佛教「灑淨」儀式演進之探討

Abstract

本文的目的是探討佛教灑淨儀式的演進及精神內涵。筆者採用「文獻分析法」及「歷史研究法」的結合，以不同時代的漢譯佛典為分析的目標文獻，分別採集出歷代佛教灑淨儀式的相關記載，做為歷史演變研究的史料；以了解灑淨儀式發展至現代的過程及運用，再進一步去說明儀式修行的目的。結果顯示早期經典灑淨多指「結界」和「掃灑淨潔」的意義，並未專指特定的儀式；後來之大乘經典，尤其密教部類才開始視灑淨為一種儀式。推測這是因為受了外在影響的緣故，例如：唐代佛教，尤其是密教之儀式含有濃厚婆羅門與印度教之色彩，如護摩法（火供）儀式中灑水的部分與灑淨有關。又如：中國人重視孝道，佛教為了適應中國「慎終追遠」的孝思，形成了超度法會。而從超度儀軌文獻來看，其中也含有灑淨儀式，至宋朝時期，灑淨已成為施食儀式的一部分。到了元明清時期，灑淨更演變成超薦佛事中不可或缺的儀式。時至今日，甚至也會在建築動土、喬遷或開張之前舉行灑淨。至於灑淨的精神內涵，雖有種種表層的意涵，包括結界、掃灑淨潔、淨化、祝福、保護、恭敬、誠懇、啟請等等，但其內在意義均是淨化人心，即透過身、口、意的修持而達到淨心的狀態。本文貢獻為釐清佛教儀式意義之所在，特別是了解灑淨起初非為驅鬼而舉行，淨化人心才是原本意 義所託。同時，亦期望本文的研究方法未來能作為研究佛教儀式議題之參考。

The aim of this paper is to explore essential features and transformation of the Buddhist purification by sprinkling (灑淨).The author applies a combination of literature analysis and historical method, using the Chinese-language translation of Buddhist scriptures written in different historical eras as target documents for analysis, by collecting the relevant records of Buddhist purification by sprinkling in the past dynasties and using this as historical materials for study of historical transformation, as to understand the process and application of the purification by sprinkling from then to the modem era, and a further explanation about the purpose of ritual practice. The results of the research show that the terminology of purification by sprinkling used in the early scriptures does not refer to any sort of ritual but mostly to the meaning of “set boundary”(結界, S. sīmā-bandha) and “sweeping-and-cleaning”(掃灑淨潔).Only later, in Mahayana Buddhist literature - especially in the esoteric part (密教部) - the purification by sprinkling became regarded as a ritual. This transformation occurred due to external influences, for example during the Tang Dynasty period, Buddhism, and Buddhist esoteric rituals in particular, were strongly influenced by Brahmanism and Hinduism, and in that period purification by sprinkling appears as a part of homa ritual (fire offering). During the Song Dynasty, purification by sprinkling became part of the food-offering ritual in the "dharma assembly on releasing souls from suffering"(超度法會), which were influenced by the Chinese virtue of filial piety, a virtue that requires one to honor one 's ancestors by carefully conducting one^ parents5 funeral rites and venerating one's most distant forefathers with due ceremony (慎終追遠).In the Yuan， Ming and Qing Dynasties, purification by sprinkling became an indispensable part of the “ceremony of releasing of the souls”(超度儀軌). Nowadays, purification by sprinkling is widely performed before commencing the activities such as starting construction of a building, moving to a new place, and “opening a house”(開張). Regarding the essential characteristics of the purification by sprinkling, although it has various external applications, namely establishing “set boundary”，“sweeping and cleaning”，purifying various external objects, blessing, protecting, showing respect, invocating etc., the intrinsic meaning of the purification by sprinkling is to purify the mind, which means to achieve a state of pure mind through the practice of body, speech, and mind. This paper aims to clarify the meaning of Buddhist rituals and to provide a clear understanding of the purification by sprinkling, which originally was not performed for the purpose of exorcising ghosts. It is also hoped that this paper will be of help as a reference for future studies on Buddhist rituals and practices.