口語宗教經典及其詮釋問題―以《六祖壇經》為例

Oral Scripture and Its Interpretations: The Case of the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch

蔡彥仁(Yen-Zen Tsai)

《通識教育季刊》 4卷3期 (1997/09) Pp. 55-69

https://doi.org/10.6745/JGE.199709_4(3).0003

摘要

歷來研究《六祖壇經》的學者，有許多皆是在討論其版本出處問題，認為只要溯本追源，考證出何者為其原本或眞本，即可達到對本經典的把握。本文首先反對此種以實證考據的手段代替目的，混淆「文本」(text)與「宗教經典」(scripture)的做法。「宗教經典」，尤其是類似《六祖壇經》的「口語宗教經典」，實際上代表一個複雜的宗教現象，是一個或多個信仰社群在特殊的歷史情境下，感受不同的宗教體驗，經歷相當的時問後，凝塑而成。本文強調如果要真正的了解《六祖壇經》，應該順其歷史源流而下，考察其口授緣起、多元傳佈、增衍、詮釋、正典化過程等重要議題，探討信仰者、經典、歷史情境三者的積極互動關係，方能更有深度的彰顯「口語宗教經典」的實質意義。

關鍵字

六祖壇經 ； 語錄 ； 經典 ； 比較宗教

並列摘要

Many scholars presuppose that by tracing the process of transmission back to the historical origin, they could find the authentic text of the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. And this kind of evidential research seems to occupy much of their concern. The article, however, argues that this positivist approach mistakes a religious scripture for a text. It contends that a scripture, and in particular a scripture with conspicuous oral nature like the Platform Sutra, represents a complicated religious phenomenon created by one or many religious communities under different historical circumstances. A scripture cannot be reduced to a text; it actually embodies diverse experiences of many believers.
To comprehend the Platform Sutra, the article suggests, one has to trace down its historical development, exploring its oral formation, multidirectional transmissions, augmentation, interpretation, process of canonization, etc.. It is only through the investigation of the interactions among the faith communities, the scripture, and different historical contexts that one can more fully understand the meaning of the Platform Sutra.

並列關鍵字

The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch ； Oral Text Scripture ； Comparative Religion