清末民初民間教派對「格物致知」的解讀－－以光月老人、王覺一、楊毅廷為例

A Study of the Interpretations of “Investigating Things and Extending Knowledge to the Utmost” by Three Popular Religious Leaders in the Late Qing and Early Republican Periods

本文乃透過清末民初光月老人、王覺一、楊毅廷三位民間教派領導人的著作，探討他們對「格物致知」的詮釋。民間教派對「格物致知」的理解，基本上是離不開大傳統的，雖說他們對朱熹的解釋甚為不滿，卻又離不開朱熹的分章方式。而這三位民間宗教家的共同處即是將「知」定義為「良知」，是故對「致知」的討論並不多，幾乎多集中於對「格物」的探討。三位民間宗教家對「格物致知」的詮釋，首在「格除物欲」，有了此一工夫之後再進行更深入有關本體的闡述。我們必須回歸民間宗教家的傳道角度與其所傳授的對象進行理解，如此，我們才可以契入他們解釋「格物致知」的時代背景與宗教意義。這三位民間教派的領導者都認為「格物致知」是修道必備的工夫，也是必經的修煉過程，他們的終極目標是渡化眾生，進而回歸本體之明，結合明清以來民間教派救劫渡眾的理念，以宗教的方式傳達儒家救世濟人的理念，以宗教的意義詮釋「格物致知」。他們對「格物致知」的解讀，無論是否被傳統知識分子所認同，這樣的現象與事實卻是我們無法抹滅與漠視的，從另一角度來看，這群民間宗教家正開啓了「儒家經典詮釋」的另一視野。

This study is based on the works by Guangyue Laoren 光月老人, Wang Jueyi 王覺一, and Yang Yiting 楊毅廷, who were popular religious leaders in the late Qing and early Republican periods. It also explores how they interpreted the famous phrase from the Great Learning (daxue 大學), “investigating things and extending knowledge to the utmost” (gewu zhizhi 格物致知). The understanding of “investigating things and extending knowledge to the utmost” by the popular religions follows the great tradition. Although they were not satisfied with Zhu Xi’s 朱熹interpretation, they still followed his arrangement of the text of the Great Learning. The three popular religious leaders had a common definition of zhi 知 as “conscience” (liangzhi 良知), so they did not discuss other possible meanings of zhi, but instead focused on interpreting “investigating things.” The first stage of their interpretation of “investigating things and extending knowledge to the utmost” is to “eliminate material desire.” Then, they move forward to describe the noumenon. They considered “investigating things and extending knowledge to the utmost” to be a necessary part of the process of entering the religion. Their ultimate goal was to save all people’s souls and to inspire the bright source of humanity. They combined the perspectives of “salvation” from the Ming and Qing dynasties. They transmitted the Confucian concepts of helping society and the people through religious methods, and interpreted “investigating things and extending knowledge to the utmost” in a religious light. Whether or not scholars are willing to accept their concepts, we cannot ignore the phenomenon and the reality, because they pioneered alternative views concerning the interpretation of Confucianism.