《聊齋誌異》原名《鬼狐傳》,可見此書最受世人矚目與讚賞者,並非世俗之人物,而是許多可親可愛、深具人性的花精鬼狐。基於此,多數學者皆指出「變形」之意義,是此書藝術創造中極為凸出且重要之特色,作為論述這些花精鬼狐所呈現的各種形象。 然而從《聊齋》一書透過形體、生死、美醜等變異現象,重點在彰顯形之所以變的意義,由此意在點出時代的問題,試圖反轉世俗的既定觀念,從人與花精鬼狐在形體的「無障隔」,及由「死而復生」的精神等,來說明「真與偽」、「情與禮」的意義辯證,由此彰顯德行主體的真精神,情意生命的價值意義,來回應晚明以來「情之至者,鬼神可通」的精神,以此試圖化解「世情如鬼」的種種困境,透過層層的批判反省中,以「變」為手段來朗現「不變」的真性情,作為其終極關懷。 「形變」的意義雖然彰顯生命之本真、赤子之心及真實之價值等等,然而落在現實當中,依然有種種困境。因此,面對世俗之禮教規範時,蒲松齡是以「花精鬼狐」所呈現之「真性情」來作回應,創造出一些不受世俗侷限、束縛,且顛覆不合理框架等特質,得以自由地追尋情欲,並以「爛漫天真」之真性情,批判轉化人間的難題,強烈呈顯出「情至」之精神力量,由此可以超越世俗之情欲、形骸、生死等現象。再由蒲松齡所言「情之至者,鬼神可通」、「爛熳天真,佛之真也」等精神,可知「爛熳天真」的生命本真,極為可貴,如能真正體悟實踐,才能掌握「真實」的精義。 透過花精鬼狐「形變」意義之展現,蒲松齡意在超越世俗之困境,突破種種社會既定觀念,而當回歸人倫日常之際,面對著現實人生之種種禮法制度,仍要持續實踐人性之理,此時其所持守之「理」,並非「形而上者謂之道」的理,而是落實在「形而下者謂之器」的生活當中,彰顯真正之人性、人情。由此可知,蒲松齡藉由花精鬼狐「形變」,不管是要顛覆禮教,或要超越世俗規範,其最終目的,是在成全生命之美好,以朗現生命之真實意義。
The characters in Adults are not mundane but celestial beings with humanity. Many scholars had pointed out that “transformation” is the most obvious and important artistic characteristics of this Chinese ancient legend. However, worth of studying, what are the author’s accounts about “the hardest to get in our life” and what are the relations between figuration and human nature if people cannot self-consciously cultivate as well as hold their true disposition. That is, can all spiritual meanings about “transfiguration” be criticized by “transformation”? In order to response the question above, in this paper, I tried to manifest widely the meanings of “transfiguration” by human nature as well as true disposition and so on. After that, I devoted to find its cultural values and true human meanings by its extramundane elements such as eroticism, figuration, life and die.