“自然长生之道”的信仰性奠基——《老子道德经河上公章句》读解

The Founding of Belief in "Tao of Natural Immortality"

司马迁在《史记》之《秦始皇本记》及其卷二十八《封禅书》中记述了秦皇汉武的神仙狂热。在《封禅书》的末尾，司马迁写道：“而方士之候神人，人海求蓬莱，终无有验。而公孙卿之候神者，犹以大人之迹为解，无有效。天子益怠厌方士之怪迂语矣。然羁縻不绝，冀遇其真。自此之后，方士言神祠者弥众，然其效可睹矣。”这是一段很值得体味的话，至少有两点引人深思：第一，司马迁接连用了三个“效验”，即“终无有验”、“无有效”、“其效可睹矣”。很明显，无论是司马迁还是被司马迁所记述的秦皇汉武，其“神仙”均是在“效验”视界中的神仙。就是说，神仙之有抑或无均是在效验视界中被给予的。

The Comment of He Shang Gong in Lao Zi chapter,by its interpretation of the book of Lao-Zi,directlyelevated the 'Tao of Immortality' to the 'Invariable Tao'.This was the first time for the Chinese tradition of Tao to open systematically the dimension of belief for existence,so as to have made the true foundation of belief for the comprehensive rising of Taoism as the local religion of China as well as the belief in personal gods.Seen from its appearance,the academic position of The Comment of He Shang Gong in Lao Zi chapter seems attached to Lao Zi.From the dimension of 'faith' and 'Taoist Religion',however,The Comment of He Shang Gong in Lao Zi chapter embraces totally independent value.The reason is that what have really influenced and shaped us from time to time is not the metaphysical 'Tao-Li' in Lao-Zi,but the keen and unadorned 'belief in personal god' aiming at 'immortality' that surged generation after generation in our land.