| This paper focuses on the religion dubbed locally as “Taoism” [te:u~6] in Zhuang communities of Dejing Platform,Guangxi.“Text of Minority Taoism” or “Text of Regional Taoism” will be compiled based on long field observation following religious factors,to present the history,development and present status of Taoism in southwest ethnic border areas and preserve detailed regional case data for research of minority Taoism.Some specific ritual cases are elaborated as well to reveal the diverse diffusion and influence of Taoism in the ethnic communities at southwest border areas.“Locality” of Taoism is also discussed,in response to the “Chinesization” or “sinicization” of ethnic groups by Taoism as proposed in existing literature,and the statement of “native Taoist temples and Taoist rituals are local extension of national ceremony”.This paper intends to verify that although “the imperial metaphor” was demonstrated in ritual practice during initial introduction of Taoism through the Han officials' efforts “to change the tribes with Taoism” and the active acceptance of local upper class,“multiple altars” are set up and “different hosts” coordinate with each other to present “external Taoist rituals but internal customs show” on Dejing Platform due to the short diffusion in the remote ethnic border areas,reform of Taoist rites by local customs and resilience of indigenous religion.In one word,the Taoism of these minority groups beyond the reach of central regime is still featured by “locality”,and in Zhuang communities on Dejing Platform,Taoism has just superficially,not internally “sinicized” the culture of ethnic nationalities.This “indigenized exotic” religious sect is indeed a union of diverse Taoist cultures.In Chapter 1,the geography of Dejing Platform is introduced,its historical development chronicled,and the local tribes,their livelihood,customs and ritual specialists are described.Although in history Dejing Platform used to come into contact with the central regime,geographically it still remains an edge zone of China due to its long independent development.By the Qianlong Period in the Qing Dynasty,the culture still varied between the region and the interior of China: “The language barrier blocks the communication and gives rise to different customs,food,clothes between the indigenous and inland people”.Affected by the exotic culture following bureaucratization of native officers at the turn of the Ming and Qing Dynasties,the local culture turned diverse,but was still essentially local,tribal and distinctive.In Chapter 2,the author illustrates how the Taoism on Dejing Platform evolved from an immortal Taoism to a temple Taoism and folk Taoism with local chronicles,literature,inscriptions,scriptures and discourse.The illustration shows a close association between Taoist development and high-ranking headmen and Han officials.These headmen in particular,were the early recipients of Han culture among Zhuang communities on Dejing Platform,and their immortality pursuance,ritual and life were all influenced by Taoism,a part of Han culture.The epitaph and discourse indicate that the headmen might have assumed ritual master,while Han officials might promote the imperial edification in the wake of native official bureaucratization,promoting the inheritance and expansion of Taoism.The post-bureaucratization immigration brought Taoist culture,affecting,infiltrating the native religions and expanding the Taoist denomination.It's noticeable that regardless of Han officials' efforts in "changing the locals with Taoism" and native officials' accepting the Chinese culture via Taoism,the long,independent hereditary management by the chieftains and isolated environment resisted the above imperial edification,with the rebellion of Taoist patriarchs as the case in point.In Chapter 3,based on the field findings,the author states that,fearing the reproaches of preceding masters,the Taoist priests actively learn from their senior kinsmen or teachers,and lists the educational level,fate and family factors required for the membership.Detailed field cases are finally used to introduce how to become a ritual master,to show the continuation and organization process of this Zhuang Taoist service on Dejing Platform.The field data shows that Taoism is mainly handed down through impartation by senior kinsmen,and the transmission of Taoism through successive generations is guaranteed by this monopolistic mode.As Taoism was just inherited among the native headmen,officials and merchants at the outset,the carrying on of Taoism via such impartation on Dejing Platform has been manipulated by the upper class.In Chapter 4,the author demonstrates the Zhuang's complex Taoist deity system on Dejing Platform with Huanshi Qishike,the scriptures collected in Du'an Township,Debao County,the spirit shrines at local priest families and the rites of acknowledging the gods and praying for children at Helong Village,Tuhu Community,Xialei Town,Daxin County.These scriptures,spirit shrines and rite cases indicate that the local Taoist immortals are composed of the sectarian gods and the native ones like Flower Goddess and chieftain gods.Unlike the priest,people care no Taoist gods but Flower Goddess,who masters fertility,and proactively attend the rituals to request her to grant more deliveries.The villagers still offer sacrifices to chieftain gods like "Lao Yi" and "A Gong" from time to time.Therefore Zhuang' Taoism on Dejing Platform is an indigenized exotic religion,as on surface the exotic gods are worshiped,but in essence the native ones are adored.What are presented in Chapter 5 are the Taoist rituals and process through which the followers,based on their faith and warship of gods,communicate with these immortals with the assistance of priest to get blessed and avoid disaster.The Taoist rituals on Dejing Platform are held following the written rules to communicate with the gods and resist the devils,which can't be realized without the support of secret doctrines with fundamental principle of Yin-Yang balance.The ritual masters' secret doctrines incorporate the basic concepts of Chinese Taoism,while its cognitive system is reconstructed based on indigenous knowledge and following local folk customs.The priest communicates with the highest deity and functional gods by means of instrument,and expels the evil spirit,reverses the oppression with spells.Superficially it is the same mode by which the officials report to the imperial court,"a local version of the state ceremony is presented",but actually folk customs are displayed behind the scripted rites,and locality constitutes its core.The relationships between Taoism and folk customs,other religions on Dejing Platform are discussed in Chapter 6.The comparison of faith,concepts and rites indicate that,there are respective duties & cooperation,boundaries and absorbed elements between Taoism and such native religions as Me and Mo.Thanks to the local independent cultural development,especially the resilience of oral religion with women as the practitioners and major followers,Taoism gains a predominance in Zhuang instead of Yao communities on Dejing Platform. |
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