禪宗始自初祖達摩傳至東土，至六祖慧能後盛傳於中國佛教。達摩教門人以《楞伽經》印心，故胡適稱初期禪宗為楞伽宗，並認為禪宗在四祖道信時，已經逐漸以般若經典取代了《楞伽經》，到六祖慧能時則完全以般若經的「頓悟」法門，取代了《楞伽經》的「漸修」法門，所以說六祖的教法做了禪宗的革命。本文則以為，胡適等史學家是從般若興而楞伽衰的「現象」，來評論禪宗思想的轉化，並非從禪宗修行的「義理」探討禪法的流變，故下此結論恐有失偏頗。本文從楞伽思想著手，首先論證初期禪宗祖師所傳的禪法，確是符合楞伽義理的如來藏禪。其次依《楞伽經》義理，說明（1）如來藏因無明轉成藏識，修行人必須證得人無我及法無我，才能將藏識還滅成如來藏。（2）為此釋尊提出了四種漸修禪法：「愚夫所行禪、觀察義禪、攀緣如禪，如來禪」，除此之外，釋尊亦為大根器的修行人，說有「顯示不思議智最勝境界」的頓悟法門；據此，本文最後再依《楞伽經》所說藏識還滅成如來藏的過程，建立漸修與頓悟的修行架構，並以此說明漸修及頓悟都是楞伽禪的一部分。在討論達摩、道信及慧能所說的禪法後，本文認為各個祖師所強調的法門或有不同，如達摩重「理入及行入」，道信重「安心」，慧能則重「開悟頓教，不執外修」，但若依本文所建立的漸修頓悟修行架構，加以理解祖師所傳的禪法，確是漸修頓悟並重的楞伽禪，而非如胡適所說慧能「以般若禪取代了楞伽禪」。

Zen Buddhism was introduced to China by its first patriarch Bodhidharma, and later gained immense popularity in Chinese Buddhism through the sixth patriarch Hui Neng. Early followers of Bodhidharma were innitiated according to the Lankāvatāra Sūtra; therefore, Hu Shi termed early Zen Buddhism as ”Lankāvatāra school.” However, Hu Shi also believed that, since the fourth Patriarch Dao Xin, Prajnaparamita Sutras were gradually taking over the place of the Lankāvatāra Sūtra. Until the time of Hui Neng, the sixth patriarch of Zen Buddhism, the approach to enlightenment had completely changed from ”gradual cultivation” to ”sudden awakening.” It was regarded that Hui Neng had revolutionized the practice of Zen Buddhism. Nevertheless, Hu Shi and his fellow historians' comments were somewhat biased, since their observations on the changing Zen thought were based on the phenomenon of ”the rise of Prajnaparamita Sutras, and the decline of Lankavatara Sutra”, but not on the theory of Zen practice itself.By first examining the Lankāvatāra thought, this paper argued that the Zen practice passed down from early Zen patriarchs was indeed Tathagatagarbha-dhyana, as prescribed in the Lankavatara Sutra. Then, according to the Lankavatara Sutra, the paper went on to explain that ignorance was the cause for Tathagata-garbha to be transformed into Alayavijnana. Practitioners must realize that that there is no permanent human ego, and no permanent independence of self or things. Alayavijnana can thus be cleansed and restored back into Tathagatagarbha. For this, Sakyamuni proposed four methods for gradual cultivation: the dhyana practiced by the ignorant, the dhyana devoted to the examination of meaning, the dhyana with Tathata (suchness) for its object, and the dhyana of the Tathagatas. For the brightest practitioners, Sakyamuni then offered the method of sudden awakening, revealing the realm of unthinkable knowledge which belongs to Buddhahood. This framework of practice incorporated both gradual cultivation and sudden awakening for Alayavijnana to be cleansed and restored back into Tathagatagarbha. Based on the framework, this paper argued that both gradual cultivation and sudden awakening belonged to Lankāvatāra dhyana.Patriarchs may differ in their respective focuses, such as ”entrance by ways of both reason and conduct” stressed by Bodhidharma, ”calming the mind” by Dao Xin, and ”enlightenment through the sudden teaching, abandoning the grasp onto the cultivation of external things” by Hui Neng. However, further investigation into dhyana practice proposed by patriarchs, as referenced to the Lankavatara Sutra, showed that their approaches belonged to the Lankavatara dhyana, which stressed both ”gradual cultivation” and ”sudden awakening”, instead of Prajnaparamita dhyana, as believed by Hu Shi to replace Lankavatara dhyana.