蝶語寓言──論東方白寓言小說中的老莊思想

The Butterfly Fable: The Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu Ideas in Dongfang Bai's Fable Fiction

本文以東方白最喜愛的創作形式――短篇小說為研究範疇，指出深受道家思想影響的東方白，在他的寓言小說中傳達出三點老莊智慧。正由於老莊均身處亂世，因此通過老莊思想省思台灣社會所面臨的問題十分切合。其一，對無所不在又不可言說的「道」，東方白提出只有通過個人真實生命的體會始能悟道的哲理；由此寓意台灣人身分認同的困惑，只能通過自我體悟而非言傳可解決。其二，指出名位、財利都是身外之物，唯有不假外求的人生觀，才能擁有生命中真正的財富與名聲。由此指涉1970年代逐漸資本化的台灣社會，為了營求外物而損害本性，甚至喪失性命，是為本末倒置之舉。其三，提出對「有用∕無用」的深刻反思，若能體悟道家不執著於世俗標準的思想，才能活出真正生命的價值與光采。而東方白正是希望透過這些現代版的寓言小說所傳達出的老莊哲思，讓讀者能在參解透悟後得以在有形的紛擾人世，獲得無形的心靈安頓。

"This article studies Dongfang Bai's favorite form of writing- short story, and indicates the three points of Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu wisdom that appear in the fable fiction of Dongfang Bai, who is deeply influenced by Taoist ideas. Both Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu lived in chaotic eras, therefore reflecting on the problems the Taiwanese society faces with their ideas is appropriate. First, for the unspeakable Tao that's everywhere Dongfang Bai puts forward the philosophy that an individual can only truly understand life by living it; it is similar to the confusion the Taiwanese have with identity, which can only be made clear by self-realization and not by verbal teaching. Second, he points out that fame and wealth are both external matters. Only with an outlook on life that's free of externality can achieve the true wealth and fame of life. This indicates that in the gradually-capitalizing Taiwanese society in the 70s, lives were harmed and even lost due to the pursuit of external matters was a preposterous behavior. Third, he raises the reflection on 'useful∕useless'. Only with the understanding of Taoist ideas that do not fixate on worldly standards, then a valuable and honorable life can be lived. It is exactly what Dongfang Bai hopes to achieve with his modern fable fiction which is a medium for Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu's ideas. That the readers will receive peacefulness in the intangible soul, in this tangible, chaotic world."