Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

Doctrinal classification(判敎) has often been said to the hallmark of east-asian Buddhism. The hermeneutical problem to which it is a response can be traced back to the earliest stages of Buddhism’s development as a religion. In this system, the very important problem is to solve contradiction between those Sutras whose meaning was explicitly stated(了義) and those whose meaning required interpretation(不了義), ultimate truth(眞諦) and conventional truth(俗諦), Mahayana and Hinayana, sudden (頓) and gradual(漸). This is one of the most striking features of Wonhyo’s scholasticism.Wonhyo`s mutual understanding of knowledge (會通) and reconciliation of many assertions(和諍) has been the biggest claim to stand for syncretism, unification theory or consilience. But these conceptions are misconception or preconception. Wonhyo’s the biggest problem is how communicate with each other in Buddhist assertion. His main idea is based on the One-mind theory of The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana Doctrine and the ālaya-vijñāna theory of Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra. And this becomes fully understandable when placed in the context of the Hermeneutical horizon. He is not a syncretist but pluralist.