《壇經》的作者與版本問題，是初期中國禪宗史的關節處。本文以〈《壇經》的作者與版本——印順與胡適及日本學者相關研究觀點之比較〉為主題，旨在考察、比較印順等人這方面的研究成果。胡適以為《壇經》的作者是神會，《壇經》敦煌本為最古本。鈴木大拙認為，《壇經》是南宗傳授本，其版本亦因傳授而更動。宇井伯壽指出《壇經》可能是漸次變遷增大的，且至少有兩次的增改。關口真大採取不同的路徑，以傳說中的《金剛經解義》為慧能之思想，而認定《壇經》代表了神會的思想；他舉證《壇經》不能代表慧能思想之理由，並提出歷來所傳慧能《金剛經解義》二卷，發現該書與《金剛經口訣》相一致，主張《金剛般若蜜經》才是慧能思想的藍本。柳田聖山有另類看法：《壇經》是牛頭宗與南宗交會的產物；該書作者極可能是牛頭宗的鶴林法海。印順則認為，《壇經》的主體部分為「大梵寺說法」，敦煌本《壇經》至少有過兩次更改，一是南陽慧忠所說《壇經》被添改及所謂「南方宗旨」，二是神會門下的「《壇經》傳宗」。可以說，在《壇經》的作者與版本課題上，印順、胡適及日本學者各有理據與觀點。

The problems of the author and version of Altar Scriptures are the cruxes to the history of the Chinese Zen in the early days. Taking the “Author and Version of Altar Scriptures —— A Comparative Study of Related Research Viewpoints among Yin Shun, Hu Shih and Japanese Scholars＂ as the theme, this paper aims at studying and comparing the research results of Yin Shun and so on over these aspects. Hu Shih thinks that the author of Altar Scriptures should be Shen Huei and Dunhuang version is the most ancient version of Altar Scriptures. Suzuki Daisetsu argues that Altar Scriptures is a work passed on to the later generations from the Southern Master, and thus its version goes through changes along with time. Ui Hakuju indicates that Altar Scriptures may be gradually revised and enlarged, and has gone through at least two revisions. Employing a different path, Sekiguchi Mahiro refers to the suspected ideas of Huei Neng in Interpretation of Jin-gang Scriptures according to the legend, and believes that Altar Scriptures represents the thinking of Shen Huei. He gives evidence and reasons that Altar Scriptures cannot represent the ideas of Huei Neng. He mentions that the two volumes of Interpretation of Jin-gang Scriptures, or the suspected ideas of Huei Neng, are consistent with Pithy Formulas of Jin-gang Scriptures. He suggests that Jin-gang Ban-ruo-mi Scriptures is the blueprint of Huei Neng´s thinking. However, Yanagida Seizan has a different point of view. He thinks that Altar Scriptures is a mixed product of Niu-tou Master and Southern Master, and that Lelin Fahai of Niu-tou Master is very probably the author of this book. Yin Shun thinks that the main body of Altar Scriptures is just “Teaching of Da-fan Temple.＂ He trusts that the Dunhuang version of Altar Scriptures has gone through at least two revisions: one refers to the revision of Altar Scriptures as mentioned by Huei Jhong of Nanyang, and the so-called “Southern Objectives,＂ and the other refers to the Altar Scriptures passed on by the disciples of Shen Huei. Above all, over the issues of the author and version of Altar Scriptures, Yin Shun, Hu Shih and each of those Japanese scholars have their own evidences and points of view.