禅宗是以禅悟为达到成佛的目的和修持方式的,这种独特的修持觉悟方式决定了它是超越思维、推理的,是排斥语言文字作用的,“不立文字”也因此成为禅宗作为佛教特殊一系修持实践的本质要求。但是,禅师在传达禅理、禅法乃至禅悟时,不可能全面地、彻底地排斥语言文字的功用。从菩提达摩来中国传播禅法至明清时代,禅宗的语言观大体上经历了由“不离文字”到高唱“不立文字”,再到回到“不离文字”的演变过程。禅宗的语言观一方面充分而深刻地揭露了直觉体悟与语言文字的矛盾和关联,为探讨和总结直觉和语言的关系提供了丰富的资料;一方面又有力而全面地推动了中国语言的艺术化,对中国文化史的发展做出了重要的贡献。

the Chan School took satori as an aim and manner for essential practices. Because of this unique practicing and enlightening manner, the Chan School was beyond thinking and reasoning, excluding the functions of dictions. Hence the Independence of Words became an ingrain character of the Chan School as a special Buddhism branch. When teaching the truths, manners and satori of Dhyana, however, the Chan masters cannot do without repulsing the functions of characters and dictions to the core. During the period from Bodhi Dhamar's arrival of China to the Ming and Qing dynasties, the linguistic views of the Chan School had largely experienced a course of from Dependence of Words to Independence of Words and to the return of Dependence of Words. On the one hand, the Chan linguistic view fully and profoundly disclosed the reserves and associations between supernomality and dictions, supplying rich materials for the research ad conclusion of the relationships between intuition and languages; on the other hand, vigorously and roundly pushed forward the artistic state of Chinese language, contributing much to the development of China's culture.