「看話禪」是中華禪門的著名禪修方法，而「無住」則為《六祖壇經》 的根本思想。本論文參酌聖嚴法師所教授的看話禪法，嘗試探討「看話禪」 與「無住」思想是否融貫一致的問題，藉以針對看話禪法提出若干省思。
本論文認為，看話禪法在義理上所預設的，是《楞伽經》中認為妄念可 斷而且應當斷除淨盡的思想，而不是《六祖壇經》中所說妄念不可斷而且不 應該起心動念要將它們斷除淨盡的思想。換言之，真正與看話禪法相融貫 的，是主張「捨念清淨」的如來藏心常住思想，而不是宣說「念念不住」的 般若法空無住思想；亦即是北宗禪思想，而不是南宗禪思想。因此，「看話 禪」作為一種禪修方法，在思想和方法一貫的意義下，更準確地說，乃是屬 於北宗禪修之道，而不是屬於南宗禪修之道。雖然「看話禪」也是解脫成佛 的方便法門之一，但是如果根據慧能在《六祖壇經》中所教禪法來看，則它 並不是貫徹始終能讓人究竟「安心」的修行法門；除非採取聖嚴教授看話禪 法時的類似辦法，亦即借助一些來自《六祖壇經》乃至般若經典的觀念，扣緊「無住」思想而把它導入能夠發揮究竟安心效果的「念念不住」之襌觀實踐活動中。

“Kanhua Chan”, normally known as the Chan practice of huatou, is a famous method in the Chinese Chan tradition, while “non-abiding” is a fundamental thought in the Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch. Based on the Chan method of huatou taught by Master Sheng Yen, this thesis tries to investigate whether there is consistence between the Chan practice of huatou and the thought of “non-abiding”, so as to put forward some critical comments on the Chan method of huatou.
This thesis points out that the Chan practice of huatou presupposes the thought of Lankavatara Sutra that deluded thoughts can and should be eliminated completely, rather than the thought as expressed by Huineng the Sixth Patriarch in the Platform Sutra that deluded thoughts need not be eliminated and that one should not give rise to the thought of eliminating them completely. In other words, what is consistent with the Chan practice of huatou is the thought of ever-abiding mind of tathagata-garbha that advocates “the complete elimination of deluded thoughts,” rather than the prajna thought of non-abiding that advocates “non-abiding from one thought-moment to another,” so it is a method that follows the Chan principle of Northern School, rather than that of Southern School.
Precisely speaking, therefore, the Chan method of huatou is, judged by the characteristics of its method, a Chan approach pertaining to the Northern School, not the Southern School. Although it is also one of the expedient Dharma methods for achieving liberation and buddhahood, it is, from the perspective of Huineng’s Chan teaching, not a method of practice that can truly help people pacify their mind ultimately, unless one adopts the manner Master Sheng Yen used in teaching the Chan practice of huatou, a manner that, based on some concepts derived from the prajna sutras and the Platform Sutra, strictly adheres to the thought of “non-abiding,” guiding it to the method of Chan practice that can ultimately bring about the effect of pacifying the mind.