呂洞賓是傳統道教「八仙」信仰中，相當重要的一位神祗，也是民間傳統宗教信仰中影響力極大的神明，但是相關的傳說，卻明顯出現矛盾的現象。一方面，呂洞賓具有凜然不可侵犯神聖與莊嚴；另一方面，又有許多放浪不羈、貪嗔愛欲的傳聞，具有濃厚的弔詭性。此一現象實際倒元於呂洞賓初期傳說中濃厚的「劍俠」形象，「劍俠」形象史呂洞賓的傳說擺脫不了遊戲風塵的神祕性，行事上亦多遠離世俗道德的規範，而顯示在「嗔」與「色」的傳聞中。 呂洞賓「嗔」與「色」的負面形象，除與「劍俠」性格相關外，亦與道教本身不排除女色有關。而民間宗教的性質，往往含有濃烈的功利主義氣息，信仰者關注的神明對自身現世困境的紓解，追求的是現世的回報，本與道教欲超脫生死的理念有異，呂洞賓既具有神仙的神通變化，又能助人紓解現實困境，故信徒大可不顧其道德上的可能缺陷，予以崇奉。因此，呂洞賓就同時具有了兩種表面對立，卻又不相妨害的形象。

Lu Tung-bin is a very important god of the eight immortals in the traditional Taoism, who is also very influential in the folk religious belief; yet the re ated legends show clearly a phenomenon of contradiction. On the one hand, he is sacred and inviolably glorified; but on the other hand, quite paradoxically, there are many legends of indulgence and dissipation about him, This inconsistence really results from the image of a knight-errant in the early tales about Lu, which depict him in a mysterious involvement of earthly pursuit and pleasures. Deviation from the moral code is manifested in the tales of passion and lust about him. Lu's negative image is related not only to the knight-errant's character, but also to the Taoism's tolerance of erotic indulgence. As folk religions are characterized by pragmatism, the believer's main concern is his relief from the predicament and obtairment of worldly rewards, a concept sharply different from Taoism's ideal of transcending life and death; Lu has the magic power as a god, to relieve people from troubles. So people, regardless of his moral defects, worship him none the less. Therefore it seems that Lu has two contradictory but complementary images.

呂洞賓、劍俠

Lu Tung-bin, knight-errant