道德與秩序：當代泰國一貫道教團發展的教外張力與教內分歧

林育生。〈道德與秩序：當代泰國一貫道教團發展的教外張力與教內分歧〉。《民俗曲藝》213 (2021.9): 97-144。

Lin Yu-sheng. “Morality and Order: The External Tension and Inner Discrepancy of Yiguan Dao’s Development in Contemporary Thailand.” Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore 213 (2021.9): 97-144.

 

Abstract

 

一貫道近年從臺灣傳播至世界各地，帶入臺灣發展的教團經營方式，但同時也需面對各地相異政治社會文化脈絡，以及教團在當地發展的不同階段。本文旨在討論，一貫道在泰國穩定發展後，近來如何在前述全球模式挪用與在地脈絡調適妥協中，面對教團外泰國社會及教團內一貫道信者間的平衡關係。

本文借宗教社會學中宗教團體發展與社會間張力關係的概念，來討論泰國一貫道的此一發展，一方面指出泰國一貫道挪用臺灣等地的發展模式，以「道德」教育來緩解與泰國社會佛教徒間的緊張關係；但另一方面，對於基礎多為新興中產階級的泰國一貫道信徒來說，象徵性的「秩序」感連結反而更加重要；「道德」與「秩序」間的差異，突顯了泰國一貫道在向泰國社會緩和關係過程中，逐漸形成的教內分歧與衝突。

透過此一分析，本研究指出宗教類型發展與張力模式，需更關注全球化影響及各別地區的特殊社會文化脈絡。雖相異於臺灣、中國及新加坡的國家規制，泰國一貫道藉由跨國影響與國家妥協的模式，化解與社會間的衝突。另一方面，在與社會緩解過程中出現的教團內分歧，亦需要透過文化象徵層面來理解，方能區辨出此一差異。

When Yiguan Dao spreads to other countries, it also brings along its management mechanism developed in Taiwan. Meanwhile, it has to face different political-social-cultural contexts and various development stages of religious organizations. The purpose of this study is to discuss how Yiguan Dao coordinates global appropriation and local adaption to maintain a balance between the external social circumstances and its inner Yiguan Dao members in Thailand.

I tackle the issue from the sociological perspective of religion to examine the tension and development of religious organizations. On the one hand, Yiguan Dao uses a state-promoted education of “morality” to reduce its conflicts with the Buddhists in Thai society – a pattern evolved from its experiences in Taiwan, China and Singapore. On the other hand, as it alleviates its tensions with Thai society, Yiguan Dao also incurs discrepancies among its members. The emergent new middle class constitutes the foundation of Yiguan Dao members in Thailand. As opposed to “morality” they place more importance on the value of symbolic “order.”

With this analysis, I argue that to study the pattern of religious development and tension, one must pay close attention to global influences and individual socio-cultural contexts. Though the state mechanism of Thailand is different from that of Taiwan, China, or Singapore, the Yiguan Dao in Thailand applies a global pattern to accommodate with the Thai state, and uses it to resolve its conflicts with Thai society. In addition, the discrepancies within religious organizations that grow out of this social tension-easing process must also be identified through the cultural symbolic aspect.