[[alternative]]A Study of the Beliefs of Immortal Master Guigu Wang Chan Lao Zu--The Case of Weixin Shengjiao

[[abstract]] 鬼谷信仰源自二千多年前的鬼谷文化，但很多人對其感到陌生，甚至不知道鬼谷子就是王禪老祖，筆者查閱了多本中國神仙列傳的書籍，竟無王禪老祖的記載，坊間也多將祂的思想、祂的法冠以詭異、神秘、算命術等之名。直到最近「唯心聖教」的出現，不但從事出世性的講經說法、舉辦多場祭祖與消災化劫法會，並且積極推廣入世性的易經風水學；不只追求個人身心靈的安定，並且擴大協助他人改善居家環境的問題、社會的問題、進而促進世界和平的面向。 本文從宗教學的角度探討鬼谷信仰，並以「唯心聖教」為例，討論鬼谷子在當今以「鬼谷仙師王禪老祖」宗教指導神型態出世，和宗主混元禪師創設臺灣新宗教，為以中華數術文化易經風水學，結合宗教修行的組織團體，其以推廣易經、風水和諸多生活平安妙法之濟世的方式，及唯心聖教的教義、經典和社會實踐中「宗教關懷」，對當下世界和人類社會的影響。 本文從三個層面進行探討： 第一、縱向的鬼谷信仰核心思想。 第二、橫向的唯心聖教起源與發展。 第三、唯心聖教四十八大願的「宗教實踐」。 研究方法採用「文獻探討」和「質性研究｣，除了解讀有關鬼谷文化的多篇文獻，並深入訪談唯心聖教代表性單位主管的實務心得，加以解析五個代表性的調查數據顯示成果和影響，探討唯心聖教在當下如何承繼鬼谷智慧，發展古智今用，開創出鬼谷信仰的新時代。最後於結論中提出對唯心聖教學術化、制度化、國際化等建議。[[abstract]] The belief of Gui Gu derives from more than two thousand ago; however, most people are not familiar with the belief and even don’t know that Gui Gu Zi is Wang Chan Lao Zu. As the author of this thesis, I did a lot of research on the relative books of the biographies of Chinese immortals and seldomly found the records. His thoughts and magic are merely regarded as weird and mysterious fortune-telling in popular religious movements. This kind of situation has been changed on a large scale because of the emergence of a new religious group, Weixin Shengjiao. Weixin Shengjiao actively brought up the propagating speeches, disaster elimination rituals, and the promotion of I Ching Feng Shui theory to help people pursue stable bodies, minds, and spirits and improve the family and social problems, and promote world peace. This thesis aims to explore the belief of Gui Gu by investigating Weixin Shengjiao’s religious practice by the approach of religious study. Gui Gu Zi descended to the mundane world as a guide God, and designated Grand Master Hunyuan Chanshi to found the new religious order which is the first one that combines the Chinese culture of numbers art, I Ching and Feng Shui, with religious practice. This thesis also evaluates the social influences of Weixin Shengjiao promoting its doctrine of I Ching, Feng Shui, and other applications. The three main topics of this thesis are as follows: 1. Vertical exploration of the core Ideas of Gui Gu Belief 2. Horizontal exploration of the origin and development Weixin Shengjiao 3. The religious practice of Weixin Shengjiao, the “48 Great Vows”. With the approach of literature discussion and qualitative research, this thesis discusses Weixin Shengjiao how inherit Gui Gu’s wisdom and then applies it to modern society by reviewing related materials and interviewing with some people in charge. Some data will be shown by the analysis of the survey. Some suggestions for the academicization, institutionalization, and internationalization of Weixin Shengjiao are raised in the conclusion