「中陰身」觀念屬於佛教的通俗教義，此觀念的傳入時代相當的早，在後漢安世高就已經譯介了此一觀念了，且經歷漢、晉、南北朝，從未斷絕。本文就是從漢魏六朝傳入的相關佛典中，整理出此時期有關『中陰身』的種種論述。證明「中陰身」思想與業報、輪迴等佛教教義是緊密連結在一起的，並論證了「中陰身」思想與「神不滅論」乃屬於相同的哲學範疇的討論。

"Antarā-bhava-skandha" is a well-known doctrine in the popular teach-ings of Buddhism. First introduced to China by An Shigao in the Eastern Han Dynasty, the concept of Antarā-bhava-skandha was widely propagated throughout the Han-Wei and the Six Dynasties. This paper aims to explicate the various discourses related to the concept by examining a body of Buddhist texts transmitted to China since the Han times. The author tries to illustrate the close relationship between the concept of Antarā-bhava-skandha and the doctrines of Karma and Sa111skara ( Transmigration ). In addition, the author argues that the concept of "Antarā-bhava-skandha" and the Chinese theory of "the immortality of the soul" actually share a common ground in terms of their philosophical concerns and significance.