This paper analyzes Pomhae Kagan`s hagiography of the Silla monk Wonhyo, as found in his Tongsa yolchon, which was completed in 1894. Although trained by a Son master, Pomhae was a scholarly monk who studied Confucianism and lectured on the Avata saka-sutra and Fanwang jing. Pomhae`s hagiography of Wonhyo has been overlooked because it is a late source that is derived primarily from Iryon`s Samguk yusa and Juefan Huihong`s Linjian lu. Its derivative nature, however, is instructive regarding the nature of Buddhism in the late Choson period. Pomhae follows Iryon, except for his discussion of Wonhyo`s enlightenment experience in a cave when he drank water from a skull. Here he follows Huihong`s literary account, which is in turn based on Yongming Yanshou`s account of Wonhyo`s enlightenment, which was recorded in 961, more than twenty years before Zanning`s Song gaoseng zhuan of 988. Furthermore, Pomhae`s emphasis on Wonhyo`s son Sol Ch`ong and his accomplishments attests to the superior position enjoyed by Confucianism in Choson society.
