朱熹「半日靜坐，半日讀書」之語，自清儒顏元批評其背離聖學，大張釋氏旗鼓，其言說原意，幾乎被大多數人所忽略。蓋朱熹此語，乃是針對個別弟子談論讀書方法時，隨機指點的說法；再者，單就靜坐工夫便遽以評斷，其為釋老之徒，未免言之太過，體證天理應當允許有方法上的通法、共法，儒、釋、道的分判，應取決於核心價值的殊異，而非外顯可見的方法操持。因此，本文談論「朱熹靜坐法」，也將從「朱熹靜坐的操持方法」與「朱熹靜坐的價值歸趨」兩個部分談起。「半日靜坐，半日讀書」之語，其用心雖被後人曲意解讀，然而，此語卻給我們一個思考方向：如果說，讀書窮理之極，以達豁然貫通，只是半提；那麼，結合「收斂心氣」與「主敬涵養」，雙向調節「心」的已發、未發狀態，不失為體證天理的全提之法。朱熹靜坐，以收斂心氣為實踐操持，一方面從程頤處，確立了以「主敬」代「主靜」的大方向；另方面取益並轉化內丹學思想，著眼於人的現實生命，並肯定如果能夠讓一種逆反的宇宙開關歷程在人身上發生，那麼，稟受天理而來的人性，便有了體道、證道的可能，並從一個更高且普遍的層次來理解道德法則。

Most of people misunderstood the inner meaning of "Sitting Still and Reading Comprehension". In fact, those words were said to the specific person, not applied to everyone. Sitting still was a common form to fully aware of the nature, not regarded as religious rites. The form of therapy to sit still, brought up by Chu-Hsi, contained at least two aspects of ideas, one was the method of operation, and the other was the ultimate value. Speaking of the method of sitting still, Chu-Hsi considered that must be focused on the mind. Sitting still with a peaceful mind would help people have a clear look without disturbed. In Chu-His's opinion, "holding in reverence" would keep the mind rule the root of human, cultivate the heart, and fully aware of the nature. The ultimate value of sitting still was to attain the moral code.