朝鲜通信使眼中的日本丧祭礼俗——以《海行总载》中的记录为例

Japanese Funeral Ritual in Korean Envoys' Eyes——Focusing on the Records of HaehaengChongjae

在《海行总载》中,朝鲜通信使记录了日本江户时代的丧祭礼俗。受佛教薄葬观念和轮回转世思想的影响,日本社会普遍实行佛教火葬,对逝亲实行超度追荐仪式,对共同祖先神、自然神、英雄神则实行神道教祭祀,而对神的祭祀重于对逝亲的追荐。朝鲜通信使认为这样的习俗不符合儒家丧祭理念,因此予以了全面的否定,进而认为日本人是无君亲、悖礼无识之民,日本是"禽兽之域",其原因则是统治者的失教和性理学不畅其道。这种因文化差异而导致的主观评判,体现了朝鲜通信使面对异质文化时的封闭性价值体认和对自身文化优越性的自信。

Korean Envoys take down the records of Funeral Rituals in Japan's Edo Period in the travelling collection HaehaengChongjae.With the influence of Buddhist concept of simple burial and the reincarnation,Buddhist cremation becomes widespread in Japanese society.To passedaway relatives,Buddhist ritual of releasing soul from purgatory is taken with the sacrifice offerings; to the God of common ancestors,the God of nature,and the God of heroes,Shinto ritual is taken with the sacrifice offerings as well.And the sacrifice offerings to the Gods are considered more important than the ones to the relatives.Yet,in the eyes of Korean envoys all these rituals mean that there are no rituals of mourning,no coffins and no graves in Japanese funeral,which do not fit the concept of Confucian rituals of funeral.They reckon that Japan has no formal rituals of funeral.Meanwhile,they think Japanese custom of rituals of funeral negatively and the cremation is inhumane.They consider Japanese as inhumane and barbarian race,and Japan as'beast domains'.Therefore,they conclude that all these happened in Japan owe to the lack of religion in the ruling class and the lack of Neo - Confucianism in Japan.The subjective assessment of Korean envoys embodies their closeness and their confidence of self-superiority.