傳授與融合－－〈太極五真人頌〉研究

Transmission and Syncretism: A Study of the Songs of Five Perfections of the Grand Ultimate

古靈寶經當中常會述及經典的傳承過程，傳承系譜為靈寶經典的傳承提供看待自己的歷史淵源的基本模式。本文透過古靈寶經中的〈五真人頌〉來探討靈寶經中五真人傳授模式的建構，探討重點將放在系譜本身作為一種解釋的媒介所產生的功能，以及系譜在歷史過程中所發生的轉變、重塑與更迭。傳承系譜本身就像是一個骨架，而經典撰寫者可以加以潤飾、調整、增衍，以形成一個更具說服力、更具權威性的傳承系譜。傳承系譜常附在經典之後，意味著對該經典傳承過程的交代，並強化了這部經典的權威性，對其傳授的合理性與合法性加以背書。然而一個傳承系譜並非是一個固定不變的文本，經過時間的推移，傳承系譜會往後延伸，甚至會將傳承的法脈與經典撰述人加以連結，而經典出世神話的豐富也會被添增到傳承系譜之中。從靈寶經中保留的各種傳授系譜中可發現其間未必有一個直線的增衍過程，而可能是多線的、依情境而變化調整，其目的是在呈現或塑造一個自我想像的正統傳承，使之成為一個看似歷史事實的正統。透過這種方法，使仙公系古靈寶經透過傳承的建構，將該傳承的最重要人物葛玄從一個方士提升並塑造成融攝釋、道，兼具神聖與世俗兩界的宗師。而同時作者也可以將這傳承系譜純化、簡化並單線化，集中於葛玄以下葛氏單傳的系譜上，進而使整個傳授關係維繫在靈寶經與葛氏傳承之上。In ancient Lingbao scriptures, the transmission process is an often-mentioned issue. Transmission provides Lingbao with a fundamental mode of viewing its own historical origin. This essay thus puts emphasis on the pedigree itself as a functional medium of interpretation, with its transformations, reconstructions and alterations in the historical process. The pedigree itself is like a skeleton, and its author is able to polish and modulate the original text so as to form a more persuasive and authoritative one. The pedigree is often annexed to the canon as a way to account for the transmission process as well as to endorse its legitimacy. However, the pedigree is not a fixed text, but something that can be expanded through time, even connecting the transmitted dharma lineage and its author, and adding classic myths to enrich the original text. That is, the pedigree is a supplementary, flexible structure, capable of being shaped and revised to tally with the religious situation or other purposes. Therefore, the pedigrees preserved in the Lingbao scriptures are likely to be multilinear, with their changes and extensions still recognizable through the passage of time. As a historical process constantly in the making, the formation of pedigrees attempts to build a simulacrum of an historical paradigm of legitimacy that can be traced to a singular origin, thus to present an orthodox lineage. In this manner, Ge Xuan was raised from a Daoist to a Master of both Buddhism and Daoism, a teacher in both sacred and worldly realms. Furthermore, the lineage scheme could be simplified to a single-line diagram-that is, the Ge family-in terms of lineal successions of masters. Through the 'Songs of Five Perfections,' this essay investigates the construction of transmission, and by comparing different versions, it explores the order of signification of the Lingbao scriptures. Finally, it also examines the role of Perfection of the Grand Ultimate, as well as Ge Xuan, the origin and importance of the three Perfections and the Celestial Master. Through studying from a critical perspective the development of the pedigrees, their meaning, construction, and modes of transmission in the ancient Lingbao scriptures, we can also reflect upon the connection between Lingbao and other schools, and, beyond that, the relation between Lingbao and Buddhism.