A Research on the Meaning of "the Gods," "the Immortals," and "the Perfected" in Tao Hung-ching's the Sutra of Shang-ching

• Main Authors: Lo, Liang-Ping, 羅涼萍
• Other Authors: Lee, Fong-Mao
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2001
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/94990980042412381069

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 宗教學系 === 89 === Abstract Taoism originated during the Chin Dynasty (265-420AD) and Northern/Southern Dynasty(420-580AD), when numerous sects and branches of Taoism thrived and the Taoism corpus was established. The texts show the Taoism religion at that time continued its early belief while adding new interpretations contemporary of the society. Therefore the messages found in the corpus bear a special meaning in understanding Taoism at its beginning period. The belief in gods has been the core concept in Taoism,thus an important subject in Taoism studies. To further understand the development of the concept of gods and its inner meanings, I conducted a research on the key words in classic Taoism books and their evolutions in meaning in contexts. The subject of this research is the Sutra of Shang-ching(上清經), edited by Tao Hung-ching（陶弘景）, a representative figure in Taoism studies in the Northern/Southern Dynasty. The analysis will be focused on the three key words "shen" (神gods), "shien" (仙the Immortals), and "chen" (真；真人the Perfected). By studying the meanings of these words in context, the conceptualization of gods in Taoism is revealed. The concept of gods is discussed in the three aspects: the world of gods, the ranks of gods, and the theory of mortification. 1. The world of gods: Gods were believed to be immortal and had the ability to fly unlimited in the divine world, free from sufferings or survival threats. Different gods belonged to different palaces, each having its own positions and tasks. The gods in the Sutra of Shang-ching reflected the needs of the society and the emphasis on social ranks. 2. The rank of gods: On the basis of the concept of three-level god society, the Taoism at this period had developed a more complicated and complete hierarchy structure of gods. The sophisticated bureaucratic society was copied into the divine world. This is somewhat different from the previous stress of individual immortality and freedom; instead, it advocated a religious purpose of a bureaucratic group redemption. The other thing worth mentioning is that chen(真), the Perfected, ranked higher than hsien(仙), the Immortals, and that different mortification resulted in different gods. The elevation from hsien to chen means a transition from individual immortalization to group redemption, with a change in mortification as well. 3. Mortification: The mortification theory of the Sutra of Shang-ching is mainly about the belief in "I think and I see gods." As long as one calls back the True Spirit（真神） during mortification, he/she can achieve immotalization and was exalted up to the divine world. Another characteristic about it is taking the Golden Pill（金汋神丹） while reciting the Sutra of Da-Dong(《大洞真經》). The Shang-ching Sect emphasizes the mere Golden Pill can elevate a mortal and create godhood, without the need of other forms of mortification. Studying the Sutra of Da-Dong deifies a mortal. This research on the terms of "shen", "shien", and "chen" in the the Sutra of Shang-ching is only a preliminary study of other more advanced research, such as the meaning of other key words and their combinations, a comparison of the meaning of gods in different Taoism sects, and the concept of gods in different dynasties in the Chinese history. Concerning the scale of the thesis, the research is rather focused than comprehensive. If having a chance, I'll continue to research on relating issues to map out the significance and values of the concept of gods on larger scale.