Two Subjects of Research on The Journey to the West (Xiyouji 西遊記)

Abstract

《西遊記》作為神魔小說的代表作品一直引起人們的興趣。儘管菁英讀者們可以作出各種深刻的解析，但由於缺乏或者迴避一般民眾的日常知識背景，對小說文本賴以成立以及被閱讀的一般語境往往難以體認。本文力圖迴避精英立場，通過趨近或建構一般民眾的思維語境，來重新看待《西遊記》的特質。通過此路徑可以發現，一方面，對於一般民眾而言，《西遊記》可以作為齊天大聖的聖傳來看待；同時，齊天大聖的信仰者也不滿足於小說文本，更另外造構相關經典，反映其對《西遊記》的認知與互動。另一方面，《西遊記》文本潛藏有儀式結構與死亡、度亡意涵，但並非僅僅通過文本解析才能夠得出。在民眾的日常生活中，西遊題材的器物、圖像、故事存在於喪葬或度亡儀式，表明一般民眾的確能夠充分地認知《西遊記》 相關結構與意涵。

The Xiyou ji, as a representative work of ＂novels of gods and demons＂ (shenmo xiaoshuo 神魔小說), has always engendered people`s interest. Although elite readers can put forward all kinds of penetrating analyses, but because they lack or are distanced from the everyday knowledge and background of ordinary people, it is often difficult for them to understand the general context that the fictional texts depend on to be established, as well as the context in which the works are read. This paper strives to avoid this elitist position, and, by approaching or perhaps constructing the context of ordinary people`s thinking, to treat anew the characteristics of the Xiyou ji. Through this route, we may realize, on the one hand, that for the ordinary reader, the Xiyou ji may have been perceived as the sacred herald of the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven (Qitian dasheng 齊天大聖). At the same time, Qitian dasheng faithful were not simply satisfied with fictional texts, and furthermore created related scriptures that reflect their understanding and interaction with the text. On the other hand, the Xiyou ji text conceals ritual structures and connotations of death and salvation, but it`s not only through a textual analysis that we are we able to grasp them. In the daily lives of people, Xiyou ji themed implements, images, and stories exist in funerals and salvation rituals, indicating that ordinary people certainly are capable of fully understanding the structures and connotations related to the Xiyou ji.