[PURPOSE] This paper examines Taehyedogyŏng chongyo(THC), a text attributed to Wŏnhyo (617~686), and clarifies its main focus.
[CONTENTS] In Chapter 5 of THC, Wŏnhyo negatively critiques the classification of Jie shenmi jing, which corresponds to the interpretation of lowering Prajñāpāramitā sūtras. Before Wŏnhyo’s critique, Kuiji(632~682) had already debated this topic, but he followed the contents of Jie shenmi jing. This article shows that Wŏnhyo's critique is aimed at challenging Kuiji’s statement. Additionally, in Chapter 2, Wŏnhyo deals with Xuanzang’s Yogācāra theory, known as the Four Parts of the Mind, which was first argued in Cheng weishi lun. Wŏnhyo deliberately excludes Dharmapāla’s view, which is supported by Xuanzang and Kuiji, and upholds Dignāga’s view. This paper argues that this is also a critique of Kuiji’s view. By analyzing the distributions and frequency of quotations in THC, along with the above results, it is revealed that Wŏnhyo intended to return to the Buddhist interpretation that preceded Xuanzang’s period.
[RESULTS] THC actually contains Wŏnhyo’s critiques of Kuiji’s arguments, which are situated in a larger context of Buddhist interpretations that preceded Kuiji, and through which Wŏnhyo seeks to challenge and refute Kuiji’s views.