慧远是中国早期佛教的著名高僧。他的思想理论对以后的中国佛教产生过重大而又深远的影响。从慧远的佛学思想来看, 他接受了说一切有部的毗昙学说, 特别是其中“一切法实有”的思想, 因而认为法性是法真性, 是不变的实体。这与“缘起性空”的般若学说是不一致的, 所以受到鸠摩罗什的批评。另一点是慧远十分欣赏犊子部一系《三法度论》所说的“有我”思想, 以为“我”(慧远称之为“神”)是一种超乎精神与形体之上的东西, 并因此在《沙门不敬王者论》一文中, 以形尽神不灭的议论来反对当时的神灭之说。

As a famous monk in early Chinese Buddhism, Hui Yuan and his thought had an important and farreaching influence upon later Chinese Buddhism. This paper primarily explores two issues. One is that since Hui Yuan accepted Sarvastivada's abhidharma teachings, especially the idea that every dharma was real-bhava, he believed that dharma-nature was real-bhava or unchangeable entity. This thought was different from dharma-nairamya of Nagarjuna's Madhayamaka in India, so he was criticized by Kumarajiva at that time. The other is that Hui Yuan quite appreciated the idea of self in Tri-dharmika-vastra, considering "ego" ("shen", in his words) as something transcending the spiritual and the physical so as to oppose the then doctrine of extinction of soul.