Vimalakīrtinirdeśa

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Within the great Mahayana sutras , the work Vimalakīrtinirdeśa (VKN; ch: 維摩詰 經 Sanskrit: विमलकीर्ति-निर्देश-सूत्), "The teaching of Vimalakīrti" has a special position. It is famous for its eloquent, humorous way of presenting the basic teachings of Mahayana , although humor is rarely found in religious scriptures of this type. Unique in this Sūtra the fact that it is not the usual way of the Buddha or a transcendent Bodhisattva or another, great disciples of the Buddha plays the protagonist, but a housekeeper ( Sat gṛhapati , zh.居士) that the ideal of a Buddhist layman trailer embodied according to the mahāyānistic model. This work is highly valued in all branches of the East Asian Mahāyāna and it is one of the few sūtras that also had a great, lasting influence on the Ch'an / Zen school.

Vimalakirti: mural from the 8th century, Dunhuang

According to the content, the basic statements in the VKN can be assigned to the Prajñāpāramitā teachings. The cornerstones of this sūtra are emptiness (sa. Śūnyatā ) and non-duality (sa. Advaya ). This non-duality is represented by Vimalakīrti when he is questioned by Mañjuśrī by silence. From the point of view of Prajñāpāramitā, Vimalakīrti criticizes all other teachings, not only those of the Śrāvakas, but also the Mahāyāna teachings, even if they are taken as originating from the Buddha himself.

Sources

Rediscovered Sanskrit version

The Sanskrit manuscript of Vimalakīrtinirdeśa was discovered by Takahashi Hisao on June 30, 1999 during a visit to the Potala Palace in Lhasa with a research group. After an editing phase of more than four years, it was compiled in transliterated form in March 2004 by the Study Group on Buddhist Sanskrit Literature - The Institute for Comprehensive Studies of Buddhism, Taisho University (大 正 大學 總 合 佛教 研究所 - 梵語 佛典 研究 會) published with the three Chinese translations and a Tibetan version.

In the postscript of the manuscript, in addition to the famous Pratītyasamutpāda verse, there is the dedication and the colophon. Accordingly, the manuscript was a gift from the Mahāyāna monk Śīladhvaja and was hand-copied by a certain royal servant Cāṇḍoka during the reign of King Gopāla. The problem is that there were three kings with the name Gopāla of the same dynasty and therefore no clear assignment is possible. According to the editors, the writing of the VKN can be dated between the 11th and 13th centuries.

Translation status

Translations into Chinese

The VKN has been translated into Chinese a total of eight times, the earliest translation being dated to AD 188. However, only the following three are fully preserved and listed in the canon:

  1. Fóshuō Wéimójié jīng佛說 維摩詰 經, T474, 2 vol., Translated from Zhīqiān 支 謙 (223–228);
  2. Wéimójié suǒshuō jīng維摩詰 所說 經, T475, 3 vol., Translated from Kumārajīva鳩摩羅什 at the beginning of the 5th century.
  3. Shuō wúgòuchēng jīng說 無垢 稱 經, T476, 6 vol., Translated by Xuánzàng 玄奘 in the middle of the 7th century.

Translations into Tibetan

According to Lamotte, there are three translations into Tibetan. Only one is completely preserved: `Phags pa dri ma med par grags pas bstan pa zhes bya ba theg pa chen po`i mdo . It was translated by Chos nyid tshul khrims (Dharmatāśīla) towards the end of the 8th century.

Modern translations

Of the three Chinese translations, Kumārajīva's version is the most popular. Charles Luk, Richard Robinson (unpublished) and Burton Watson translated these into English. E. Lamotte took the Tibetan version, plus all three Chinese, and translated them into French. Robert A. Thurman translated the Tibetan version into English, using the Thurman and Lamotte versions as well. The division into chapters of the VKN was taken from Lamotte's version.

The original German translation of the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa was made by Jakob Fischer and Yokota Takezo in 1944 (new edition 2005). The authors used the Kumārajīva version and a Japanese version of the text by Kawase Kōzyun. In 2008 a complete revision of this translation was published by Dr. Monika Dräger and Dh. Aryadeva ( Vimalakirti - The Sutra of Liberation ).

Summary of the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa

Chapter 1 : The scene described here takes place in the Āmrapālī forest ( see also āmrapālīvana ), where Buddha Śākyamuni presents the Dharma to a large gathering with many Śrāvakas, Bodhisattvas and Devas. A young man named Ratnākara comes to the meeting with 500 other young men from Licchavi. He praises the Buddha with a longer gāthā written in hybrid Sanskrit. Then the Buddha explains exactly what perfect purity ( pariśuddhi ) of the Buddha field ( buddhakṣetra ) means and how the Bodhisattva should purify his mind. Finally, the Buddha dispels the doubts of Śāriputra and others by explaining to them why this world, which is his own Buddha-field, does not appear perfectly pure, and then by miraculous power allows those present to participate in this perfect purity.

