Chapter 3- The Disciples’ and the Bodhisattvas’ Reluctance to Visit Vimalakīrti

“In the tapestry of reluctance, where disciples and bodhisattvas shy from Vimalakīrti’s probing wisdom, Chapter 3 weaves a radiant call to transcend the illusions of conventional practice, unveiling the non-dual heart of the Dharma through the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]. As Vimalakīrti’s feigned illness draws forth tales of humbled encounters — each a mirror reflecting missteps in contemplation, teaching, or renunciation — his teachings dissolve dualities of self and other, sin and virtue, revealing all phenomena as dependently arisen [T1] yet empty [T2] [U2T], like dreams shimmering in the void. With compassionate skill, he transforms errors into gateways, guiding monks, gods, and youths to bodhicitta’s boundless awakening, where samsāra’s fleeting shadows merge with nirvāṇa’s suchness. Step into this chapter’s hidden treasure, where every hesitation unveils the Middle Way, inviting you to embrace reality’s ineffable Oneness (Non-duality) and awaken through the illusory dance of compassionate wisdom.”

Last update: August 11, 2025
Image from: Stoneflower013 (see full image at the end of this page)
Source Text: https://84000.co/translation/toh176 

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[Text from 84000: “Eighty-four thousand conceive bodhicitta.”]

Then, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti thought to himself,
“I am sick, lying on my bed in pain, yet the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly accomplished Buddha, does not consider me or take pity upon me, and sends no one to inquire after my illness.”
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1: Śāriputra's Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Contemplation

[Contemplating [T1] without contemplating [T2] [U2T-in-action]
according to reality as it is (tathatā) as pointed by the Union of the Two Truths [U2T / U2T-2T], Union of the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S], Union of opposites [Uopp / U2T-opp], in accord with the Middle Way free from all extremes and middle: not accepting, rejecting, or changing anything in absolute terms.
Acting/meditating [T1] without acting/meditating [T2] [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute.]
.

The Lord knew this thought in the mind of Vimalakīrti and said to the venerable Śāriputra,
“Śāriputra, go to inquire after the illness of the Licchavi Vimalakīrti.”

Thus addressed, the venerable Śāriputra answered the Buddha,
“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to ask the Licchavi Vimalakīrti about his illness.
Why? I remember one day, when I was sitting at the foot of a tree in the forest, absorbed in contemplation, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti came to the foot of that tree and said to me,

‘Reverend Śāriputra, this is not the way to absorb yourself in contemplation.

You should absorb yourself in contemplation [T1]
so that neither body nor mind appear anywhere in the three realms [T2] [U2T-in-action].
You should absorb yourself in contemplation
in such a way that you can manifest all ordinary behavior without forsaking cessation.
You should absorb yourself in contemplation
in such a way that you can manifest the nature of an ordinary person without abandoning your cultivated spiritual nature.
You should absorb yourself in contemplation
so that the mind neither settles within nor moves without toward external forms.
You should absorb yourself in contemplation
in such a way that the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment are manifest without deviation toward any convictions.
You should absorb yourself in contemplation
in such a way that you are released in liberation without abandoning the passions that are the province of the world.

“‘Reverend Śāriputra, those who absorb themselves in contemplation
in such a way are declared by the Lord to be truly absorbed in contemplation.’
“Lord, when I heard this teaching, I was unable to reply and remained silent.

Therefore, I am reluctant to go to ask that good man about his sickness.”

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2: Maudgalyāyana’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on the Dharma

[Teaching [T1] without teaching [T2] to householders [U2T-in-action]
according to reality as it is (tathatā) as pointed by the Union of the Two Truths [U2T / U2T-2T], Union of the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S], Union of opposites [Uopp / U2T-opp], in accord with the Middle Way free from all extremes and middle: not accepting, rejecting, or changing anything in absolute terms.
Acting/teaching without acting/teaching [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute.]
.

The Buddha then said to the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana,
“Maudgalyāyana, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

Maudgalyāyana replied,
“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.
Why? I remember one day when I was teaching the Dharma to the householders in a square in the great city of Vaiśālī, and the Licchavi Vimalakīrti came along and said to me,

‘Reverend Maudgalyāyana, that is not the way to teach the Dharma to the householders in their white clothes.
The Dharma must be taught [T1] according to reality [T2] [U2T-in-action].

