从《仪礼经传通解·祭礼》看朱子学的宗教维度

A Review of the Religious Dimension of Zhuzi Doctrine from a Reading of Zhu Xi’s Works

礼制的宗教意义一向被忽视,朱子学的宗教内涵同样被忽视。这种情况起因于学术界未正视古代中国的宗教性质。敬天法祖是中国人的信仰,也是中国人的宗教。古代中国的宗教表现为礼制,是敬天法祖的制度实现。《仪礼经传通解》是朱熹晚年全力编纂的巨著。他以残存的《仪礼》为经,拣选、编辑能搜罗到的相关材料,使之大体再现了古代中国的礼制,为后人提供了全面了解古代中国(战国时期以后)的入门资料。古语说:"凡治人之道,莫急于礼。礼有五经,莫重于祭。"按照杨复的说法,《仪礼经传通解》的《祭礼》,能够体现朱熹"扶植纲常、垂世立教之本心","经世宏纲莫重此书"。本文在详读《祭礼》的基础上,从中初步整理朱子学的宗教维度,大致拉出体现敬天法祖的祭祀制度。国家是祭天、祭祖的主体,可见古代中国的宗教是国家主持、主管的宗教。国家宗教祭祀的神祇体系相当复杂,难点在理清居于顶层的天、帝关系。中国宗教中有五位上帝,五帝之上有上天(有时也称为帝——昊天大帝或皇天上帝),又有五天帝、五人帝之分,本文对之稍作清理,以此显明古代中国国教信仰对象十分明确,既有制度,又有崇拜对象。同时祭祀活动中又有情感要素,如敬畏、依恋、感恩,这就阐明了中国人的信仰实况,朱子学宗教内涵轮廓现矣。接着本文依据《仪礼经传通解》中雩祭资料指出,不应把国家宗教看作原始宗教。最后,本文以"天子有善,让德于天"补足《祭礼》未讲全的意义。

The religious significance of rituals is often ignored in academic research, and the same is Zhu Xi' s contribution to the study of Confucian classics and the religious connotation of Zhuzi Doctrine. This is because the academic circles did not acknowledge the religious nature in the ancient society of China. Jingtian fazu ( worship Heaven and ancestors) is a Chinese belief and a religion too. The ritual system is the concrete realization of this belief. In other words, The Book of Rites showed not only social, political, and governance systems, but also religious system. In ancient China, the nation is an entity of politics and religion. Tianzi ( son of Heaven), which in fact is a religious title, defines the status and function of emperor as religious leader. Yi li jing chuan tong jie is a masterpiece compiled by Zhu Xi in his later years. It was based on the remnant text of Yi Li, selected and compiled relevant literature, and roughly showed the ritual system then. It provides good introductory materials for a comprehensive knowledge of ancient China down through the Warring States period. It also represents the sacrificial rites on the whole, and describes the outline of Zhuzi Doctrine through revealing the emotional elements in sacrificial activities, like awe, attachment, and gratitude, and clarifying the truth of Chinese beliefs. The system of gods is quite complicated while the object of belief is explicit.