At the heart of Kegon stands the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* (Japanese: *Kegon-kyō*), revered as the school’s foundational scripture. The entire sutra is embraced, with particular attention given to major sections such as the *Gaṇḍavyūha*—the “Entry into the Dharma Realm” narrative of Sudhana’s pilgrimage—and the *Daśabhūmika* or “Ten Stages,” which portrays the progressive unfolding of the bodhisattva path. These portions are not treated as isolated texts, but as luminous facets of a single vast vision of reality, in which all phenomena interpenetrate without obstruction. Within Kegon, the multiple Chinese recensions of the sutra serve as the scriptural ground upon which doctrinal reflection is built.

Around this scriptural core, Kegon draws heavily on the great Huayan master Fazang, whose works provide the conceptual architecture for understanding the sutra’s intricate vision. His comprehensive commentary on the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* and his *Treatise on the Five Teachings* (*Gokyō-shō*) are especially central, offering a systematic classification of Buddhist teachings and a detailed exposition of the sutra’s profound themes. Fazang’s writings do not merely explain; they organize and clarify, allowing practitioners to see how the vast tapestry of teachings converges in the Kegon perspective. In this way, scripture and commentary function together as mutually illuminating mirrors.

Fazang’s more focused works, such as the *Treatise on the Golden Lion*, further distill key Kegon insights through vivid imagery. By contemplating such metaphors, Kegon practitioners are guided to recognize how the absolute and the phenomenal, the one and the many, are inseparable aspects of a single dynamic reality. These texts are not simply philosophical treatises; they are contemplative tools, inviting a shift in perception that aligns with the sutra’s vision of universal interpenetration. Through them, the doctrinal edifice of Kegon becomes a living pathway of insight rather than a mere system of ideas.

In Japan, this scriptural and commentarial legacy was received, systematized, and revitalized by Kegon masters who composed their own doctrinal summaries and expositions. Figures such as Myōe and Gyōnen produced works that articulated Kegon teachings for their own time, preserving the Huayan inheritance while giving it a distinctly Japanese voice. Their writings stand alongside the *Avataṃsaka Sūtra* and Fazang’s treatises as key texts for understanding how Kegon envisions the world: a realm in which every phenomenon reflects every other, and where the path of awakening unfolds within a universe already permeated by the Buddha’s wisdom.