“‘Reverend Maudgalyāyana,
the Dharma is without a living being, because it is free of the dust of living beings.
It is selfless, because it is free of the dust of desire.
It is lifeless, because it is free of birth and death.
It is without a person, because it dispenses with past origins and future destinies.

“‘The Dharma is peace and pacification, because it is free of desire.
It does not become an object, because it is free of words and letters;
it is inexpressible, and it transcends all movement of mind.

“‘The Dharma is omnipresent, because it is like infinite space.
It is without color, mark, or shape, because it is free of all process.
It is without the concept of “mine,” because it is free of the habitual notion of possession.
It is without ideation, because it is free of mind, thought, or consciousness.
It is incomparable, because it has no antithesis.
It is without presumption of conditionality, because it does not conform to causes.

“‘It permeates evenly all things, because all are included in the ultimate realm.
It conforms to reality by means of the process of nonconformity.
It abides at the reality-limit, for it is utterly without fluctuation.
It is immovable, because it is independent of the six objects of sense.
It is without coming and going, for it never stands still.
It is comprised by voidness, it is remarkable through signlessness, and because of wishlessness it is free of presumption and repudiation.
It is without establishment and rejection, without birth or destruction.
It is without any fundamental consciousness, transcending the range of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and thought.
It is without highness and lowness
It abides without movement or activity.

“‘Reverend Mahāmaudgalyāyana, how could there be a teaching in regard to such a Dharma?
Reverend Mahāmaudgalyāyana, even the expression “to teach the Dharma” is presumptuous, and those who listen to it listen to presumption.
Reverend Maudgalyāyana, where there are no presumptuous words, there is no teacher of the Dharma, no one to listen, and no one to understand [T2] [U2T-in-action].
It is as if an illusory person were to teach the Dharma to illusory people.

“‘Therefore, you should teach the Dharma [T1]
by keeping your mind on this [T2] [U2T-in-action].
You should be adept in regard to the spiritual faculties of living beings.
By means of the correct vision of the wisdom-eye, manifesting the great compassion, acknowledging the benevolent activity of the Buddha, purifying your intentions, and understanding the definitive expressions of the Dharma, you should teach the Dharma in order that the continuity of the Three Jewels may never be interrupted.’

“Lord, when Vimalakīrti had discoursed thus, eight hundred householders in the crowd conceived the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment, and I myself was speechless.

Therefore, Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to this good man to inquire about his illness.”

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3: Mahākāśyapa’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Begging for Alms

[Stop discriminating in absolute terms,
“acting/begging [T1] without acting/begging [T2] [U2T-in-action]”,
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute;
while aware of the true nature of the three spheres of the activity (subject/actor, relation/action, object/result): that they are empty of inherent existence, never absolute [T2-3S] ⇐⇒ because they are dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind [T1-3S] ⇐⇒ and vice versa; Union of the Two Truths about the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S] ⇐⇒ like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’.]
.

The Buddha then said to the venerable Mahākāśyapa,
“Mahākāśyapa, you go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.
Why? I remember one day, when I was in the street of the poor begging for my food, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti came along and said to me,

‘Reverend Mahākāśyapa, to avoid the houses of the wealthy, and to favor the houses of the poor — this is partiality in benevolence.

Reverend Mahākāśyapa, you should dwell on the fact of the equality of things, and you should seek alms with consideration for all living beings at all times.
You should beg your food [T1]
in awareness of the ultimate non-existence of food [T2] [U2T-in-action].
You should seek alms for the sake of eliminating the materialism of others.
When you enter a town, you should keep in mind its actual voidness [T2],
yet you should proceed through it in order to develop men and women [T1] [U2T].
You should enter homes as if entering the family of the Buddha.
You should accept alms [T1]
by not taking anything [T2] [U2T-in-action].
You should see form like a man blind from birth, hear sounds as if they were echoes, smell scents as if they were like wind, experience tastes without any discrimination, touch tangible objects without there being in gnosis any contact, and know things with the consciousness of an illusory creature.
That which is without a state of being self and a state of being other does not burn.
And what does not burn will not be extinguished.

