Ŭisang’s Understanding of the Avatamsaka-sūtra as Seen through the Seal-Diagram Symbolizing the Dharma Realm of the One Vehicle

This chapter presents an overview of Ŭisang’s view of Buddhism as it appears in Questions and Answers on the Avataṃsaka-sūtra (Hwaŏm kyŏng mundap) and Ŭisang’s thought as presented in Seal-Diagram Symbolizing the Dharma Realm of the One Vehicle (Ilsŭng pŏpkye to). Questions and Answers on the Avataṃsaka-sūtra forges a connection by means of the standpoint that seeks to understand the contents of the Avataṃsaka-sūtra not through theoretical or logical inquiry but through meditative practice for the purpose of obtaining non-discriminative wisdom. The Seal-Diagram Symbolizing the Dharma Realm of the One Vehicle is a composition crafted by Ŭisang to aid practitioners in comprehending the Avataṃsaka-sūtra as the absolute and perfect teaching of the Buddha. The concluding section describes a specific method of practice called the “method of counting coins” to cause practitioners to be endowed with the non-discriminative wisdom that will enable them to appropriately comprehend the contents of the Avataṃsaka-sūtra. The Seal-Diagram Symbolizing the Dharma Realm of the One Vehicle is thus a summary of and a practical guidebook for understanding the Avataṃsaka-sūtra. Ŭisang’s thought evolved and was transformed in the process of its being inherited and passed down to later generations.