正如其他世界性大宗教，中國佛教有它自己的核心思想，做為宗教修 持和解脫的指南。這種思想的成立，乃是中國批判源自印度的大乘佛法（空宗和 唯識宗）的結果。在大乘有關慈悲和智慧的教法影響之下，領導中國佛教的大師 們接受了如來藏和佛性的概念，並進一步認為它們就是心，稱它們為絕對的心。 因此，心就有超越的和現象的二個層面，所以是整個宇宙的來源。雖然中國對於 印度佛教觀念的教判已有長遠歷史，但是對於印度大乘思想的系統批判，一直要 到第八世紀之後才變得有意義。「一心」的思想，由澄觀（738∼839）開始建立， 而完成於宗密（780∼841）和延壽（904∼976）。延壽是禪僧，禪宗因而成為中 國佛教的主流，使得這個思想代表了整體的中國佛教。

　　　　　Like all the developed religions of the world, Chinese Buddhism has its own central philosophy as the guideline for religious practices and for salvation. This philosophy was established as a consequence of the Chinese, criticisms of Mahaayaana doctrines originated in India, viz., `Suunyataavada and Vij~naanaavada. Under the inspiration of Mahaayaana doctrines of compasssion and wisdom, the Chinese Buddhist leaders, took the concepts of Tathaagata-garbha and the Buddha- nature, and furtherly identified them with the Mind, and related it as the Absolute. In this view, the Mind has two aspects: transcendental and phenomenal, thus the source of whole universe. Although the classification of Indian Buddhist ideas had a long history in China, but the systematic criticisms of Indian Mahaayaana philosophy became meaningful only from the VIIIth Century A.D. The formation of the philosophy of Mind was started by Chengguan (738∼839), completed by Zongmi (708∼841) and Yanshou (904∼976). Yanshou was a monk of Ch'an school, and the School became the mainstream of Buddhism in China, henceforth this philosophy represents Chinese Buddhism as a whole.