歐洲的禪（Zen）現在就像百納被一樣，競斥著形上學與忠誠教徒或人 道信仰的對比觀點。許多優秀的禪修活動在各個道場展開的同時，禪所賴之法及 其佛教史卻少為人知，其中在某種程度上是受到了鈴木大拙的泛宗教神秘主義影 響。 鈴木大拙提供了禪（Zen）的一個局部視野，強調頓悟以及超越歷史尤其是 智識的方法，這個觀點在本世紀初很快便被西方人熱切接受了。但是「後現代迴 歸」開始重新重視形上學說的來龍去脈，由此便有了重新考量五○年代以來典型 禪宗（Zen）思想的必要。對於禪宗（Zen）在歐洲的一些重要活動本文有一簡 短的檢視。 聖嚴法師所介紹的中國禪（Chan）提供了一個完全以法為本的禪（Zen）宗 見解，這挑戰了有關今日歐洲佛教徒的許多議題，特別是所謂「基督禪」 （Christian Zen）或此類主流思想的正當性，他們似乎無法完整說明佛陀的整套 覺悟課題。此外，中國禪對華嚴（Hua-yen）哲學的「華嚴」（Avata.msaka）傳統 的興趣，也為佛教豎立一個正面的形象，它與目前的環保關懷密切相關。中國禪 （Chan）或許能為時下流行於歐洲的日本禪（Zen）提供一個更為堅實的基礎。

　　　　　Zen in Europe is currently a patchwork quilt of somewhat competitive perspectives with much investment in contrasting metaphysical positions and ancient loyalties to church or humanistic faiths.　While good Zen practice is cultivated in many centres the Dharma upon which Zen relies and its Buddhist history is poorly understood and in some cases ignored largely as a consequence of accepting Daisetsu Suzuki's pan-religious mysticism. D. T. Suzuki provided a one sided view of Zen emphasizing sudden enlightenment and a process that functioned outside history and indeed the intellect.　 This vision was eagerly taken up by Westerners in the early part of this century.　Since the "post-modern" turn a renewed emphasis on the contextuality of metaphysical discourse has arisen necessitating a reconsideration of views concerning Zen which were standard in the 1950s. A brief survey of some of the more significant Zen movements in Europe is provided. Chinese Chan as presented by Master Sheng-yen provides a thoroughly Dharma based understanding of Zen that challenges most of the issues that concern European Buddhists today, in particular the validity of "Christian Zen" and other inclusivist mainstreamings that tend to understate the enlightenment project of the Buddha. In addition the Chan interest in the Avata.msaka tradition of Hue-yen philosophy provides a positive image of Buddhism warmly related to current environmental concerns. Chan may provide a more sure footed Zen than is currently available in Europe.