中國禪宗的特色是「教外別傳」、「明心見性」的禪法傳承，燈史的祖統說反映出 禪宗的禪法傳承最重視的是正確的實證。來自印度佛教菩提達摩的禪法傳承，經由中 國傳統文化思想的影響和為適應社會習俗、文化背景，形成創新的施化方便與傳法模 式，其表相的面目似乎反映出不同於傳統印度佛教的本質。呂澂、印順法師、「批判 佛教」認為中國佛教和禪宗是如來藏思想或「本覺說」，其本質與印度佛教不同；而 禪宗在中國的發展有思想融合、演變乃至玄學化、老莊化的現象。 本文以為，過去學界探究佛法和禪法的本質，多偏重於「以思想哲理為本」的方 法論，明顯地產生視野侷限和看法偏差的結果；而運用「以實證詮釋為本」的「實證 佛學」為方法論，其視野之深廣度方能解讀出佛法和禪宗中的一貫本質。本文除提出 「實證佛學」的概念與意涵，並以為正覺同修會蕭平實老師的「以如來藏八識論為本」 的實證佛學，是長期以來瞭解禪宗最佳的義學範式，因此文中兼略述其義學大綱及其 對禪宗的判攝；並從「實證佛學」的角度，指出「以思想哲理為本」的方法論所產生 的侷限與偏差，以及呂澂等對中國佛教「本覺說」和禪法的看法—以為「如來藏說」 或「本覺說」偏離正統印度佛教而本質是相似佛教，是一個根本性的錯謬。反而「如 來藏說」與二轉經論，相對於《阿含經》是更完整究竟的義學；而以「如來藏說」為 根本的中國佛教和禪宗，其本質與印度大乘佛教是殊無二致的。 本文最後以「實證佛學」的詮釋指出，中國禪宗的禪法傳承是以實證如來藏為中 心的施設；而禪宗的施化方便雖然呈現不同思想、思想演變或融合的表相，其實證本 質其實是一貫的。禪宗的「開悟明心」即是大乘佛教的「見道」，其內涵是「證解第 八識如來藏」；而相對於其他「藉教悟宗」的教法，禪宗的「教外別傳」有其特勝之 參禪方便引導學人快速明心，實證印度大乘佛教義學。中國禪宗，其禪法不論名之為 「如來禪」或「祖師禪」，修道的內涵與次第皆是「頓悟漸修」；開悟或見道是「頓悟」 的，亦即一念相應頓見第八識心體的所在與全體（總相），悟後才進入「漸修」的修道過程。完整禪宗的悟後起修的內容是轉依真心如來藏不生不滅、自性清淨的真如體性以修除煩惱障，以及深入如來藏所含藏之一切種子功能差別以破除所知障，修行的終極目標皆是圓滿的佛位，成為實證佛學而非思想推理的佛學。因此由實證的角度觀之，中國禪宗禪法傳承的本質與內涵其實與印度中觀、唯識、如來藏系的大乘佛法是一致的。

The Chinese Chan School is characterized by the dharma transmission of ―realizing the true mind and seeing the Buddha-nature and the Buddha‘s special transmission methods other than the teaching of the sutras. The theory of patriarch tradition in the history of the Lamp transmission does indeed reflect the fact that Chan transmission places most emphasis on the correct actual realization. Having its roots in Bodhidharma of Indian Buddhism, Chan transmission has undergone the influence of the traditional Chinese culture and ways of thinking; to adapt to the social customs and cultural background, it has developed innovative skillful teachings and models of dharma transmission. On the appearance, its essence seems to have deviated from that of traditional Indian Buddhism. As a result, Lu Cheng, dharma-master Yinshun and Critical Buddhism claim that the thoughts of Chinese Buddhism and the Chan School are the Tathagatagarbha theory or theory of original enlightenment, and as such their essence has become different from that of Indian Buddhism. In addition, they believe that the phenomena of thought fusion, thought evolution, metaphysicization, and adaptation to the Lao-Zhuang philosophy have occurred during the development of the Chan School in China. This article highlights the viewpoint that, while exploring the essence of Buddhism and Chan, the academic world in the past gave undue emphasis to the methodology ―based on philosophical reasoning, which has obviously resulted in restricted vision and misconceptions. On the other hand, the methodology of Positivist Buddhism based on the interpretation from actual realization provides a broader, deeper vision, and thus allows the users to reach the conclusion that the essence of Buddhism and that of the Chan School are identical. This article explains the notion and meaning of Positivist Buddhism. In addition, it opines that the Positivist Buddhism based on the Tathagatagarbha theory of eight vijnanas, which is formulated by Venerable Pings Xiao of the True Enlightenment Practitioners Association has long been the best interpretation model to understand the Chan School. Therefore, this article also briefly describes the outline of Xiao‘s practical theory and his appraisal of the Chan School. From the perspective of Positivist Buddhism, this article points out the limitations and biases that result from the methodology based on philosophical reasoning.Moreover, regarding Lu Cheng et al‘s beliefs that the Tathagatagarbha theory or the theory of original enlightenment in Chinese Buddhism and the Chan School has deviated from true Indian Buddhism and has a Buddhism-like essence, this article indicates that such a viewpoint is completely wrong. The truth is, ―the Tathagatagarbha theory as well as the theories found in the sutras and treatises of the second round of dharma transmission are more complete and ultimate than those of The Agama Sutras. Chinese Buddhism and the Chan School, which have adopted ―the Tathagatagarbha theory as their fundamentals, have exactly the same essence as that of Indian Mahayana Buddhism. Lastly, according to the interpretation of ―Positivist Buddhism, this article points out that the Chan transmission in the Chinese Chan School has teaching methods focusing on the actual realization of the Tathagatagarbha. Although the skillful teachings of the Chan School has seemingly shown different thoughts, thought evolution, or thought fusion over the years, its core essence consisting of actual realization has remained the same. To realize the true mind and attain enlightenment in the Chan School is exactly the same as to see the Way in Mahayana Buddhism; it means to realize the eighth vijnana Tathagatagarbha. In contrast to other teachings that enable one to attain enlightenment through the sutras, the Buddha's special transmission methods other than the teaching of the sutras in the Chan School have their exceptional skillful means that can help the learners rapidly become enlightened and personally realize the practical theory of Indian Mahayana Buddhism. In the Chinese Chan School, whether the practice is named the Tathagata Chan or the patriarch Chan, its contents and sequence all belong to ―sudden enlightenment and gradual practice. Attaining enlightenment or seeing the Way is achieved in a sudden manner, namely, by suddenly realizing where the mind entity of the eighth vijnana is and seeing the whole of it (general appearance). After enlightenment, one will then enter the process of ―gradual practice. The complete content of practice after enlightenment in the Chan School is to convert to the true-such nature of the neither-arising-nor-ceasing and inherently pure Tathagatagarbha. The goal is to eliminate the vexation-hindrances, and to go deeply into the different functions of all the seeds stored in the Tathagatagarbha in order to eradicate the cognition-hindrances. The ultimate aim of practice is to achieve the perfect Buddhahood. The teachings of the Chinese Chan School consist of Positivist Buddhism, rather than Buddhist study via thinking or reasoning. Therefore, from the perspective of actual realization, the essence and contents of Chan transmission in the Chinese Chan School are in fact consistent with those of the Mahayana Buddhism of Indian Madhyamika, Vijnana-Only, and Tathagatagarbha system.