“‘Elder Mahākāśyapa, if, equipoised in the eight liberations without transcending the eight perverse paths, you can enter the sameness of reality by means of the sameness of perversity, and if you can make a gift to all living beings and an offering to all the noble ones and buddhas out of even a single measure of alms, then you yourself may eat.
Thus, when you eat, after offering, you should be
neither affected by afflictions [T2] nor free of afflictions [T1] [U2T],
neither involved in concentration [T2] nor free of concentration [T1] [U2T],
neither living in the world [T2] nor abiding in liberation [T1] [U2T].
Furthermore, those who give such alms, reverend, have neither great merit nor small merit, neither gain nor loss.
They should follow the way of the buddhas, not the way of the disciples.
Only in this way, Elder Mahākāśyapa, is the practice of eating by alms meaningful.’

“Lord, when I heard this teaching, I was astonished and thought, ‘Reverence to all bodhisattvas! If a lay bodhisattva may be endowed with such eloquence, who is there who would not conceive the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment?’ From that time forth, I no longer recommend the vehicles of the disciples and of the solitary sages but recommend the Mahāyāna.

And thus, Lord, I am reluctant to go to this good man to inquire about his illness.”

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4: Subhūti’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Non-Dual Acceptance of Alms

[Take this food if you can
“act [T1] without acting [T2] [U2T-in-action]”
(physically, conceptually, mentally),
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute;
if you can transcend opposites [T2]
without rejecting them [T1] [U2T-in-action].
The Middle Way free from all extremes:
not accepting / rejecting / changing anything in absolute terms [T2],
just conventionally, relatively [T1] [U2T-in-action].]
.

The Buddha then said to the venerable Subhūti,
“Subhūti, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

Subhūti replied,
“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to this good man to inquire about his illness.
Why? My Lord, I remember one day, when I went to beg my food at the house of the Licchavi Vimalakīrti in the great city of Vaiśālī, he took my bowl and filled it with some excellent food and said to me, 

‘Reverend Subhūti, take this food if you understand
the sameness of all things
through the sameness of material objects,
and if you understand the sameness of
the qualities of the Buddha
through the sameness of all things [Non-duality / Uopp]. 

Take this food if, without abandoning desire, hatred, and folly [T1],
you can avoid association with them [T2] [U2T-in-action];
if you can follow the path of the single way without ever disturbing the egoistic views;
if, neither conquering ignorance and the craving for existence, nor producing knowledge and liberation, your liberation being the same as the equality of the uninterruptible sins, you are neither liberated nor bound;
if you do not see the four noble truths, yet are not one who “has not seen the truth”;
if you are also neither “one who has attained fruition,” nor “an ordinary person,” while not having eliminated the qualities of “an ordinary person”;
if you are not a noble one, and not a non-noble one;
and if, though you are in the presence of all things [T1],
you are free of any notion of “all things [T2] [U2T-in-action].”

“‘Take this food, reverend Subhūti,
if, without seeing the Buddha, hearing the Dharma, or serving the Saṅgha [T2],
you undertake the religious life under the six outsider masters [T1] [U2T-in-action]
— namely, Purāṇa Kāśyapa, Māskārin Gośāliputra, Saṃjāyin Vairaṭiputra, Kakuda Kātyāyana, Ajita Keśakambala, and Nirgrantha Jñātiputra, and follow the ways they prescribe.

“‘Take this food, reverend Subhūti,
if, entertaining all false views [T1],
you find neither extremes nor middle [T2] [U2T-in-action];
if, bound up in the eight adversities, you do not obtain favorable conditions;
if, assimilating the passions, you do not attain purification;
if the dispassion of all living beings is your dispassion, reverend;
if those who make offerings to you are not thereby purified;
if those who offer you food, reverend, still fall into the three bad migrations;
if you associate with all māras;
if you entertain all passions;
if the nature of passions is the nature of a reverend;
if you have hostile feelings toward all living beings;
if you despise all the buddhas;
if you criticize all the teachings of the Buddha;
if you do not rely on the saṅgha;
and finally, if you never enter ultimate liberation.’

“Lord, when I heard these words of the Licchavi Vimalakīrti, I wondered what I should say and what I should do, but I was totally in the dark. Leaving the bowl, I was about to leave the house when the Licchavi Vimalakīrti said to me, ‘Reverend Subhūti, do not fear these words, and pick up your bowl. What do you think, reverend Subhūti?
If it were an incarnation created by the Tathāgata who spoke thus to you, would you be afraid?’

