A Study on Life Education of Taoism Funeral Rituals

• Main Author: 郭展宏
• Other Authors: 方德隆
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/97955317272080471528

碩士 === 高雄師範大學 === 教育學系 === 98 === The principle of attaining immortality in Taoism starts from “kindness”, which is the ultimate goal of all learning and inner cultivation in the human world. Death is the turning point of attaining immortality, and Taoism funeral rituals are even a great help to attaining immortality. Namely, the life education of Taoism is the education of attaining immortality. Therefore, Taoism funeral rituals are the efforts for the ultimate goal. The folk funeral rituals in Taiwanese tradition inherit Confucianism rituals and are combined with Taoism funeral rituals. Nowadays, the funeral rituals are mostly based on religions. The folk funeral rituals performed by Taoist priests are referred to as Taoism rituals. Taoism also provides a great diversity of funeral rituals in hopes of the dead attaining immortality. This study aims to explore the meaning, the structure, the function and the value of the existence of Taoism funeral rituals by means of the collection and the research of Taoism funeral rituals. In addition to the benefits to the dead in the aspect of religions, this study also explores and interprets the functions and inspirations of life education for the living persons in hopes of clarifying its implication in the functions of life education. This study collects the literature of Taoism funeral rituals to have complex funeral rituals presented more systematically and make people have further understanding about funeral rituals which are considered strange and unknown. Meanwhile, the study also has related collections in Taoism viewpoints of soul and life and death as well as the funeral taboos, and elaborates on the Taoism world after death (hell or heaven) to make Taoism funeral rituals more convincing. If we don’t have a well-rounded understanding about funeral rituals, it is hard for us to properly amend or adjust the funeral rituals according to the practical needs. This study focuses on revealing the grief counseling and life education after the combination of folk funeral rituals and Taoism rituals. In addition to understanding the procedures of rituals, it is more important to understand the meaning behind the rituals and its inspiration on life education (life-and-death education, death education and grief counseling). This study discovers that the arrangement of rituals is constructed between “demand” and “supply” and that the funeral rituals are formed due to the needs of the family of the dead. Meanwhile, it also develops the function of both education and counseling for the living persons. Therefore, it is the implications in it that this study aims to highlight and elaborate upon.