“祷是正礼”:朱子学视域下“祷”的哲学基础及其精神意涵

"Prayer is the Righteous Ritual':Zhu Xi's Disscussion Philosohical Basis and Spiritual Meaning

对于《论语》中的“子路请祷”,陈淳一开始将其等同于民间信仰“惑于怪”之类,侧重从实际功效的角度否定其行为价值,但在朱熹的引导下转而接受“祷是正礼”的说法,并从理气论角度阐释“祷”的存在方式与必然性基础,强调这一行动本身是基于真诚信念的“当为”实践。在朱子学的诠释下,“祷”作为面向特定信仰对象的意向性行动,是圣人基于“天理之自然”确定的礼仪准则,在气化流行的宇宙秩序中有获得“回应”的真实性依据。祷者正是以这些基础信念为前提,将自身生活困境向神灵敞开,并在与神圣的“遭遇”中获得如何面对这些困境的精神经验和意义依据。儒者在生活中的行“祷”实践及其精神经验,不能单纯以外在形式或世俗角度来看待,更需要从一种原发性信仰行为的角度去理解,以此才能更好理解神圣在儒者生活中的作用方式。

With regard to"Zi Lu asking prayer for Confucius"in Analects,Chen Chun at first equated it with the practice of folk beliefs of"being puzzled by monsters",emphasizing the negation of its behavioral value from the perspective of practical efficacy.However,under the guidance of Zhu Xi,he turned to accept the statement that"prayer is the righteous ritual"and explained the existence and inevitability of prayer from the perspective of Heavenly principles,stressing that the practice of this action is based on the practice of sincere beliefs.Under the interpretation of Zhu Xi,"prayer",as an intentional action for a specific object of belief,is a liturgical standard determined by the sage based on Heavenly principles,which has a truthful basis for obtaining response in the cosmic order.It is on the premise of these fundamental beliefs that the prayer person opens his life predicament to the Spirits,and obtains spiritual experience and meaning basis of how to face their difficulties in this secular world.The practice and spiritual experience of Confucian prayer in life can not only be viewed solely from a formal or secular perspective,but rather from the perspective of a primary belief behavior,so as to better understand the role of divinity in Confucian life.