中国科举制度与道教——以梓潼梦为中心的考察

The Chinese Imperial Examination System and Taoism—An Examination Centered on the Zitong Dream

梓潼梦是古代士人祈求梓潼神保佑中举的梦境。梓潼神主管科举桂禄的神格衍生出梓潼梦的仙话传说,是揭示道教与中国梦文化关系值得研究的问题。史籍中关于梓潼梦的各种灵验故事,是士人企盼科举成功心态的社会记忆。唐宋时期蜀中士人的各种梓潼梦故事,丰富了中国梦文化的内容,也反映出中华文昌文化的思想内涵。梓潼梦所彰显的文昌帝君司禄主功名的神格,奠立了士大夫阶层崇拜文昌帝君的格局。梓潼梦故事在科举制度下的流行,反映了道教对科举制度的神学影响。唐宋以来社会上流传的梓潼梦故事,是中国科举制度与道教神仙信仰相结合的产物。宋代道教宗师通过编撰褒扬梓潼帝君灵验的经书、用于祭祀梓潼帝君的斋醮科仪、供信仰梓潼神的文士受箓所用的文昌箓,对梓潼神进行道教神学的提升,以彰显梓潼梦的感应功能。通过一系列对梓潼神的道教化改造,宋代以后道教已建构起文昌帝君信仰体系。道教对梓潼梦灵验故事的特殊建构,道教的梓潼神成为中国社会专掌司禄的文化大神,深刻影响了古代拳拳于科举的士人。

The Zitong Dream,the dream of ancient scholars who prayed to the Taoist god Zitong for their success in the imperial examinations,is a product of the combination of the Taoist belief in God Wenchang(another title of God Zitong)and the imperial examination system.The legend of the Zitong Dream,derived from the divine character of the deity Zitong,who was believed to be in charge of the imperial examination,is a subject worthy of study in order to reveal the relationship between Taoism and Chinese dream culture.During the Tang,Song,Yuan,Ming and Qing dynasties,when belief in God Zitong flourished,various stories of the Zitong Dream were popular in society to satisfy the psychological needs of candidates praying for success in the imperial examinations.Taking a macro view of the influence of Taoism on the imperial examination system,this paper examines in detail the various Zitong Dream stories of scholars in Shu(today’s Sichuan)during the Tang and Song dynasties.Based on the records of the Tang and Song dynasty notebook novels Qian Ding Lu,Ding Fei Lu,Ling Ying Ji,Yi Jian Zhi and related collections,this paper argues that the popularity of the Zitong Dream stories under the imperial examination system reflects the theological influence of Taoism on the imperial examination system.Using social memory theory to analyze the stories,it reveals the social mindset of ancient scholars praying to the god of Zitong for his blessings,pointing out that the various spiritual stories of the Zitong Dream in historical texts are the social memory of scholars desire for success in the imperial examinations.Taoism has long influenced Chinese civil society and is,in its close integration with popular beliefs,unique among the three religions of Confucianism,Buddhism and Taoism.In the case of the Zitong Dream,which has been passed down in society since the Tang and Song dynasties,it is the divine character of the Taoist God Wenchang as the god in charge of examinations that gradually established the worship of him among scholars and officials.During the Song dynasty,Taoist priests compiled scriptures to confirm the efficaciousness of praying to God Wenchang(Zitong),performed zhai and jiao rituals to worship him,and so on,elevating the status of the deity in response to the popular belief in the Zitong Dream.Through a process of transformation,the worship of God Wenchang was established in the Taoist system in Song dynasty.This paper interprets the legend of the Zitong Dream in the context of the relationship between the ancient Chinese imperial examination system and Taoism,and analyses the theological function and social influence of the Zitong Dream.It argues that the fierce competition in the ancient imperial examination system led to the need of scholars for divine power as their psychological support,and that the Zitong Dream,which emerged under the imperial examination system,enriched the content of Chinese dream culture,and reflected the ideological connotations of the Wenchang worship tradition and the influence of Taoism on Chinese society.It also points out that the Taoist construction of the Zitong Dream story and the belief in God Zitong profoundly influenced the ancient scholars who devoted themselves to the imperial examinations,and that the Taoist God Zitong became a cultural deity in Chinese society who was in charge of the administration of the imperial examinations.