梁慧皎所撰《高僧傳》為中國僧傳的經典之作，不僅為僧傳立下撰作規範，並且藉由僧傳的書寫，記錄了佛教在中國中古時期社會轉化與內化的軌跡。《高僧傳》中對於眾高僧內外兼學的敘述比例極高，顯現了外學對於高僧身分建構的重要性。本文分別由（一）中國傳統學術有助於高僧身分的縱向提升；（二）語言才能有助於高僧跨越不同身分的界限，產生迂迴而上的盤旋提昇效果；（三）精湛的醫術使高僧身分產生雙向連結的作用並因此大幅增加了高僧身分轉換的可能性等三方向，探討外學與高僧身分建構之間的關聯，並歸結外學的強調其實在於顯現高僧身分的流動特質，而高僧身分的流動特質的顯現更指出了慧皎撰作此書的潛在企圖在於身分建構。

Medieval Chinese Buddhist monk Huijiao's Gaosengzhuan is a classic of Chinese Buddhist monk biography. The book has not only established a writing model of Buddhist monk biography by its original writing system but also recorded the tracks of the transformation and localization of medieval Chinese Buddhism through his biographical writing. In Gaosengzhuan, there is a very high percentage of writing regard to both inner studies (Buddhist studies) and secular studies and it looks always keeping in a balance situation. This writing strategy was in fact trying to show that how importance of secular studies would bring great influences on a Buddhist monk’s identity constructing in the medieval China. This essay will make a discussion about Huijiao's writing purpose of identity construction and the connection between secular studies and the sutra studies from three directions. There are: (A). Possessing Chinese traditional knowledge can promote the social status for the eminent monks who were written in the book; (B). Language abilities of the eminent monks would help them to cross their identity boundaries; and (C). Medical skills of the eminent monks usually created possibilities for them to leap over the gaps of different social identities. This essay will as well make a conclusion that the reason why Huijiao had to make so many descriptions about the secular studies of the eminent monks in the biography was actually trying to show that those eminent monks' identities were uncertain, changeable and fluid. This fluid and special characteristic appeared in almost every monk in Gaosengzhuan eventually led us to realize that Huijiao concealed his real attempt from identity construction in the book.