由善書看台灣寺廟的發展以指南宮的兩善書為例

Morality Books and the Growth of Local Cults; A Case Study of the Palace of Guidance

本文是以台北市木柵區指南宮（1891年創建）的兩本善書－－《指南金針》（1903-1904）及《無疆》（1980）－－來探討這座寺廟的早期發展（1891至1945年）。指南宮的主神為呂洞賓，而其信仰是台灣最盛興的信仰之一。為了進一步研究這個信仰在台灣的發展，本人乃進行有關指南宮的個案研究，以參考相關史料及從事田野調查為主要的研究方法。本文先探討過去學者關於指南宮的歷史的錯誤看法及其背後原因。接著，透過上述兩本善書來研究當時支持指南宮的重要信徒的社會背景及其動機。這些史料告訴我們，指南宮早期的支持者包括了木柵地區的地方紳士與地方精英，而這些人也透過善書來表達他們的心態及地方認同。總而言之，善書能夠對於台灣寺廟的發展史提供不少寶貴的訊息。不過，學者必須同時利用其他的史料－－如地方志、檔案、碑文等...才能夠進一步地了解這種歷史問題。

Of all the sources available for the study of local cults in Taiwan, morality books (shan-shu 善書) are among the most important yet most overlooked. Although a significant body of research has focused on these texts, most scholarship has focused on the traditional Confucian values contained in morality books as well as the histories of those groups responsible for publishing them. At the same time, however, some morality books also contain valuable data which can be used for the study of local cults, especially the circumstances behind the founding of temples, the identities of temple supporters, and their motives for patronizing the temple. This paper will attempt to explore these issues through a case study of the history of one of Taiwan's oldest and most famous temples to the immortal Lti Tung-pin 呂洞賓, the Palace of Guidance (Chih-nan Kung 指南宮), founded in 1891 in the mountains of Mu-cha 木柵, one of Taipei City's southern suburbs. In particular, 1 will attempt to show how the information contained in two morality books produced by the Palace of Guidance can help resolve a number of controversies regarding this temple's early history. The morality books are The Golden Needle of Guidance (Chih-nan chin-chen 指南針金 ), composed during the years 1903-1904, and No Boundaries (Wu-chiang 無疆), composed in 1980.