寻访最后的“吃素人”——云南省文山州“吃素人”习俗考察

Look for the Last "Vegetarian"——Primary Study on the Folklore of "Vegetarian" in Wenshan State of Yunnan Province

"吃素人"指的是那些在新中国建立前由于种种原因在年轻时不愿出嫁或难以出嫁,而后终身不嫁并食素茹菜、念经拜神的女性。"吃素人"承袭着不同于其他人群的某些信仰和生活习俗。她们信奉观音、韦驼等佛教之神及土地神、捧表仙官等道教之神,但没有统一的组织和形式。她们不是严格意义上的道教徒或佛教徒。从吃素人的信仰习俗来看,体现了民间流传的佛、道两教的合流与融合的现象。

＂Vegetarian＂ refers to the women who, for one reason or another, were unmarriageable or unwilling to get married when young, and then remained single, ate vegetables, pattered and did obeisance to Buddha all through their lives, before the founding of New China. The ＂vegetarian＂ had their special custom and religion which were different from other crowds. This paper made an investigation of the religion and living custom of ＂vegetarian＂, and made a primary study of the main reasons and conditions about it.