“I answered, ‘No indeed, noble sir!’ 

He then said, ‘Reverend Subhūti,
the nature of all things is like illusion,
like a magical incarnation.
So you should not fear them.
Why? All words also have that nature, and thus the wise are not attached to words, nor do they fear them.
Why? All language [T1] does not ultimately exist [T2], except as liberation [T1] [U2T].
The nature of all things is liberation.’

“When Vimalakīrti had discoursed in this way, two hundred gods obtained the pure doctrinal vision in regard to all things, without obscurity or defilement, and five hundred gods obtained the conformative tolerance.
As for me, I was speechless and unable to respond to him.

Therefore, Lord, I am reluctant to go to this good man to inquire about his illness.”

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5: Pūrṇa’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Teaching the Dharma

[Give teaching adapted to the level of the students (upāya).
All teachings are adapted skillful means (upāya), antidotes [T1];
there are no absolute teachings, truths, methods, goals,
since everything is empty of inherent existence [T2] [U2T-in-action].
Ex. Do not teach the lower vehicle to students ready for the Mahāyāna.]
.

The Buddha then said to the venerable Pūrṇamaitrāyaṇīputra,
“Pūrṇa, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

Pūrṇa replied,
“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to this good man to inquire about his illness.
Why? Lord, I remember one day, when I was teaching the Dharma to some young monks in the great forest, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti came there and said to me, 

‘Reverend Pūrṇa, first concentrate yourself,
regard the minds of these young bhikṣus,
and then teach them the Dharma! 

Do not put rotten food into a jeweled bowl!
First understand the inclinations of these monks,
and do not confuse priceless sapphires with glass beads! 

“‘Reverend Pūrṇa, without examining the spiritual faculties of living beings,
do not presume upon the one-sidedness of their faculties;
do not wound those who are without wounds;
do not impose a narrow path upon those who aspire to a great path;
do not try to pour the great ocean into the hoof-print of an ox;
do not try to put Mount Sumeru into a grain of mustard;
do not confuse the brilliance of the sun with the light of a glowworm;
and do not expose those who admire the roar of a lion to the howl of a jackal!

“‘Reverend Pūrṇa, all these monks were formerly engaged in the Mahāyāna but have forgotten the spirit of enlightenment.
So do not instruct them in the Disciple Vehicle.
The Disciple Vehicle [T1] is not ultimately valid [T2] [U2T],
and you disciples are like men blind from birth, in regard to recognition of the degrees of the spiritual faculties of living beings.’

“At that moment, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti entered into such a concentration that those monks were caused to remember their various former lives, in which they had produced the roots of virtue by serving five hundred buddhas for the sake of perfect enlightenment.
As soon as their own spirits of enlightenment had become clear to them, they bowed at the feet of that good man and pressed their palms together in reverence.
He taught them the Dharma, and they all attained the stage of irreversibility from unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.
It occurred to me then, ‘The disciples, who do not know the thoughts or the inclinations of others, are not able to teach the Dharma to anyone.
Why? These disciples are not expert in discerning the superiority and inferiority of the spiritual faculties of living beings, and they are not always in a state of concentration like the Tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly accomplished Buddha.’

Therefore, Lord, I am reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his health.”

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6: Mahākātyāyana’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Ultimate Reality

[About impermanence, suffering, selflessness, and peace –
Peace is realizing that all dependently co-arisen
relatively functional impermanent dharmas [T1]
are unborn, unconditioned, unchanging, unceasing,
non-dual, empty of inherent existence [T2] [U2T].
The Middle Way: not accepting, not rejecting them in absolute terms.]
.

The Buddha then said to the venerable Mahākātyāyana,
“Kātyāyana, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

Kātyāyana replied,
“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.
Why? Lord, I remember one day when, after the Lord had given some brief instruction to the monks, I was defining the expressions of that discourse by teaching the meaning of impermanence, suffering, selflessness, and peace, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti came there and said to me,

‘Reverend Mahākātyāyana,
do not teach an ultimate reality
endowed with [inherent] activity, production, and destruction! 

