Appendix 1 - Summary of the ninth chapter of the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra

Note: this appendix is extracted from Chapter XXV part 1.

Summary of the ninth chapter of the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra, entitled Advayadharmaparyāyapraveśa (in Tib., Gñis su med paḥi chos kyi skor ḥjug pa): cf. Wei mo kie king, T 474, k. 2, p. 530c; Wei mo kie so chouo king, T 475, k. 2, p. 550b; Chouo wou keou tch’eng king, T 476, k. 4, p. 577a.

– Here are the passages of T 375 to which the Mppś is referring here:

At that time, Vimalakīrti said to the bodhisattvas:

“Sirs, how does the bodhisattva enter into the teaching of nonduality (advayadharmaparyāya)? Let each speak as he will.”

In the assembly there was a bodhisattva named Fa tseu tsai (Dharmeśvara) who said:

“Sirs, arising (utpāda) and cessation (nirodha) are two. Dharmas that do not arise in the very beginning do not actually cease; subscribing to the doctrine of non-arising (anutpattikadharmakṣānti) in this way is to enter into the teaching of non-duality.” (p. 550b–c).

– Twenty-six other bodhisattvas then gave their opinions, and the text continues:

Each having spoken in turn, all these bodhisattvas asked Mañjuśrī:

“How then does the bodhisattva enter into the teaching of nonduality?”

Mañjuśrī answered:

“In my opinion, in regard to dharmas, there are no words or speech, no statement or awareness; they elude questions (praśna) and answers (vyākaraṇa).”

Then Mañjuśrī asked Vimalakīrti, saying:

“We have all spoken in turn; now it is up to you to tell us how the bodhisattva enters into the teaching on nonduality.”

But Vimalakīrti remained silent and did not speak.

Mañjuśrī congratulated him:

“Good! Very good! By having neither sounds (akṣara) nor speech (abhilāpa), that is truly entering into the teaching on nonduality.” (p. 551c).