, it points out that both the diviners (questioners) and divining spirits (responders) in the ''Zi Buyu'' divination rituals are mostly literati. It discusses the reasons behind the predominance of literati as divining spirits in the recorded stories. Secondly, building upon the previous discussion, it explores the motives and reasons for literati seeking divination during the era of the imperial examinations and how divining spirits respond. Additionally, it delves into the benefits that divination provides literati in their daily lives, beyond the realm of the imperial examinations, through three sections: ''Divination for a Lifetime Decision,'' ''Divination to Avoid Misfortune,'' and ''Divination for Common Enjoyment and Medicine Inquiry.'' Divination, a common theme in the writings of Qing Dynasty literati, is analyzed to reveal the celestial order present in divination rituals. The interactions between literati and divining spirits, as well as the belief networks constructed through these interactions, are explored, highlighting the uniqueness of divination in this context compared to other forms of fortune-telling.