台灣佛教往生蓮位與超薦法會之研究=A Study on Lotus Memorial Tablets and Buddhist Liberation Rites in Contemporany Taiwan —Take Vadana Saints Temple in Hualien as an example
This paper uses qualitative research methods of participant observation and field interviews. Taking Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva hall of Vadana Saints temple in Hualien and the Buddhist liberation ceremonies held in the temple as a study field, the author investigate the actual situation, behavior motivation and humanistic belief by observation and interviews. This study is aimed to explore the development context of lotus memorial tablet and liberation ceremonies in Taiwan, and reveal the special reasons of their prevailing existence in Buddhist temples.
This paper is focused on two topics. The first is about the observation to the sacrificial pace of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva hall and field interviews to the sacrificial behavior of the participants. All the settings in this sacrificial space play a function same as columbarium. In this paper, the assigned position is called lotus memorial tablet, the enshrined cinerary urn is called lotus memorial stand, and the assigned tablet for one’s dead ancestors is called memorial tablet. The second is about the participant observation to the Buddhist salvation ceremonies for the dead held in Hualien Vadana Saints temple. The large and universal one is called liberation ceremony, while the small and specific one is called Buddhist rite for the dead.
Taking Hualian Vanada Saints temple as observation and interview field, this paper is aimed to show the ultimate religious concern for the dead in contemporary Taiwan Buddhist temple, through the exploration and analysis of culture context and sacrificial behavior of lotus memorial tablet and liberation ceremony.
