桃竹苗齋教「佛教化」之形式與意涵

Abstract

日治時期台灣齋教三派（先天、龍華、金幢）母堂所在地，即以新竹為北部重鎮。根據台灣總督府社寺課昭和十五年（1941）的調查，全省齋堂數以新竹65座為冠，遠高於台中36座、台南台北各35座。但是近來有關齋堂之研究多集中於台南、台北兩地，除《竹塹文獻》陸續整理介紹新竹地區齋堂外，桃竹苗文化局尚未進行或出版相關資料。此一現象與桃竹苗地區齋教人士積極協助佛教發展、甚至多數剃度「空門化」有關；此外，此地區作為台灣傳統山林佛教的代表，逐漸不敵都市佛教的興盛，衰落無以為繼，遂多改型託管如法鼓山等佛教大系，歷史湮滅，亦為其受到忽略的原因。

本計畫的目標，即以宗教融合與閩客宗教合流的觀點，復原分析桃竹苗地區齋教近百年來的發展（1905-2005）。閩客祭拜神祇分流，客家宗族祭祀制度更為嚴謹，作為女性守貞清修的齋堂、佛堂，如何與宗族祭祀、佛教與女神信仰結合，為女性開闢獨立的修行空間與社會參與，却是閩客共同的現象。本計畫將進行（一）歷史文獻之收集過濾，（二）以官方資料復原齋堂及相關機構之登記資料，（三）採訪民間耆老與廟堂長老齋姑、僧尼；以在地的齋堂為主幹，旁及出外修道的桃竹苗籍貫人士，釐清此地域齋教的全省網絡、定位，以及其在地的特徵。

Historically, there have been more Zhaijiao halls in Xinchu than other areas in Taiwan since the Japanese rule, and they have been gradually converted to Buddhism after World War II. In addition to the change of political and economical conditions, gender has played a very important role in this religious transformation. In this project I will compare two communities of religious women – Zhaijiao and Buddhist nunneries in Taoyuan, Xinchu, and Miaoli, where the main population of Hakka people in the central Taiwan. Those women who converted to Zhaojiao are usually addressed as Zhaigu or Caigu, they have recorded the female initiation and lineage, offering a niche for Hakka women to escape marriage and for rich clans to relocate their unmarried women. By adding a comparative coda, we will understand the survival strategies of Hakka women and the change of religious maps through their communication with other Taiwanese peoples. This project will begin with a throughout field investigation, establishing the archives of Zhaojiao halls and their latter changes both in religious identity and personnel composition. After establishing the general picture, I will select several representative cases to conduct interviews and field observations. In terms of historical and personal connections, the religious transformation will illustrate the other perspectives of the Hakka culture.