Tang Shengzhi’s vigorous promotion of Buddhism has the intention of using some ideological resources in Buddhism as the spiritual pillar of the army. To achieve this goal, he needs to explain and even demonstrate that the relationship between Buddhism and revolution, which he always advocated, is not contrary to each other, but promotes and integrates each other, so as to eliminate people’s doubts. Because Tang Shengzhi’s interpretation of the essence of Buddhism is too“whimsical”, sometimes his cognition of the essence of Buddhism is quite different from that of ordinary people and even Buddhists. Therefore, people at that time didn’t agree with Tang Shengzhi’s practice and explanation, and launched a fierce attack on his words and deeds. Tang Shengzhi’s seemingly paradoxical act of defending and destroying Buddhism is the inevitable result of his over self-understanding of Buddhism, rather than the assertion of “using Buddhism with speculative attitude” by public opinion.