宋代民众鬼神赏罚观念透析

宋代民众中的鬼神赏罚观念,是商周“神判”、“天罚”思想走向民间后的一种社会现象。在其发展过程中,经过对儒家的伦理道德,佛教的因果报应,道教的功德修行的吸收与融合,使原有的鬼神思想更贴近百姓生活,更深入到普通民众的思想中。宋代的各种生动的鬼神赏罚故事,不仅使诸多神灵具有了惩恶赏善的社会功能,而且积极地参与和监督人间的法律运行,由此对民众的思想和行为起到了制约、规范和教育的作用,在预防和威慑犯罪方面起着法律难以达到的社会效果,同时也反映出民众对公平的向往和对正义的追求。

An Analysis of the Ideology of Ghosts and Gods' Rewards and Penalties in the Song Dynasty

The ghosts and gods' s rewards and penalties ideology evolved from God's punishment and judgement ideology of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, which had come into being among the common people. During the course of its development, the concept of the ghosts and gods' rewards and penalties took in some contents of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, which made it both nearer to the common people's life and deeper into their thoughts. Various stories about the ghosts and gods' rewards and penalties not only made lots of gods perform the function of punishing evil and rewarding good, but also positively take part in the implemetation of law on earth, and thus restrain and educate people in their deeds and thoughts. This can prevent and deter crime more effectively than law, and at the same time reflects the people's pursuit of fairness and justice.