救度靈界－海邊普化儀式的現象描述

A Description of Salvation Rituals in Taiwanese Ecstatic Folk Religion

王鏡玲(Ching-Ling Wang)

《輔仁宗教研究》 30期 (2015/03) Pp. 25-62

摘要

這篇文章闡述台灣民間信仰的宗教人如何透過海邊普化儀式，藉由到台灣全島東西南北中的五方，來作為生活世界整體救度的象徵。宗教人邀請神佛聖界協助，透過大海的廣闊力量象徵著匯聚更多受苦難、待救度的祖先與靈界。有待救度的祖源與靈界眾生，透過燒化過程的轉換，將信徒事前的開文、具醫治與飽足的普化祭物，放置法船中。個別的宗教人以其靈駕引領那些待救度的祖源與靈界眾生搭乘法船，透過「水路」的象徵性協助，將法船和祭物在海邊完全燒化。象徵宗教人的懺悔與祝福，將待救度的靈界，由神明作主，送往各台灣宮廟修行，提升靈性，以達到恩怨和解，帶來解脫的契機。這樣的靈界救度儀式在現代社會扮演著彌補與滿全人生缺憾的功能，讓不安者、受苦者暫時找到安頓與逃避的管道。

關鍵字

普化儀式 ； 靈界 ； 紙錢 ； 法船 ； 開靈文

並列摘要

This article explores how religious people exercise their own ecstatic energy in salvation rituals in order to resolve the life crises caused by spiritual beings and ancestors. In order to appease the suffering and grievance of the spiritual beings and ancestors, the believers of the ecstatic tradition of Taiwanese folk religion hold salvation rituals in the following way. First, they write spiritual calligraphy before the ritual in order to ask for help from the deities and to communicate with the spiritual beings to learn what they want. Second, they put offerings of food, medicine, and paper money into several dharma boats to please and heal the spiritual beings. Third, in a state of ecstasy, the believers invite the spiritual beings to enter the dharma boats by chanting and dancing, under the manifestation of the deities or their own arche-spirit (元靈). Finally, they burn all the offerings and the dharma boats to signify transformation of the visible material into the invisible world. The burning symbolizes sending the spiritual beings to the deities to begin a new life. By doing so, the people hope that they will be blessed with peace and health in their daily life.

並列關鍵字

Salvation Ritual ； Spiritual Beings ； Paper Money ； Dhamma Boat ； Spiritual Calligraphy

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