Chapter 2 : The scene changes to the house of a Buddhist householder ( gṛhapati ) named Vimalakīrti. He cannot attend the meeting because he is pretending to be sick. All the important people in the city of Vaiśālī come to visit. On these occasions he expounds the shortcomings of the body to the visitors and emphasizes the virtues of the body of the Tathāgatas . The activities and benefits of Vimalakīrti are discussed in detail in this chapter.

Chapter 3 (3 & 4): Vimalakīrti wonders why the Buddha does not send anyone to him and give him no consolation. The Buddha recognizes his thoughts and in turn invites his ten best Śrāvakas to visit the sick person. All refuse to visit the sick person on the grounds that they were all reprimanded by him for lack of understanding of the Buddha's teachings. You feel unable to counter this man's eloquence. The four bodhisattvas Maitreya, Prabhāvyūha, Jagatīṃdhara and Sudatta are also unable to visit this wise man. (This chapter is divided into chapters 3 and 4 in the three Chinese versions. In these versions, the fourth chapter begins with the Buddha's invitation to Maitreya .)

Chapter 4 : Finally, the Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī follows the Buddha's invitation. The scene then changes to Vimalakīrti's house, which is small and yet miraculously able to house countless living beings. Here begins the conversation between the two of them, which deals with the following points: emptiness ( śūnyatā ), the analysis of the illness of the Vimalakīrti and the sphere of activity ( gocara ) of the bodhisattva.

Chapter 5 : Śāriputra is concerned about the seating for the countless participating beings. Vimalakīrti recognizes these thoughts and advises him not to bother about the seats and instead strive to attain Buddhadharma. He then explains the purpose of this attainment. The whole assembly takes its place on the lion throne which was sent by Tathāgata Merupradīparāja for this purpose. Then Vimalakīrti expounded the unfathomable liberation ( acintyavimokṣa ) to the Tathāgatas and Bodhisattvas .

Chapter 6 : The conversation between Mañjuśrī and Vimalakīrti continues and the mindset of a Bodhisattva is discussed in more detail. For example, it explains how it is possible for the Bodhisattva to consider living beings - like all dharmas - to be nonexistent and yet develop great goodness ( mahāmaitrī ) for them. A deity then appears who, with Śāriputra, begins a paradoxical discussion about the superiority of the Mahāyāna. After explaining the eight wondrous things to Śāriputra in Vimalakīrti's house, she uses her supernatural powers to demonstrate the non-bondage of the dharmas to the sexes. It transforms into Śāriputra and then takes on its own form again. Finally, Vimalakīrti explains that this deity has served many Buddhas in previous lives and now has supernatural powers due to the merits acquired.

Chapter 7 : In the further course of the conversation Vimalakīrti explains how one can follow the Buddhadharma in a roundabout way, and also explains what exactly the Tathāgata gender is ( tathāgatagotra ). He then answers the Bodhisattva Sarvarūpasaṃdarśana's question with a gāthā in hybrid Sanskrit.

Chapter 8 : Invited by Vimalakīrti, 31 bodhisattvas present their insights about the Dharma Gate of Non-duality ( advayadharmamukha ). When Mañjuśrī expresses his insight and then asks Vimalakīrti for his insight, the latter is silent.

Chapter 9 : Śāriputra thinks of entertaining those present in the congregation. Vimalakīrti recognizes his thoughts and through his supernatural powers makes the alms-giving of Tathāgata Gandhottamakūṭa visible in the Buddha field Sarvagandhasugandha. Through his natural power, Vimalakīrti creates an awesome Bodhisattva and sends him to that Buddha field. This bodhisattva comes back from that Buddha field with a retinue of 90,000 bodhisattvas. Vimalakīrti speaks with them about the teaching methods of Buddha Gandhottamakūṭa and Śākyamuni.

