「守靜督」與「緣督以為經」──一條體現《老》、《莊》之學的身體技術

Abstract

十九世紀末葉以降，國人對子學的研究多聚焦於心性論，且似視心性論為一套理性思辨的產物，而忽略了傳統子學在身體層面的深厚基礎。但審視《莊子》一書，涉及「身體感」、「身體技術」或「身體經驗」之文字俯拾皆是。本研究乃聚焦於《莊》學之身體主體，針對傳統哲學特重修習、實踐之特色，正視「認識理論」與「完成任務」間的差異。試圖將過去著重於「知道是什麼」(knowing that）的向度，移轉為對「知道怎樣作」(knowing how）的探討。 筆者重審歷代注釋中「緣督以為經」之詮解，找出詮字釋義紛紛出走的緣由。且藉由《莊子》工夫論中身體位階的釐清，帛書《老子》「守靜督」的佐證，與早於《莊》注之督脈文獻、出土文物，使「緣督以為經」得以重新安置回身體座標上。並透過時代晚出、地域迥異，但同樣以延展、保持身體縱軸筆直豎立為基本原則的太極拳與皮拉提斯，對「緣督以為經」這項身體技術作格義，以提供讀者更詳明確實的操作方法。如此一來，「緣督以為經」一語置於《莊子》文脈下再毋需訓詁輾轉，「保身」、「全生」、「養親」、「盡年」的效驗亦不顯突兀，使整個段落的文脈得以疏通與理解。 「緣督以為經」雖為「身體規訓」，但與「吹呴呼吸，吐故納新、熊經鳥申」等「刻意」之舉相去甚遠。「脩行?有」之《莊》學不同於「全仗呼吸」之內丹修鍊，具有「不刻意」、「不道引」、「常因自然」的特點。本文將「緣督以為經」與Marcel Mauss「身體的技術」一詞連結，說明「緣督以為經」是受到社會文化的浸潤與影響，且可經傳授及嫻習而獲致的身體實踐。當身體規訓與心靈修為同時內化為生命的一部分，便能達致「為」「無為」、「刻意」卻「不刻意」之道家義界下的「自然」；Edward Gilman Slingerland所指出《老》、《莊》思想「如何努力做到不努力」的「悖論」(paradox），也在此工夫進路下渙然冰釋。

This paper argues that, rather than purely philosophical speculation, various passages in Zhuangzi indicate an embodied way of thinking resulting from “sense of body,” bodily experience and body technique. The disregard of the bodily experience makes the intellectualistic tradition that dominates the study of Zhuangzi rather questionable. To interpret Zhuangzi from the perspective of body experience and body cultivation involves a basic change from that of the “knowing what” to that of the “knowing how.” Knowing how the body is cultivated and the experience derived from such practice would greatly enhance our understanding of the text. The present study centers on “Align the body along the Du meridian (緣督以為經)” as a major body technique. By examining it with the newly discovered materials from Mawangdui and corroborating it with text from Silk Lao Tzu and other bodily practice such as Taiji Quan and Pilates, it is hoped to uncover a direct understanding of the textual meaning other than the conventional detour through semantic exegesis. By doing so, we may find that the new interpretation of this sentence makes the following text in the original paragraph of Zhuangzi much more understandable. Although “Align the body along the Du meridian” is a crucial teaching about how to lead our body, it is entirely different from those body practices that tried to manipulate our body intentionally. To Zhuangzi, “Align the body along the Du meridian” is a natural, non-intentional body technique that goes beautifully together with his non-intentional and non-artificial cultural and spiritual/psychological ideas. The paradox in Zhuangzi and Laozi’s thought, as was defined by Edward Gilman Slingerland, does not really exist if we can see through this way. This study goes through different times and cultures. The semantic systems between different cultures and even times may be incommensurable and each interprets the body in a unique way. Nevertheless, the experience of the same human body may be comparable under similar cultivation practice. It is through this “embodied” experience, we may transcend the barrier of time and culture and rediscover the possible true meaning of Zhangzi.