Vimalakirti Sutra

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Part of a series on Buddhism
History
Timeline· Buddhist councils
Foundations
Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Buddhist Precepts Nirvana · Three Jewels
Key Concepts
Three marks of existence Skandha · Cosmology Samsara · Rebirth · Dharma Dependent Origination · Karma
Major Figures
Gautama Buddha Disciples · Later Buddhists
Practices and Attainment
Buddhahood · Bodhisattva Four Stages of Enlightenment Paramitas · Meditation · Laity
Countries/Regions
Bhutan · Cambodia · China India · Indonesia · Japan Korea · Laos · Malaysia Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal Russia· Singapore · Sri Lanka Thailand · Tibet · Vietnam Western countries
Branches
Theravāda · Mahāyāna Vajrayāna Early and Pre-sectarian
Texts
Pali Canon · Mahayana Sutras Tibetan Canon
Comparative Studies Culture · List of topics Portal: Buddhism
This box: view • talk • edit

Chinese : 維摩詰經
Sanskrit : विमलकीर्ति-निर्देश-सूत्र

Vimalakīrti Sūtra This scripture is considered one of the most profound, as well as literarily excellent of the Indian Mahāyāna Buddhist sutras. The sutra expounds the profound principle of Mahāyāna as opposed to Theravada teachings, focusing on the explication of the meaning of nonduality. A significant aspect of the scripture is the fact that it is a teaching addressed to high-ranking Buddhist disciples through the mouth of the layman bodhisattva Vimalakīrti, who expounds the doctrine of Emptiness or Sunyata in depth, eventually resorting to silence. There are three classical Chinese translations extant:

the 維摩詰所說經 Wéimójié suǒshuō jīng (trans. by Kumārajīva ; T 475.14.537a-557b).
the 說無垢稱經 Shuō wúgòuchēng jīng (6 fasc. trans. Xuanzang . T 476.14.557-587)
the 佛說維摩詰經 Fóshuō wéimójié jīng (2 fasc. trans. Lokakṣema . T 474.14.519-536).

In addition to these, earlier translations had been done by Zhiqian (223-228), Dharmarakṣa (308), Upaśūnya (545), and Jñānagupta (591). Of the three extant renditions, Kumārajīva's has traditionally been the most popular.

There are also two translations from the original Sanskrit into Tibetan.