Vimalakirti Sutra  

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The Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa Sūtra (Template:Lang-sa), (Template:Lang-bo) or Vimalakīrti Sūtra is a Mahayana Buddhist sutra. Sometimes used in the title, the word nirdeśa means "instruction, advice". The sutra teaches, among other subjects, the meaning of nondualism. It contains a report of a teaching addressed to both arhats and bodhisattvas by the upāsaka (lay practitioner) Vimalakīrti, who expounds the doctrine of śūnyatā to them. This culminates with the wordless teaching of silence.

The sutra has been influential in East Asian Buddhism for its "brash humor" and flexibility. It has also been influential in Mahayana Buddhism for its inclusiveness and respect for non-monastic practitioners as well as stating the equal role of women in Buddhism.Template:Citation needed

There are currently various translations circulating, and in the English language, there are mainly four versions being translated. Two of which have been translated from the Chinese version by Kumarajiva, and two others being translated from the Tibetan version in Kanjur Canon. The Chinese version has three versions, of which the Kumarajiva version is the most famous. The Tibetan version has two known versions, one of which is found in Kanjur, and the other being the Tun-Huang version found in the early 20th century. There are also various translations into Japanese, Korean, and Mongolian, Manchurian languages. There is also a popular French version circulating by the famous scholar Lamotte.


See also

  • Wang Wei, celebrated 8th-century Chinese poet who named himself after the Vimalakīrti.




Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Vimalakirti Sutra" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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