遺體的聖化，死亡的超越：慈濟大體捐贈的宗教文化現象

Sanctification of the Corpse, Transcendence of the Death: The Religious and Cultural Phenomena of Tzuchi's Body Donation

盧蕙馨(Hwei-Syin Lu)

《生死學研究》 11期 (2011/01) Pp. 91-176

https://doi.org/10.29844/JLDS.201101.0003

摘要

本文考察慈濟佛教團體推動的大體捐贈何以能打破「保存全屍」的華人文化傳統，獲得社會響應。研究針對證嚴法師和慈濟志工的倡導、個案故事，以及大體啟用和火化追思儀式進行探討，發現捐贈除省錢或行事方便的考慮外，捐贈者及其家屬願意接受遺體遭受破壞，關鍵在於慈濟場域「聖化」大體的語言和儀式中，遺體轉化為三種象徵，即「生態之身」、「道德之身」、「菩薩之身」，對應到「資源回收」、「道德人格的實踐」、「菩薩行」三種意涵，標示從物質性存在到精神性存在的提升，從有限到無限的生死穿越，是這些超越性意涵打動人心。其牽涉的不只是「如何辦後事」，且包括「如何面對死亡」的問題，雖在慈濟的宗教社會場域中生成，但也和文化慣習密切相關，如相當程度地滿足華人完成「道德人格」的成就感需求，以及來世投生善道的期望。宗教信仰未必是捐贈主因，社群或人際互動的助人氛圍常促成捐贈的「實踐摹仿」。群體和個體對捐贈意義的認同共鳴，使得死亡不再是避諱畏懼之事，捐贈衍生面對乃至超越死亡的安頓力量，形成現代華人異於傳統的「送終」觀念和作為。

關鍵字

遺體捐贈 ； 菩薩道 ； 實踐摹仿 ； 聖化 ； 生死學

並列摘要

This paper examines how the Buddhist Tzuchi organization's promotion of body donation for medical use is able to challenge the Chinese tradition of ”keeping the cadaver intact.” Researching on Master Chengyen and Tzuchi volunteers' appeals, case stories, and memorial rituals for body donors, the study finds that apart from economical and convenient reasons, donors and their relatives accept the damage to the corpses as a result of the ”sanctification” of the donors by Tzuchi's rituals and narratives. The corpses are transformed into three symbols, namely, the body of ecology, the body of morality, and the body of bodhisattva, each connoting to ”recycling of resources”, ”fulfillment of moral personality”, and ”practice of the Bodhisattva's way”. These meanings represent the elevation of physical existence to spiritual existence and the crossing of life and death from limitation to infinity. They become persuasive in preparing not only for the funeral, but also for the death. Their appearance in Tzuchi's socio-religious field is very much motivated by cultural habitus, for example, the value of ”moral personality” and the hope for good incarnation in next life for the Chinese. Religious belief is not necessary a factor for body donation. The helping aura in Tzuchi community and personal networks often brings about ”mimesis of practices”. The echoing of individuals and the group to the meanings of donation makes death not formidable. The body donation establishes a norm of ”biding farewell to life,” different from the tradition, for modern Chinese.

並列關鍵字

body donation ； the Bodhisattva's way ； mimesis of practices ； sanctification ； life-and-death studies

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