台灣三平祖師信仰起源問題新探－－三平義中與三平寺

New Findings on the Origin of Belief in the San Ping Master in Taiwan

三平祖師信仰在台灣是一典型小眾信仰，長期以來台灣對三平祖師理解相當有限。本文立基兩岸現有三平研究上，重新審視舊有史料，論證三平歷史形貌、三平寺發展與三平神話形成等問題，並藉此詮解三平祖師信仰源流。本文得到結論如下：一、三平義中非僅如佛教燈傳所言是禪宗高僧，他實則兼修密法與律學。庶民即是以密法神通角度接受義中禪師，這也是晚唐後三平祖師神話形成的歷史根源。二、三平寺唐會昌五年始建，歷宋元明清各代都有修築相關紀錄。祖師神話初肇於唐末五代。兩者進入明代中晚期都有關鍵性發展。明代三平寺，無論是寺院佈局或神衹配置，都存在佛教寺院與民間祠廟並存現象，其中隱喻著國家與社會權力關係變化。同時也在明代，祖師神話獲得定型與增添。神話與寺院屢興，兩者相互為用，共同促進了祖師信仰的再發展。明清祖師信仰伴隨庶民信眾，對寺院重建事務的普遍參與，使三平寺的民間祠廟性質獲得強化，同時信徒範圍也擴張至漳泉汀福潮各府。當閩粵海外移民開展時，不同原籍的祖師信徒將香火攜入台灣，受限於移民對祖師接受角度與認識深度，因而台灣信徒長期對釋義中生平存在著陌生感。

The belief in San Ping Master is marginal in Taiwanese religious history and has had a limited exposure. The main concern of this paper is to interpret the origin of the belief in San Ping Master. Based on research from Taiwan and China, this paper examines the historical data to explore the history of San Ping Master, the development of San Ping Temples, and the formation of San Ping mythology.The paper notes two main findings. First, according to the Lamp Records, San Ping Yi Zhong was a Zen monk and learned the secret mantra, Vinaya, also known as Tantric Buddhism, and law. Plebeians worshiped San Ping Yi Zhong as the master of Tantric Buddhism that was the historical origin of the formation of San Ping mythology in late Dang Dynasty. Second, San Ping Temples were established in the Dang Dynasty and maintained through the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. The crucial period of belief in San Ping Master and San Ping Temples was in the late Ming because Buddhism and folk temples coexisted in San Ping Temples and symbolized the changing power relationship between state and society. At the same time, San Ping mythology flourished and formalized as more San Ping Temples were established.During Ming and Qing Dynasty, devotees expanded San Ping Temples to intensify the characteristics of folk temples and extended the belief to Zhang, Qyuan, Ding, and Chao. Fujianess and Kuandongness immigrated to Taiwan and brought the belief in the San Ping Master from a different origin. Owing to immigrants' lack of attention to the San Ping Master, Taiwanese devotees have not had a chance to fully know and understand San Ping Yi Zhong's story.