釋比：羌族文化的守護者
????? 蘿卜寨坐落在高高的山腰上，距離汶川縣城（即“5?12”四川特大地震的震中）約20公里，這里居住著大約1000名羌族人。在5?12汶川地震中，全部房屋被震毀，44人遇難。震后，中國經(jīng)濟較發(fā)達的廣東省江門市對其進行重建工作，共投資3000萬元。
?????? 同時，政府也著力保護羌族傳統(tǒng)文化的守護者——釋比。
?????? 釋比是羌族宗教的主持者、闡釋者，也是傳統(tǒng)文化的傳承者。在羌族人的日常生活中，凡男女合婚、超度亡靈、節(jié)日、乃至新生兒命名、修房造屋等，均須由釋比前來主持。釋比只能為男性，需經(jīng)過嚴(yán)格的訓(xùn)練。更重要的是，由于羌族沒有文字，他們要將羌族歷史和各種經(jīng)文牢記于心。
?????? 92歲的老釋比在地震中去世后，69歲的王明杰老人就成了蘿卜寨唯一的釋比。他獨自一人住在地震后由廣東政府新建的房子里，4個兒女都在外工作，平時他在家做做家務(wù)，為村民們主持一些傳統(tǒng)的節(jié)日活動。
?????? 在王明杰眼里，那場地震依然歷歷在目；談及地震中的景象，他滿是恐懼。 “地震前幾天豬突然不吃食了。5月12日那天我去豬圈查看，剛進去就見所有東西都開始搖晃。沒有辦法咯，我就在門口這么站著， 喊著‘菩薩、菩薩’。我那個豬圈前面凸出來的椽子救了我，我沒有被砸到。但是老釋比被砸死了，象征羌族文化的神杖、師刀等法器也被深埋地下。”
?????? 老人家里的墻上掛著一塊銀色的牌子，上面寫著“古羌釋比文化傳承人”， 牌子是2006年汶川縣人民政府頒發(fā)的?！斑@是我通過政府的考試得來的，考了許多羌族的文化知識?！蓖趺鹘芨嬖V中國網(wǎng)。改革開放以后，國家開始重視保護羌族傳統(tǒng)文化。王明杰就是那時開始跟隨師父學(xué)習(xí)釋比知識的?！胺昴赀^節(jié)我就到師父家?guī)兔Γ贿吀苫钜贿叡辰?jīng)文?！蓖趺鹘苷f：“現(xiàn)在我也有四個徒弟了。地震把他們的財產(chǎn)都毀了，為了掙錢，他們都在城市工作。只有春節(jié)的時候他們會回來跟我學(xué)習(xí)?！?/p>
?????? 如今，羌族的傳統(tǒng)文化面臨著比地震的毀壞更大的挑戰(zhàn)——城市化和現(xiàn)代化。村里的青少年都到大城市里上學(xué)，他們說的都是普通話，而不是羌語。當(dāng)他們放假回家，村里的老人們就教他們說羌語，幫助他們了解羌族文化。當(dāng)?shù)卣媱澰谖磥硗度?50萬元援建非物質(zhì)文化遺產(chǎn)傳習(xí)所，還決定拿出一部分資金用來資助當(dāng)?shù)叵裢趺鹘苓@樣熱愛羌族傳統(tǒng)文化并致力于傳承的人。去年11月，蘿卜寨已經(jīng)通過省文物局向國家文物局申報“全國文物重點保護單位”，結(jié)果將在今年4月份公布。
The Shibi: guardians of ancient Qiang culture
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![Wang Mingjie, the present Shibi in Luobo Village, holds a ceremony on relics. [File photo]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/bmp/site1007/20100205/000cf1a48b7f0cd5f96737.bmp "Wang Mingjie, the present Shibi in Luobo Village, holds a ceremony on relics. [File photo]")
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| Wang Mingjie, the present Shibi in Luobo Village, holds a ceremony on relics. [File photo] |
The village of Luobo, home to around 1,000 people from the Qiang ethnic minority, lies in the high mountains just 20 kilometers from Wenchuan, the epicenter of the May 12 Sichuan earthquake. The earthquake wrecked every house in the village and killed 44 villagers. But following the quake, the local authorities were partnered with Jiangmen, a city in the prosperous coastal province of Guangdong. The Jiangmen government has helped rebuild the village at a cost of 30 million yuan (US$4.39 million).
The authorities have also acted to protect the traditional shamans of the Qiang – the Shibi – who are the guardians of Qiang culture.
The Shibi are both priests and the custodians of tradition. They preside over ceremonies at marriages, funerals, festivals, when babies are named and when new houses are built. Shibi are always male and must undergo strict training. Most importantly, they have to learn by heart the entire history of the Qiang and all their scriptures, because the Qiang language has no written form.
Luobo's previous Shibi, a 92-year-old man, died in the earthquake. He was succeeded by his 69-year-old apprentice Wang Mingjie. Wang lives alone in a new house built by the Guangdong government. His four children have all left home to find work outside the village. His daily routine consists of doing his housework and performing ancient ceremonies for the villagers.
Wang Mingjie's memories of the quake are still vivid and fear creeps into his voice as he recounts what happened. "My pigs didn't eat for several days before the quake came. On May 12 I went to check on them. As I stepped into the sty, everything began to shake. I stood stock still by the door frame reciting 'Buddha, Buddha.' Fortunately the door frame saved me and I was not hurt. But my master died and the instruments we use for our ceremonies were buried." Wang said.
A silver plaque hanging on the wall of Wang Mingjie's new house says "The Inheritor of Qiang Shibi Culture." It was presented to Wang by the Wenchuan government in 2006. "I was given this title after passing an examination set by the government. I had to demonstrate my knowledge of our culture," Wang told China.org.cn. The government recognized the importance of protecting the Qiang cultural heritage after the start of the reform and opening-up policy. Wang Mingjie began to learn Shibi culture from his master around that time. "I helped my master with ceremonies during festivals and recited scriptures," Wang said. "Now I have four apprentices of my own. But they have gone to work in the cities because they lost everything they owned in the earthquake. The only chance I get to teach them is at Spring Festival."
The Qiang people's ancient culture is facing a bigger threat than the earthquake; from modernization and urbanization. Teenagers go to high school in big cities and end up speaking Mandarin rather than the Qiang language. The village elders try to pass on their own language and culture during the school holidays. For its part, the local government is planning to invest 1.5 million yuan (US$220,000) to build a new cultural center and provide income support to cultural guardians such as Wang Mingjie. Last November, Luobo Village applied to be designated a "State-Level Cultural Relic Protection Site." The result of its application will be known by April.
(China.org.cn by Ren Zhongxi, February 5, 2010)