Reverend Mahākātyāyana,
nothing was ever destroyed, is destroyed, or will ever be destroyed.
Such is the meaning of “impermanence.”
The meaning of the realization of birthlessness, through the realization of the voidness of the five aggregates, is the meaning of “suffering.”
The fact of the non-duality of self and selflessness is the meaning of “selflessness.”
That which has no intrinsic substance and no other sort of substance does not burn, and what does not burn is not extinguished;
such lack of extinction is the meaning of “peace.” ’

“When he had discoursed thus, the minds of the monks were liberated from their defilements and entered a state of nongrasping.

Therefore, Lord, I am reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.” 

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7: Aniruddha’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on the Divine Eye

[The true nature of the divine eye –
Seeing [T1] without seeing [T2] [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute,
while being aware of the true nature of the three spheres of the activity [U2T-3S].]
.

The Buddha then said to the venerable Aniruddha,
“Aniruddha, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

“My Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.
Why? I remember, Lord, one day when I was taking a walk, the great Brahmā named Śubhavyūha and the ten thousand other Brahmās who accompanied him illuminated the place with their radiance and, having bowed their heads at my feet, withdrew to one side and asked me,
‘Reverend Aniruddha, you have been proclaimed by the Buddha to be the foremost among those who possess the divine eye.
To what distance does the divine vision of the venerable Aniruddha extend?’

I answered, ‘Friends, I see the entire billion-world galactic universe of the Lord Śākyamuni just as plainly as a man of ordinary vision sees a myrobalan nut on the palm of his hand.’

When I had said these words, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti came there and, having bowed his head at my feet, said to me,

‘Reverend Aniruddha,
is your divine eye compounded in nature?
Or is it uncompounded in nature?
If it is compounded in nature,
it is the same as the superknowledges of the outsiders.
If it is uncompounded in nature,
then it is not constructed and, as such,
is incapable of seeing.
Then, how do you see, O elder?’ 

“At these words, I became speechless, and Brahmā also was amazed to hear this teaching from that good man.
Having bowed to him, he said, ‘Who then, in the world, possesses the divine eye?

“Vimalakīrti answered,
‘In the world, it is the buddhas who have the divine eye.
They see all the buddhafields
without even leaving their state of concentration [T1]
and without being affected by duality [T2] [U2T-in-action].’

“Having heard these words, the ten thousand Brahmās were inspired with high resolve and conceived the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment. Having paid homage and respect both to me and to that good man, they disappeared. As for me, I remained speechless, and therefore I am reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.”

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8: Upāli’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Sin and Mind

[“Discriminating [T1] without discriminating [T2] [U2T-in-action]
between opposites [U2T / Uopp],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute.
The Middle Way: It is not about discriminating in absolute terms, accepting / seeking / doing / affirming this, while rejecting / abandoning / not-doing / negating that, or changing / improving / purifying something;
it is about directly realizing the true nature of reality as it is (tathatā) as pointed by the Union of the Two Truths [U2T / U2T-3S / U2T-opp / U2T-GM / U2T-3K].]
.

The Buddha then said to the venerable Upāli,
“Upāli, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

Upāli replied,
“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.
Why? Lord, I remember that one day there were two monks who had committed some infraction and were too ashamed to appear before the Lord, so they came to me and said,
‘Reverend Upāli, we have both committed an infraction but are too ashamed to appear before the Buddha
Venerable Upāli, kindly remove our anxieties by absolving us of these infractions.’

“Lord, while I was giving those two monks some religious discourse, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti came there and said to me,

‘Reverend Upāli, do not aggravate further the sins of these two monks.
Without perplexing them, relieve their remorse.

Reverend Upāli, sin is not to be apprehended within,
or without, or between the two.
Why? The Buddha has said,
“Living beings are afflicted by the passions of thought,
and they are purified by the purification of thought.”

“‘Reverend Upāli, the mind is neither within nor without,
nor is it to be apprehended between the two [T2].
Sin is just the same as the mind,
and all things are just the same as sin [T1].
They do not escape this same reality [U2T].

“‘Reverend Upāli, this nature of the mind, by virtue of which your mind, reverend, is liberated — does it ever become afflicted?’

“‘Never,’ I replied.

“‘Reverend Upāli, the minds of all living beings have that very nature.

