中國歷史上，武則天(627-705)是空前絕後的唯一女皇帝，其毀譽參半爭議性的一生，從22歲入住感業寺、《大雲經》預言其登基，到最後在陵墓上立了一塊無字碑，都和佛教緊扣在一起。武則天出現在一向以男性主政的中國，其私密隱情難免不被刻意曝光，甚至遭到貶抑曲解更不在話下。在學術界，從各個角度切入研究武則天的學者不乏其人，反而從佛教觀點來探討武則天的文獻卻鳳毛麟角。有些學者不認同武則天藉佛教來篡奪王位、迷惑百姓。但是為何是武則天，而不是其他人？武則天一定曾種下某些佛教因緣，導致她沉浸佛法，並以之來治國。本論文藉著彙整其一生與佛教互動的所有事實，透過五個章節，略述武則天的生平與佛教的最初因緣；武則天與法寶的關係：包括《大雲經》的疑偽經釋疑和寫經造序；武則天與佛門僧伽的互動；武則天與佛寶的因緣以及晚年的去佛向道；和結論等，做全面的探討，找出其與佛教的始末因緣，及二者之間的互動關係和轉變：到底是武則天在護持佛教，還是利用佛教？佛教對武則天是成就了她，抑或反成了她造惡的利器？

Wu Zetian (武則天) (625-705), personal name Wu Zhao (武曌), was the only woman in the history of China to be assumed the title of Emperor. In 649, Taizong died, and, as was customary for concubines, Wu Meiniang had to leave the imperial palace and enter a Buddhist nunnery where she had her hair shaved for two years, the Mah□meghasutra predicted her ascending the throne, and buried with a tombstone without any inscription after her death. All of these were associated with Buddhism. Indeed she was the only woman in the 2100 years of imperial China ever to use the title emperor and to sit on the throne (instead of merely ruling from behind the throne), and this again utterly shocked Confucian elites. Therefore, a great number of scholars have done researches on her from different perspectives. However, there are very few papers explored from the Buddhist perspectives. She was criticized by the people from all the directions, the scholars in particular for ruling a country with Buddhism. Why Wu Zetoan, not any other? There should be some special relationship between her and Buddhism. If not, how could she devote all her life to Buddhism? In order to understand the interaction between Wu Zetian and Buddhism, as well as figure out whether Wu Zetian protected Buddhism or damaged Buddhism and vice versa? This paper will collect as many as the facts she had done for Buddhism and the affinities she had created in Buddhism based on the following five chapters—the life of Wu Zetian and her first connection with Buddhism, the relationship between Wu Zetian and Buddha Dharma (apocrapha—the Mah□meghasutra, Sutra translation and preface composition), the change of the relationship between Wu Zetian and Buddhist Sangha, the interaction between Wu Zetian and Buddhism and Wu Zetian’s conversin form Buddhism to Taoism at her old age, and conclusion.