Unaffiliated with any particular school or doctrinal tradition, Wonhyo applied himself to the explication of all the major Mahāyāna source texts that were available at the time, and in doing so had a major impact on East Asian Buddhism.

This paper explores Wonhyo’s role in harmonizing Mahāyāna doctrines and his extensive commentarial work, while also discussing his hagiography—which likely reflects the folk hero he became rather than the historical thinker himself.