聖嚴法師自幼接觸觀音信仰，一生中常修觀音法門，特別是在佛法學習需要突破或佛教事業受到困阻之時，透過持念觀音聖號或〈大悲咒〉，獲得感應體驗，化解難題。晚年更將法鼓山定位為觀音菩薩的道場。他與觀音菩薩的因緣至為深厚。身為佛教學者與佛法行者，在其觀音經典論述中，學術觀點與經典意趣交織，彼此並不相違，學術考證多用以說明經典流通的時空因緣；論及修行方法與佛法真理，學術考察或是幫助經義解明，或因自身局限而須讓位於經典本身的思想與實踐內容。聖嚴法師講解觀音經典非出於學術研究興趣，而是發自指導學佛大眾修學佛法的悲心與智慧。
個人的宗教感應內容難以言傳，對於聖嚴法師的觀音思想與觀音法門，可通過他對觀音相關經典的詮釋而獲得了解。聖嚴法師對主要觀音經典的修持方法或思想內涵做了詮說：〈普門品〉的一心持念聖號與大慈大悲精神；〈六字大明咒〉的恆誦六字神咒與慈悲智慧表徵；〈白衣大士神咒〉之持念消災化吉；《延命十句觀音經》之常念消解病苦業障及皈信三寶續佛慧命；〈大悲咒〉的滿足眾願乃至圓成佛道；《楞嚴經》「耳根圓通法門」的返聞自性之聲；《心經》的觀照五蘊之空。聖嚴法師不否定觀音法門的宗教感應，在滿足世俗性祈願之後，更勸進修持者皈信三寶，修學正法，朝向真理的體悟。在觀音經典詮釋當中，他特別重視「耳根圓通法門」與《心經》的詳細解明，與禪宗參悟及觀空自在的法門得以銜接。
聖嚴法師一生投入人間淨土建設，人間國土的淨化有賴依正信佛法而進行集體的努力。他宣示法鼓山為觀音菩薩的道場，此道場有他率信眾持念〈大悲咒〉而感得的因緣，他勉勵法鼓山信眾須有自信成為觀音菩薩化身，共學共修，護持與弘揚佛法。效法觀音菩薩的慈悲與智慧，展開實際的理解與行動，修行大乘菩薩道，時時處處淨化自己、有情與世界。

Venerable Sheng-yen had contacted with Avalokitesvara belief since his early childhood and practiced much the methods of Avalokitesvara throughout his life, especially when there were obstacles to learning the Dharma and develop Buddhist undertakings. Through the chanting of the Bodhisattva’s name or Mahakaru Mantra, he experienced religious responses, and the difficulties were solved magically. In his later years, he confirmed the Dharma Drum Mountain as a holy land of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. He indeed had a close relationship with Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. As a Buddhist scholar and a Buddhist practitioner, in his discourses on Avalokitesvara canons, the academic prospective and the prospective drew from canons are interweaved, but they are not mutually contradicted, for the textual criticism from the academic viewpoint is mainly used to illustrate the time and environment in which a text circulated, and is associated with some limitations and not as important as the thoughts and practices deduced from the canon itself. It is not due to the academic interest for Venerable Sheng-yen to expound the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva canons, but to his compassion and wisdom to teach dharma to the general Buddhists.
Personal religious experience is indescribable. As to Venerable Sheng-yen’s thoughts and practices associated with Avalokitesvara, we could understand by reading his commentaries on Avalokitesvara canons:The Chapter of Universal Door (Pu Men Pin) teaches chanting the bodhisattva’s name mindfully and the spirit of great compassionate mind. The Six-Syllable Mantra encourages chanting the mantra and is a symbol of compassion and wisdom. The Mantra of Boddhisattva with White Robe is used to eliminate calamities and turn into good fortune. The Avalokitesvara canon of Ten Sentences to Prolong Life is chanted for the elimination of deceases and Karma obstacles, and then converting to the Tree Treasures to learn Dharma. The Great Compassion Mantra is chanted to fulfill all kinds of desire, even the aspiration to become a Buddha. The Chapter of Cultivating Perfect Penetration of the EarOrganin the Surangama Sutra expounds the profound thought and method of returning back to the true nature of sound. And the Heart Sutra shows the meditation of the emptiness of five aggregates. Venerable Sheng-yen did not negate the religious experiences of response from practicing the methods of Avalokitesvara, but he encouraged the practitioners go more ahead by submitting oneself to the Tree Treasures, cultivating according to the true dharma, and heading to the realization of truth. Among his commentaries on Avalokitesvara canons, Venerable Sheng-yen placed emphasis on the Surangama Sutra and the Heart Sutra, the thoughts and methods of these two canons are in line with those of Chan meditation and the contemplating of unobstructed emptiness.
Venerable Sheng-yen dedicated his life to developing a pure land in this world. The purification of this human world depends on the collective efforts made by people at large according to the right Dharma. He declared the Dharma Drum Maintain as a holy land of Avalokitesvara, and encouraged the followers of Dharma Drum Maintain to be confident of becoming the embodiment of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, to learn and practice together, and to protect and propagate the Dharma. He suggested that the followers should follow the example of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva’s compassion and wisdom, develop real understanding and carry out practical actions to devote oneself to the practice of Mahayna bodhisattva path, make efforts to purify oneself and the world at anytime and places.