Hu Shih, the leader of the New Culture Movement, advocated cultural innovation and, therefore, was inclined to revolutionary perspectives in his scholarship. He declared that the southern Zen Buddhism was a revolutionary construction by Shenhui, who transformed the prior sect of gradual cultivation into the sect of sudden enlightenment through his compilation and writing of The Altar Sutra. Moreover, in Hu Shih's opinion, the legacy of Zen Buddhism has been has been school of Lankavatara ever since the time of Bodhidharma, as what Hui Neng passed down was the school of Diamond. Accordingly, Hui Neng was the founder of a new and revolutionary school, and, more importantly, the school of Lankavatara was the path of gradual cultivation, while the school of Diamond was the path of sudden enlightenment. On this point, the writer totally disagrees with Hu Shih. The writer believes that the practice of Buddhism is a combination of sudden enlightenment and gradual cultivation. It is acceptable to emphasize sudden enlightenment; however, the denial of gradual cultivation is unacceptable. Though emphasizing the necessity of sudden enlightenment, neither The Altar Sutra, Hui Neng nor Shen Xiu denied the dharma of gradual cultivation. As for The Lankavatara Sutra, it addresses both gradual cultivation and sudden enlightenment; in the writer's view, Hu Shih's reference is somewhat far-fetched.
