齋堂是臺灣傳統佛教的重要面向，齋堂的齋眾自稱「在家修」，臺灣原 本普遍存在龍華派、先天派與金幢派的齋堂，日治時期很多齋堂納入日本佛 教宗派，戰後更由於主流以出家人為主體的佛教的影響，加速臺灣固有齋 堂空門化的進程。所謂空門是相對於齋堂所代表的齋門而言，前者以出家人 為主體，後者以在家人為主體，因此所謂的空門化就是齋堂逐漸轉變成為佛 寺，住持管理的人逐漸由齋友變成出家人。但是空門化的過程中，有許多值 得注意的關鍵點與轉折點，本文嘗試透過嘉義縣幾個已經空門化的齋堂的案 例，來探討齋堂空門化的過程中到底存在著什麼值得筆者們關注和仔細考察 的面向。 本文主要以1997-2000 年之間，筆者在一項全臺性的齋堂調查計畫中有 關嘉義縣齋堂的紀錄為主，加上近二十年來一些新增的文獻資料，最主要就 是《嘉義縣志宗教志》裡有關齋堂和佛寺的紀錄，再進行一些補充調查，增 添了本文所探討的七個齋堂空門化的案例的素材。 嘉義縣齋堂的數量已知的有20 間，相較於其他縣市，不遑多讓。主要 以龍華派的齋堂為主，而且主要是漢陽堂系，而金幢派次之，先天派最少。 但是一半以上的齋堂今已不存，已經存在的絕大部分都已經空門化，成為出 家法師住持管理的佛教道場。本文敘述了嘉義縣七個已經成為佛寺的齋堂的 歷史與現況，再進一步解析這七個齋堂空門化的因緣、歷程與關鍵人物。大 體而言，從日治時期因為納入日本佛教宗派或是與日僧的結緣，可視為空門 化的起點，由齋堂的堂名改成寺院的寺名可以表徵空門化的確立，而由出家 人住持接管寺務，表示空門化的完成。

Vegetarian Halls are everywhere in Taiwan, but many of them have become Buddhist monasteries. Seven of such cases in Chia-yi County are investigated in this paper. The earlier investigation was done between 1997 and 2000 in a project which had conducted for all vegetarian halls in Taiwan. There were about 20 vegetarian halls known in Chia-yi county. These seven cases are selected not only because they have become Buddhist monasteries but also the original data accumulated earlier is adequate and the research materials after 2000 could catch up the current situations. Two major contents are investigated in this paper. First, the detailed record of these seven vegetarian halls, including the history, the organization, and the activities. The other issue investigated for these seven cases is about how the process of becoming Buddhist monasteries, including the starting point, the influential figures, the critical turning point, the related monks and nuns as well as their sect affiliation, and the time length for the completion of such process. Of course, the meaning of such process is not only the named changed, the architecture changed, but also the ritual activities changed, the owners or the managers changed. How can we remember all such vegetarian halls which represent the major domain of traditional Taiwan Buddhism? May this paper has helped us in comprehension of the complicated history of Taiwan Buddhism.　

齋堂；齋教；空門化；佛教史；嘉義縣

Vegetarian Hall；Vegetarian Cult；Manastrification, Buddhist History；Chia-yi