《老子铭》与东汉的老子观

On Laots-ming and the Understanding of Laots in Eastern-han Dynasty

东汉末年边韶奉命为桓帝祀老而做的《老子铭》,是现存最早对老子的祭祀活动和神化历程详加记载的材料。桓帝祭祀老子,和西汉重视老子的政治意义不同,东汉推崇的老子是兴国广嗣、存神养性、意在凌云的养生意义上的老子。铭文内容不仅反映了东汉末年朝廷和民间神化老子的事实和根源,而且也反映了作者边韶对待老子神化历程的理性态度。

Under the orders of the emperor of Han-huandi, Bianshao composed a posy that named Laots-ming in the later years of Eastern-han Dynasty. This is the earliest detailed record of feting and apotheosizing Laots in history. Different from the Western-han Dynasty which attaches much importance to the political significance of Laots, the emperor Han-huandi＇s action of feting Lsots was an action of preserving emperor＇s health and aspiring after fecundity and longevity. The content of this posy not only reflects the fact and the reason of the court＇s and folk＇s feting and apotheosizing Laots in the last phase of Eastern-han Dynasty, but also manifested the posy＇s author Bianshao＇s rational attitude to Laots.