中國佛教發展的過程中，基於教義與戒律，教團極少涉及軍事武力相關情 事。然由史料記載中，仍可以見到僧團武力的建立，或扮演維繫地方治安、協 助軍事征戰的角色，或組成叛亂團體，造成社會的動盪。佛教接受並合理化武 裝力量的存在，正是佛教與社會交互影響的結果。
筆者考察中國中古時期間出現的僧團武力，釐清僧團武力的建立，主要是 基於面對戰亂時自衛的需求。無論是南北朝時期參戰的僧人、隋唐之際組織自 保或參軍助戰的佛教武力團體，或是唐宋之際的五臺山，幾處僧團武力的建 立，或由於尚武風氣，或由於位處邊境，均與當時的社會結構乃至於當地的社 會環境關係密切。由中古僧團武力的形成，可見戰時體制之下，位處各股勢力 交會之地，兼備地理險要形勢，實為僧團武力出現之關鍵。在僧團武力的形成 與運作中，更直接地反映政教關係中，政權與佛教之間的角力與相應，從而凸 顯佛教雖意圖置身方外，卻難以跳脫社會之外。

By reason of religious doctrines and discipline, the Buddhist orders were rarely involved in the military in the development of Chinese Buddhism. According to the historical sources, however, it still can be seen that the armed Buddhist orders were built to maintain public security and provide military assistance, or else, to organize insurrectional groups which caused social turbulences. The Buddhists accepted and rationalized the existence of armaments, a reciprocal effect by Buddhism and society.
I have investigated the research in the armed Buddhist orders during the Southern-Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, and clarified that these orders were built for self-defense at wartime. Regardless of the monks’ taking part of the war, the armed Buddhist orders for self-defense or military assistance during the Sui Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, or the Mount Wutai during the Tang Dynasty to the Early Song Dynasty, the armed Buddhist orders were organized due to the climate of martial art learning and the border locations, which were extremely related to the contemporary social structure and social environment. As we can see from the form and operation of the armed Buddhist orders, the competitions between political power and the Buddhist power directly reflected the relationship between politics and religion. This manifests the fact that although Buddhism intended to be an outsider, it was difficult to escape from society.