不論是後四十回續書，抑或從脂硯齋批語所透露的八十回後原稿的情節安排，賈寶玉最終的結局都將捨離人間、出家為僧。而一般認為寶玉出家的背後思想正與前八十回幾次的悟道參禪之經驗有密切關係。然而，寶玉出家之思想內涵，是否真能與莊禪思想劃上等號呢？對此，本文透過仔細爬梳分析《紅樓夢》中寶玉之佛道領悟的相關文獻，大體認為：寶玉續《莊》僅是文章筆法上的模擬承續，其思想實質是意圖透過客觀面的消散毀離與主觀面的刻意無視，以擺脫情緒上的騷擾迷亂，全然不同於莊子至德超曠之思想。而寶玉之引《莊》與禪悟，其思想實質也無涉於清涼超脫，僅是藉莊言情，藉禪抒情意義下的援引與抒發，表現出寶玉在兒女情感中的紛擾、孤獨與執迷的心情。至於「逃大造，出塵網」的出逃思想也無關於佛道那種主體的轉化超越，而僅是一種意圖藉由主體的無知無識，有如「蠢物」一般的了無所知，以避免受到運命遷化所帶來的離散之傷痛。也就是說，寶玉之莊禪領悟乃是「去脈絡化」的領悟，其日後的「懸崖撒手」恐怕也僅是夾雜著強自壓抑的隔絕與勉強的型態，而與佛道式的超越、逍遙有本質上的思想差異。

Jia Baoyu’s 賈寶玉 ultimate decision to shave his head and become a Buddhist monk is interpreted by scholars as being related to a revelation he experienced on the ideologies of Zhuangzi 莊子 and Chan 禪 concerning the liberation from worldly troubles. However, it is argued here that Jia Baoyu’s understanding of Zhuangzi and Chan departed greatly from the true essence of their philosophies. This is shown in the fact that Jia Baoyu only utilized words and phrases from Zhuangzi and Chan without delving into their deeper purport. Furthermore, it is of even greater significance that Baoyu only borrowed phrases to express his loneliness and feelings of being misunderstood. This indicates that Jia Baoyu’s main purpose was to break away from various human partings and sorrows through deliberate escape and feigned ignorance. In other words, Jia Baoyu’s final decision to become a monk may have originated from an intense desire to escape, which differs significantly from the concepts of transcendence and liberation advanced by Zhuangzi and Chan.