Canon Made and Canon Revealed: An Interpretation of Luo Qing`s 羅清Wubu liuce 五部六冊

Abstract

明、清時代，民間教派所著作的寶卷在中國宗教史上佔有重要的地位， 但是如何評價這些宗教典籍，在研究中國經典學者中仍舊莫衷一是。本文即是要針對此一議題，汲取學界討論宗教經典與宗教融合的多種洞見，並以羅教創教者羅清及其著作《五部六冊》為具體實例，進行研討。本文主張，羅清當作創作主體是我們討論寶卷文類不可忽略的關鍵。有關他的個人遭遇，包括苦心覓道與神秘經驗，都是構成羅教聖典的不可分割成分。再者，明、清中國社會融合儒、釋、道三教的文化特性，也是產生混融經典的母體來源。本文強調，寶卷不是毫無章法的雜燴，而是有意義且含象徵秩序、功能在導引教派信眾的宗教作品。基於此認知，教主如何選擇不同經典篇章、如何詮釋、如何將其調和成一貫整體，皆是我們理解民間教派經典的重要面向。

Baojuan 寶卷produced by religious sects in Ming-Qing China stand prominently in the history of Chinese religion, but how to evaluate them still remains a moot point among scholars of Chinese scriptural studies. Deriving insights from recent discussions of scripture and syncretism and taking Luo Qing 羅清, the founder of Luojiao 羅教, and his Wubu liuce 五部六冊 as an example, this paper argues that the sect founder’s creative agency is key and cannot be ignored while dealing with baojuan. His personal encounters, including his painstaking search for the truth and mystical experience, usually constitute an inalienable part of the canon. Further, the cultural context of Ming-Qing China, characterized by the amalgamation of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, provides rich sources from which to make a syncretic canon. The paper points out that baojuan are not merely a hodgepodge of confusing texts. Rather, they represent a meaningful symbolic order and serve the sect followers as spiritual guidelines. In this light, the sect leader’s intention to select different scriptural passages, his interpretation of them, and how he reconciles them into a coherent whole are crucial to our understanding of the sectarian syncretic scriptures.