Reverend Upāli, conceptualization is total affliction, and not conceptualizing and not discriminating is their true nature.
Misapprehension is total affliction, and non-misapprehension is their true nature.
The presumption of self is total affliction, and selflessness is their true nature.

Reverend Upāli, all things [T1]
are without production, destruction, and duration [T2] [U2T],
like magical illusions, clouds, and lightning;
all things are evanescent, not remaining even for an instant;
all things are like dreams, hallucinations, and unreal visions;
all things are like the reflection of the moon in water and like a mirror-image
they are born of mental construction.
Those who know this are called the true upholders of the discipline, and those disciplined in that way are indeed well disciplined.’ ”

“Then the two monks said, ‘This householder is extremely well endowed with wisdom. The reverend Upāli, who was proclaimed by the Lord as the foremost of the upholders of the discipline, is not his equal.’

“I then said to the two monks, ‘Do not entertain the notion that he is a mere householder!
Why? With the exception of the Tathāgata himself, there is no disciple or bodhisattva capable of competing with his eloquence or rivaling the brilliance of his wisdom.’ 

“Thereupon, the two monks, delivered from their anxieties and inspired with a high resolve, conceived the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.
Bowing down to that good man, they made the wish:
‘May all living beings attain eloquence such as this!’

Therefore, I am reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.”

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9: Rāhula’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Renunciation

[“Renouncing [T1] without renouncing [T2] [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute;
while aware of the true nature of the three spheres of the activity (subject/actor, relation/action, object/result): that they are empty of inherent existence, never absolute [T2-3S] ⇐⇒ because they are dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind [T1-3S] ⇐⇒ and vice versa; Union of the Two Truths about the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S] ⇐⇒ like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’.]
.

The Buddha then said to the venerable Rāhula,
“Rāhula, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

Rāhula replied,
“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.
Why? Lord, I remember that one day many young Licchavi gentlemen came to the place where I was and said to me, ‘Reverend Rāhula, you are the son of the Lord, and, having renounced a kingdom of a universal monarch, you have left the world.
What are the virtues and benefits you saw in leaving the world?’ 

“As I was teaching them properly the benefits and virtues of renouncing the world, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti came there and, having greeted me, said,

‘Reverend Rāhula, you should not teach the benefits and virtues of renunciation in the way that you do.
Why? Renunciation is itself [T1]
the very absence of virtues and benefits [T2] [U2T-in-action].

Reverend Rāhula, one may speak of benefits and virtues in regard to compounded things, but renunciation is uncompounded, and there can be no question of benefits and virtues in regard to the uncompounded.

Reverend Rāhula, renunciation is not material but is free of matter.
It is free of the extreme views of beginning and end.
It is the path of liberation.
It is praised by the wise, embraced by the noble ones, and causes the defeat of all māras.
It liberates from the five states of existence, purifies the five eyes, cultivates the five powers, and supports the five spiritual faculties.
Renunciation is totally harmless to others and is not adulterated with evil things.
It disciplines the outsiders, transcending all denominations [T1].
It is the bridge over the swamp of desire, without grasping, and free of the habits of “I” and “mine.”
It is without attachment and without disturbance, eliminating all commotion [T2].
It disciplines one’s own mind and protects the minds of others.
It favors mental quiescence and stimulates transcendental analysis.
It is irreproachable in all respects and so is called renunciation.
Those who leave the mundane in this way are called “truly renunciant.”
Young men, renounce the world in the light of this clear teaching!
The appearance of the Buddha is extremely rare.
Human life endowed with leisure and opportunity is very hard to obtain.
To be a human being is very precious.’

“The young men complained, ‘But, householder, we have heard the Tathāgata declare that one should not renounce the world without the permission of one’s parents.’

“Vimalakīrti answered, ‘Young men, you should cultivate yourselves intensively to conceive the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment. That in itself will be your renunciation and high ordination!’

“Thereupon, thirty-two of the Licchavi youths conceived the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.

Therefore, Lord, I am reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.”

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10: Ānanda’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on the Tathāgata’s Body

[Transcending [T1] without transcending [T2] [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute;
while aware of the true nature of the three spheres of the activity (subject/actor, relation/action, object/result): that they are empty of inherent existence, never absolute [T2-3S] ⇐⇒ because they are dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind [T1-3S] ⇐⇒ and vice versa; Union of the Two Truths about the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S] ⇐⇒ like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’.]
.

