試論《太平經》的主旨與性質

The Nature and Themes of the T'ai-p'ing ching

近代學者對於《太平經》一書的性質只有相當粗略的討論。他們大多將這本書視為宗教經典，認為這是道教最早的一部作品。但也有少數學者特別強調其政治性格，認為《太平經》的作者是為了政治上的目的而撰述這本書。無論如何，他們大多只根據史書的記載，很少充分利用《太平經》的內容加以析論。因此，本文企圖從書中的內容推斷作者的身分、作者的撰述動機和全書的主要內容，然後藉以判斷這本書的性質。而無論是根據《太平經》殘留的內容本身，或是從歷代文獻對於《太平經》的描述來看，這本書的主旨是在於陳述「治國」和「治身」之道。這種「身國並治」的主張也正是漢代的主流思潮。此外，我們知道，在《太平經》的形成和流傳過程中，最具關鍵性的人物應該是在書文中頻頻出現的「天師」和「六真人」。而如果只就「天師」的企圖和立場來說，《太平經》的確可以說是一部經世濟民的「政治性」作品。但是，這部書的傳佈的確和道教的發展息息相關，書中的許多概念和主張，也和六朝道教中許多道派的道法非常接近，因此，仍不妨將之納入道教的經典之列。總而言之，將宗教與政治緊密結合，將治國之道和養生之法合而為一，不僅是《太平經》的特色，也是中國道教的傳統。

Modem scholarship on the nature of the T'ai-p'ing ching has, as a rule, been fairly cursory. Most scholars have interpreted this book as a religious canon, the earliest text created by religious Taoism, while some scholars have specifically targeted the political nature of the T'ai-p'ing ching, arguing for political motives in its writing. Regardless of their approach, most scholars have relied on dynastic histories rather than the contents of the T'ai-p'ing ching itself. This essay is an attempt to discern the T'ai-p'ing ching's author(s), as well as his/their motivations and the most essential points of this work. Finally, an attempt will be made to discuss the basic nature of the T'ai-p'ing ching. Regardless of whether we base our analysis on remaining fragments of the T'ai-p'ing ching, or on historical pieces that discuss it, the important themes of this work clearly lie in the ways to ''govern the country'' and to ''govern the body''. This conception of ''jointly governing the nation and the body'' was popularly conceived during the Han dynasty. Within the pages of the book itself frequent reference is made to the ''Celestial Master'' (t'ien-shih 天師) and the six ''True Men'' (chen-jen 真人), who played an essential role in the formation and spread of this text. Judging from the Celestial Master's intention revealed in this book, then, the T'ai-p'ing ching is, in essence, a book about political reformation. In this regard, it carries with it an air of both individual and national governance. However, this book and its contents are at the same time intimately related to the contemporary Taoist practices of the period. The T'ai-p'ing ching's message is, furthermore, closely related to the teachings of Taoist sects during the Six Dynasties period. As such, it has been placed among the corpus of Taoist texts. In summary, the combination of religion and government, the blending of the ways of ''ruling the body'' and of ''governing the country'', is not only a trait of the T'ai-p'ing ching, but also of religious Taoism as a whole.