隋唐神仙术探析

An Analysis of Immortality in Sui and Tang Dynasties

神仙术作为中国古代探求性命的方技,在隋唐社会中有广泛的影响。无论是上层社会还是民间社会,随处可见其踪影。上层统治者或出于政治考量,或出于谋求长生,对神仙术多有利用;民间社会中,神仙术或在科技上产生了原始化学的萌芽,或于文学上提供了丰富的想象力,或于民俗中催生了各类朴素的民间信仰。通过考察研究,可以观察神仙术对隋唐社会文化的影响,梳理其脉络,发现神仙术中的合理因素,祛除蒙昧外衣,以供后人借鉴。

Immortality art,as a way to search for nature and life in ancient China,had a wide influence in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.Both in the upper class and civil society,immortality art can be found everywhere.The upper rulers made many uses of immortality art,either for political reasons or in the pursuit of a long life.In civil society,immortality art has either produced the germ of primitive chemistry in science and technology,or provided a rich imagination in literature,or gave birth to various kinds of simple folk beliefs in folklore.Through investigation and research,we can observe the influence of immortality art on the social culture of the Sui and Tang dynasties.Through sorting out its context,we discover the reasonable factors in immortality art,and remove the cloak of obscurantism for future generations to learn from.