自古至今,每當人類社會對於災難、疾病來臨而束手無策時,多仰賴宗教信仰來安頓個體與群體生命。無支祈的水怪傳說在唐宋時期即見諸文人的筆記小說,後人依此典故繪圖,凡有水患之處,即供奉此圖以為鎮壓。而道教認為從出生到死亡的人生歷程中,須經歷各種生命關口的考驗與歷練。以嬰孩而言,在滿周歲之前常會舉行「過關限」儀式,祈請臨水夫人陳靖姑前來辟除關煞,護佑孩童長大成人。
除此之外,由於民間崇信祖天師張道陵法力無邊的形象,因此張天師的畫像也是民間常見避邪祈福的厭勝物;而明、清時期以迄近代,濱海諸省盛行將施放瘟疫的神明請上船後送船出海,此類送王儀式所涵括善惡報應觀念的疾病、醫療思維,便可從本區展出的洞淵天尊與驅送瘟神至「洛陽勝境」等圖像中窺知一二。
Throughout history, human societies have often turned to religion for the lives of individuals and groups in face of devastating catastrophes or incurable diseases. The legend of the water monster Wuzhiqi appeared in biji xiaoshuo (notebook fiction) of a great many literati during the Tang and Song dynasties. Based on this allusion, subsequent generations painted the same to suppress flooding. Daoism believes that from birth to death, humans go through a sequence of trials and tribulations. For infants, a rite of passage Guoguanxian is commonly held before they reach their first birthday. During the ceremony, Chen Jinggu, Lady of Linshui, is invoked to remove barriers and safeguard the health of the infants.
In addition, due to the folk belief in the boundless power of Founding Heavenly Master Zhang Daoling, His portrait serves as a common talisman to ward off evil spirits and pray for protection. From the Ming and Qing dynasties through modern times, it has become a customary religious practice across coastal provinces to put the plague spirit onto a boat and then send it out to sea. Such plague-expulsion rituals that see disease and medical treatment as a karmic cycle can be observed in the images displayed in this section: Supreme Lord Dongyuan and expulsion of the plague spirit to Luoyang Shengjing (the Holy Land of Luoyang).
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