<論説>道教の神仙観念の一考察 : 尸解仙について

Abstract

中国における道教信者の宗教的理想は得仙──仙人に成ることであった。仙人の列伝を通覧するとき天仙・地仙はじめいくつかの種類が数えられるが、その中で尸解により仙を得る尸解仙(地下主者) は、一旦外見上の死を示し、実は本身は劔などの器物をその身代りとして後に残し、死せずして他所へ去ること、蟬や蛇がぬけがらを残すごとくであり、自らは高次の生命を獲るという過程を取るものだと信ぜられた。現身そのままの永続でなく死んで復活し再出現するという観念には、一般に不老不死と言われる神仙についての思想と異質の要素を持つように思われる。かつ六朝以後、薬や劔を用いて尸解を実現しようとする実修が道士により試みられ、はじめ得仙の低級な方法と考えられたものが不信の者をも納得させる行法として説かれてきた。これは金丹を煉り白日昇天するというような空想的なことから、道教がもっと内面的な得道の方法として内丹説を唱えるに至ったことと平行して道教教理の発展を示すものである。

Among various methods of attaining immortality as expounded in Taoist canons, the shih-chieh (lit. corpse-deliverance) is worthy of notice. An applicant for immortality by this method has to die once, or feign himself dead, and be buried with his personal effects such as a sword, shoes, clothes etc. But his own self is able to flee away, leaving such things as substitutes. It is like a cicada or snake sloughing off its old skin to enter a renewed life. Besides a number of examples mentioned in ancient hagiographies (the Lieh-hsien chuan and Shen-hsien chuan), some Taoists who belonged to the Mao-shan school of Taoism dominant during the period of the South tried to become shih-chiehhsien (immortals) or so-called ti-hsia-chu (underground agent) by taking a drug called ling-wan (spiritual pills) or having a sword forged as his substitute. The latter case was called chien-chieh (deliverance by a sword). Reading the narratives of the shih-chieh immortals, we can find many factors in common with Christian doctrine of resurrection. However, in the case of religious Taoism, immortality has been sought after by magical practice which strongly survived until recent times.