在科技的現代，自我的知識仍是一大哲學問題，而且在科技的日新月 異的壓力下意義更為加重，可說已形成危機。此一形勢促進宗教的復興。但此處 的宗教究為何指？如果一個宗教不能自主為個人帶來自我的理解，與內心的安寧 與精神的自由，同時也將促進人間的相愛，與世界的和平，則此一宗教的意義也 是可疑的。當然在此四方面要求一個宗教或許過於嚴格，但這也是一個宗教成為 一個真正宗教的基礎。此一真正宗教必須掌握自我精神自由而不排斥科學的理 性，形成一個既超越又內在的人的性與理的統一體驗與境界。本文將就此一認識 與要求探索中國禪學作為真正精神宗教的實際與潛力。本文首將區劃知與知識的 四個層面，再將禪學的頓悟定位在最深或最高的第四層面上，顯示禪學作為現代 中後現代的宗教精神的特徵與自覺的精神宗教性能。

　　　　　For the purpose of understanding the nature and meaning of 'enlightenment' in the Chan/Zen philosophy, it is first necessary to distinguish four levels of human knowledge and see how Chan enlightenment (Chanwu 禪悟) occupies the deepest level of knowledge. Then it is also necessary to see how the Chan Buddhist would argue for the import and necessity of the Chanist enlightenment within the Buddhist tradition and hence how the Chan enlightenment would stand out as a necessary form of human experience which is unique, yet could be universal. Finally, we could see how one may even bring out a hidden dimension of the Chan enlightenment to bear on the problem of life in order to make the Chan enlightenment more significant for a modern human being in his or her struggle with modernity. In connection with this uncovering of the dimensions of the Chan enlightenment, we will come to see how the Chan philosophy of enlightenment could evolve into a post-modern form of spirituality as self-consciously rooted in the rich tradition of Chinese philosophy.