驾鹤仙去:郭璞之死解读

东晋时期,郭璞因为卷入上层统治集团内部斗争而被叛将王敦杀害。他虽然是因政治斗争而慷慨赴死,但是支撑他临危不惧、视死如归的精神力量却不是杀身成仁、舍生取义的儒家政治理念和道德精神,而是摆脱人间苦难,成为快乐神仙的宗教信仰和宗教理想。正是在宗教动机的支配下,郭璞不仅做出了一系列荒诞、乖谬的举动,而且面对屠刀从容自若、视死如归。郭璞的被杀,既是统治阶级内部矛盾斗争发展的必然,也是他在宗教理想鼓舞下主动追求的结果;他既是东晋上层统治集团内部斗争的牺牲品,也是神仙道教的虔诚殉道者。郭璞之死是一个生动的个案,正确认识其性质,无论是对郭璞和魏晋文学史研究,还是对道教史和文化史研究,都有一定的意义。

GUO Pu's Death: a Religious Interpretation

GUO Pu in the Dynasty of Dong Jin,for being involved in the internal strife of the upper classes of society,was killed by the rebelling general WANG Dun.He sacrificed his life heroically for political struggle,but the ideological power that supports him is not something like such Confucian political ideas or moral spirit as dying for a noble cause,but rather the religious belief and ideal of happy immortal to dispense the sufferings on earth.It is for that motivation that he conducted a series of absurd behaviors and took death calmly like going home.GUO’s death is inevitable for the internal conflicts of the ruling classes in the East Jin Dynasty;it is also what he pursuits under his religious ideal.Therefore,GUO’s case may shed light not only on a proper understanding of the religious nature of his death,and on GUO the person and the literature history in Wei and Jin eras,but on the Taoist and the cultural histories as well.