《彖传》天人观视域下的“圣人”形象

The Image of “Sage” from the Perspective of the View of Universe-and-Human Unity in Tuanzhuan

汉代以降,《周易》作为"众经之首"广受关注,《易传》中的天人观念更是在一定程度上直接影响了整个汉代主流经学思想的建构与导向。以《彖传》为代表的易学文本,透过对《乾》《坤》两卦的解读,构建了"本天道以立人道"的"天人合一"的理念。在这一理念的统摄下,《彖传》借由对《豫》《观》《颐》《咸》《恒》《鼎》等六卦的注释,从圣人之动、圣人之教、圣人之养、圣人之感、圣人之恒以及圣人之亨等多个层面展现了作为最高人格范畴的"圣人"形象。进而得出在《彖传》特有的"天人合一"理念下树立起来的"圣人",已经过渡成为连接天与民的桥梁式的存在,如同没有将"天"神明化为宗教神灵一般,"圣人"也并没有脱离"民"而成为超然意义上的存在。正是这样的一种"圣人"形象,使得汉代的经学体系虽有神学色彩,却最终并没有发展成为一般意义上的宗教,也正是伴随着这样的一种"圣人"观念,成圣成贤成为了中国传统治世体系下的最高追求,天道的崇高性与人伦的独特性在这里也得以合一。

Since the Han Dynasty, The Book of Changes(《周易》) has received widespread recognition as the "top of ancient classics". The view of heaven-and-human unity discussed in The Book of Changes made direct impacts on the construction and orientation of the mainstream study of Confucian classics to a certain extent throughout the Han Dynasty. The text of The Book of Changes represented by Tuanzhuan(《彖传》, in the sense of hexagram statements), formed the view of heaven-and-human unity in its saying of "observing the Dao(way) of heaven and then establishing the Dao of human" by interpreting the two hexagrams Qian(heaven) and Kun(earth). Based on such a view, Tuanzhuan denoted such six hexagrams as Yu(《豫》), Guan(《观》), Yi(《颐》), Xian(《咸》), Heng(《恒》), and Ding(《鼎》) to reveal the image of a multi-faceted sage in the category of top personality, with the sage’s act, teaching, cultivation, emotion, persistence and smoothness. Such a sage persistently followed the natural Dao, and made adjustments whenever necessary. He also offered education, provided living and production substances, and understood the natural Dao consequently. It was a desirably overall image of a sage, which bridged the heaven and ordinary people. The heaven was not regarded as a religious deity as it was in the West, whereas a sage did not exist supernaturally without any connection with the ordinary people. Such an image of a sage prevented the study of Confucian classics of the Han Dynasty from developing into a religion in the general sense, although it had sort of theological overtones. It was along with such a view about a sage that the ultimate goal for Chinese ruling class was to become a cultivated sage-emperor. As a result, the worship of the natural Dao got integrated with the uniqueness of interpersonal relationships.