解讀清末在臺灣撰作的善書《覺悟選新》

An Analysis of the Morality Book Chüeh-wu hsüan-hsin in Late Imperial Taiwan

在中國的民間信仰裡，「行善」與「乩示」是兩項非常重要的要素，而且這兩項要素又是相互關聯。中國民間對「乩示」寄以絕對的信任，並且透過乩示，來證明自己的行善得到相當的功果，可以得到上天的眷顧和封賜果位。《覺悟選新》這本善書正可以反映出這種特性。清末時，澎湖馬公的學人和生員組成「善社」，定期從事扶乩和宣講活動，以教化流俗。在光緒二十九年（1904）將這些乩文集合成書。今天，我們仔細的翻讀這些乩文，可以很清楚的看到，它的內容是在宣揚傳統的倫理道德，把科舉功名當成是最高的價值標準。強調出身貧窮的人要努力於自己的事業，不僅要振興家道，更要教育子弟，若能有子弟得到科舉功名，則這個人就有資格接受上天的封賜，成為「土地」「城隍」之類的神明。換而言之，一個人存在的價值是在於他能不能振興家業。因此，舉凡可以使家道名聲上升的行為都受到獎勵；凡是會危及家業，使家道衰敗的活動都在禁止之列。賭博、吸食鴉片、械鬥、兄弟鬩牆等都會危害家族的生存，必須禁止。我們通常都認為，只有受過現代新式教育的知識份子才會從事社會改革工作。其實不然，傳統的讀書人也是積極的在參與社會改革活動，只不過他們是以維護傳統價值和家族地位為職志。

Chinese folk religion has two important elements: ''doing good deeds'' and ''planchette divination''. For most Chinese people, revelations of the planchette were absolutely trustworthy and reliable in revealing the will of the gods. Through planchette divination, people also confirmed their ''doing good deeds'' as moral achievements. Chüeh-wu hsüan-hsin (《覺悟選新》Enlightening and Selecting New People), the first morality book in late imperial Taiwan, is a good example of the phenomena described above. During the Kuang-hsü period, some local elites in the Peng-hu Islands started to write this morality book using planchette divination at local temples. They also delivered lectures based on stories in this book. After a close examination of this morality book, we found that traditional value systems were conveyed. Men had to maintain, or even to revive their own families' property and social status through hard work, saving money, and teaching their children to pass the civil examination and become degree-holders. Bad actions harmful to the existence of the family were forbidden, such as gambling, fighting among brothers, opium-smoking, and others. Scholars have generally believed that only modernized elites would engage in social reforms. However, this study clearly shows that traditional elites also pursued social reforms through religious activities.