Chapter 10 : The scene changes to the Āmrapālī forest in Vaiśālī. The whole congregation is moved there in front of Buddha Śākyamuni. After Ānanda asked Vimalakīrti, he said that eating in Vimalakīrti's house had the same effect as the effect of the Buddha ( buddakṛtya ). Buddha Śākyamuni shares this opinion and gives the congregation a discourse entitled "Penetration into all Buddhadharmas" ( sarvabuddhadharmapraveśa ), which deals with the following points: differences and similarities between the Buddha fields, the equality and unfathomability of Buddha fields, and the superiority of the Bodhisattvas towards the Śrāvakas. At the request of the bodhisattvas from the Sarvagandhasugandha Buddha field, Śākyamuni explains to them the exhaustive and the inexhaustible liberation ( kṣayākṣayo vimokṣaḥ ). After this discourse, these bodhisattvas go back to their Buddha field delighted.

Chapter 11 : When asked by the Buddha, Vimalakīrti explains how he regards the Buddha when the body of the Buddha is shown as non-existent. After a short conversation between Śāriputra and Vimalakīrti, Buddha explains to Śāriputra that Vimalakīrti comes from the Abhirati field of Buddha Akṣobhya. Śākyamuni asks Vimalakīrti to show the congregation the Buddha field, whereupon Vimalakīrti uses supernatural power to fetch the Buddha field Abhirati with his right hand. After it is prophesied that everyone in the congregation will be reborn in this Buddha field, Vimalakīrti returns the Buddha field to its original location. Afterwards Śākyamuni highlights the merits of the case established that anyone these Dharmarede ( dharmaparyāya ) reads, protected and disseminated.

Chapter 12 : Śakra promises to protect this Dharma discourse and those who internalize this discourse and read it repeatedly. Buddha praises him and then tells the story of King Ratnacchattra and his sons and talks about the Dharma celebration ( dharmapūjā ). Then the Buddha prophesies to the Bodhisattva Maitreya the unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment. The work ends with Ananda being asked to keep this discourse and to spread it.

rites

The sutra was cherished early in Japanese Buddhism. A comment has already been ascribed to Crown Prince Shōtoku Taishi [Taishō LXI, No. 2186]. Furthermore, ritual readings of the sutra, so-called Yumia-e , developed early on . These are lectures on Vimalakīrtinirdeśa lasting several days. They grew out of prayer meetings that were originally supposed to lead to the recovery of sick people in the ruling class, but were later held regularly from the 10th to the 16th of the 10th (lunar) month. Yuima is another name for the sky of Monju Bosatsu Vimala, which, however, unlike the usual, is said to be in the east.

For the first time a yuima-e took place under the direction of the Korean nun Hōmyō , who prayed healthy Fujiwara no Kamatari on the orders of Empress Saimei (656) . Then he set up a private house 658 as a spiritual place for Yuima-Sūtra studies (Yamashina-dera), where it took place for the next 12 years as a private event of Fujiwara. Again it was held there by Chihō ( 智 鳳 ) in the 10th month of Keiun 3 (707).

In 709, for the salvation of Fujiwara no Fuhito, the last probably took place in the old place; held by Jōdatsu ( 浄 達 ), who had returned from studies in Silla in 707 . Fujiwara Fubito had this site of the Yuima-e transplanted to Nara, which later became the famous Kofuku-ji .

literature

  • VKN, Vimalakīrtinirdeśa . Transliterated Sanskrit Text Collated with Tibetan and Chinese Translations, edited by Study Group on Buddhist Sanskrit Literature - The Institute for Comprehensive Studies of Buddhism, Taisho University 大 正 大學 總 合 佛教 研究所 - 梵語 佛典 研究 會.
  • Mark Dennis (trans): "Prince Shōtoku's Commentary on the Śrīmālā-sūtra", Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research 2011, ISBN 978-1-886439-43-6 .
  • Lamotte, E. (transl. & Ann.): L'Enseignement de Vimalakīrti (Vimalakīrtinirdeśa). Louvain, 1962.
  • Jamie Hubbard: Expository Commentary on the Vimalakīrti Sutra. Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Berkeley 2012, ISBN 978-1-886439-44-3 .
  • Silk, Jonathan (2014). Taking the Vimalakīrti seriously ( Memento June 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), Annual Report of The International Research Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University 17, 157-188
  • Hamlin, Edward (1988). Magical Upāya in the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra ( memento of October 3, 2014 in the Internet Archive ), Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies 11 (1), 89–121

German translations

  • Jakob Fischer, Yokota Takezo (transl.): The Sūtra Vimalakīrti (new edition without Japanese characters). Angkor Verlag, Frankfurt 2005, ISBN 3-936018-31-6 .
  • Vimalakirti - The Sutra of the Unimaginable Liberation. (Revised translation by Jakob Fischer and Takezo Yokota by Monika Dräger in collaboration with Dh. Aryadeva) do evolution, Essen 2008, ISBN 978-3-929447-22-4 .

English translations