The Buddha then said to the venerable Ānanda,
“Ānanda, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

Ānanda replied,
“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.
Why? Lord, I remember one day when the body of the Lord manifested some indisposition and he required some milk; I took the bowl and went to the door of the mansion of a great brahmin family.
The Licchavi Vimalakīrti came there, and, having saluted me, said,

‘Reverend Ānanda, what are you doing on the threshold of this house with your bowl in your hand so early in the morning?’

“I replied, ‘The body of the Lord manifests some indisposition, and he needs some milk. Therefore, I have come to fetch some.’

“Vimalakīrti then said to me.
‘Reverend Ānanda, do not say such a thing! 

Reverend Ānanda, the body of the Tathāgata is tough as a diamond, having eliminated all the instinctual traces of evil and being endowed with all goodness.
How could disease or discomfort affect such a body?

“‘Reverend Ānanda, go in silence, and do not belittle the Lord.
Do not say such things to others.
It would not be good for the powerful gods or for the bodhisattvas coming from the various buddhafields to hear such words.
“‘Reverend Ānanda, a universal monarch, who is endowed only with a small root of virtue, is free of diseases.
How then could the Lord, who has an infinite root of virtue, have any disease?
It is impossible.

“‘Reverend Ānanda, do not bring shame upon us, but go in silence, lest the outsider sectarians should hear your words.
They would say, “For shame! The teacher of these people cannot even cure his own sicknesses.
How then can he cure the sicknesses of others?”

Reverend Ānanda, go then discreetly so that no one observes you.

“‘Reverend Ānanda, the tathāgatas have the body of the Dharma — not a body that is sustained by material food.
The tathāgatas have a transcendental body that has transcended all mundane qualities.
There is no injury to the body of a tathāgata, as it is rid of all defilements.
The body of a tathāgata is uncompounded and free of all formative activity.

Reverend Ānanda, to believe there can be illness in such a body is irrational and unseemly!’

“When I had heard these words, I wondered if I had previously misheard and misunderstood the Buddha, and I was very much ashamed.

Then I heard a voice from the sky:
Ānanda! The householder speaks to you truly [T2].
Nevertheless, since the Buddha has appeared
during the time of the five corruptions,
he disciplines living beings by acting lowly and humble [T1] [U2T-in-action].
Therefore, Ānanda, do not be ashamed, and go and get the milk!’

“Lord, such was my conversation with the Licchavi Vimalakīrti, and therefore I am reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.”

In the same way, the rest of the five hundred disciples were reluctant to go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti, and each told the Buddha his own adventure, recounting all his conversations with the Licchavi Vimalakīrti.

.
.

11: Maitreya’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Enlightenment and Birthlessness

[Prophesying/awakening [T1] without prophesying/awakening [T2] [U2T-in-action],
being born/changing/dying without being born/changing/dying [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute;
while aware of the true nature of the three spheres of the activity (subject/actor, relation/action, object/result): that they are empty of inherent existence, never absolute [T2-3S] ⇐⇒ because they are dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind [T1-3S] ⇐⇒ and vice versa; Union of the Two Truths about the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S] ⇐⇒ like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’.]
.

The Buddha then said to the bodhisattva Maitreya,
“Maitreya, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

Maitreya replied,
“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.
Why? Lord, I remember that one day I was engaged in a conversation with the gods of the Tuṣita heaven, the god Saṃtuṣita and his retinue, about the stage of non-regression of the great bodhisattvas. At that time, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti came there and addressed me as follows:

“‘Maitreya, the Buddha has prophesied that only one more birth stands between you and unexcelled, perfect enlightenment. What kind of birth does this prophecy concern, Maitreya?

Is it past? Is it future? Or is it present?
If it is a past birth, it is already finished.
If it is a future birth, it will never arrive.
If it is a present birth, it does not abide.
For the Buddha has declared, “Bhikṣus, in a single moment, you are born, you age, you die, you transmigrate, and you are reborn.”
“‘Then might the prophecy concern birthlessness?
But birthlessness applies to the stage of destiny for the ultimate, in which there is neither prophecy nor attainment of perfect enlightenment.

“‘Therefore, Maitreya, is your reality from birth?
Or is it from cessation?
Your reality as prophesied is not born and does not cease, nor will it be born nor will it cease.
Furthermore, your reality is just the same as the reality of all living beings, the reality of all things, and the reality of all the holy ones.
If your enlightenment can be prophesied in such a way, so can that of all living beings.
Why? Because reality does not consist of duality or of diversity.

Maitreya, whenever you attain buddhahood, which is the perfection of enlightenment, at the same time all living beings will also attain buddhahood.
Why? Enlightenment consists of the realizations of all living beings.

Maitreya, at the moment when you attain ultimate liberation, all living beings will also attain ultimate liberation.
Why? The tathāgatas do not enter ultimate liberation until all living beings have entered ultimate liberation.
For, since all living beings are utterly liberated, the tathāgatas see them as having the nature of ultimate liberation.

“‘Therefore, Maitreya, do not fool and delude these deities! No one abides in, or regresses from, enlightenment.

Maitreya, you should introduce these deities to the repudiation of all discriminative constructions concerning enlightenment.

“‘Enlightenment is perfectly realized neither by the body nor by the mind.
Enlightenment is the eradication of all marks.
Enlightenment is free of presumptions concerning all objects.
Enlightenment is free of the functioning of all intentional thoughts.
Enlightenment is the annihilation of all convictions.
Enlightenment is free from all discriminative constructions.
Enlightenment is free from all vacillation, mentation, and agitation.
Enlightenment is not involved in any commitments.
Enlightenment is the arrival at detachment, through freedom from all habitual attitudes.
The ground of enlightenment is the ultimate realm.
Enlightenment is realization of reality.
Enlightenment abides at the reality-limit.
Enlightenment is without duality, since therein are no minds and no things.
Enlightenment is equality, since it is equal to infinite space.

“‘Enlightenment is unconstructed, because it is neither born nor destroyed, neither abides nor undergoes any transformation.
Enlightenment is the complete knowledge of the thoughts, deeds, and inclinations of all living beings.
Enlightenment is not a door for the sense-media.
Enlightenment is unadulterated, since it is free of the afflictions of the instinctually driven succession of lives.
Enlightenment is neither somewhere nor nowhere, abiding in no location or dimension.
Enlightenment, not being contained in anything, does not stand in reality.
Enlightenment is merely a name and even that name is motionless.
Enlightenment, free of abstention and undertaking, is energyless.
There is no agitation in enlightenment, as it is utterly pure by nature.
Enlightenment is radiance, pure in essence.
Enlightenment is without subjectivity and completely without object.
Enlightenment, which penetrates the equality of all things, is undifferentiated.
Enlightenment, which is not shown by any example, is incomparable.
Enlightenment is subtle, since it is extremely difficult to realize.
Enlightenment is all-pervasive, as it has the nature of infinite space.
Enlightenment cannot be realized, either physically or mentally.
Why? The body is like grass, trees, walls, paths, and optical illusions.
And the mind is immaterial, invisible, baseless, and unconscious.’

“Lord, when Vimalakīrti had discoursed thus, two hundred of the deities in that assembly attained the tolerance of the birthlessness of things.
As for me, Lord, I was rendered speechless.

Therefore, I am reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.”

.
.

12: Prabhāvyūha’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on the Seat of Enlightenment

[Practicing without practicing [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute;
while aware of the true nature of the three spheres of the activity (subject/actor, relation/action, object/result): that they are empty of inherent existence, never absolute [T2-3S] ⇐⇒ because they are dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind [T1-3S] ⇐⇒ and vice versa; Union of the Two Truths about the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S] ⇐⇒ like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’.]
.

The Buddha then said to the young Licchavi Prabhāvyūha,
“Prabhāvyūha, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

Prabhāvyūha replied,
“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.
Why? Lord, I remember one day, when I was going out of the great city of Vaiśālī, I met the Licchavi Vimalakīrti coming in.
He greeted me, and I then addressed him: ‘Householder, where do you come from?’

He replied, ‘I come from the seat of enlightenment.’

I then inquired, ‘What is meant by “seat of enlightenment”?’

He then spoke the following words to me:

‘Noble son, the seat of enlightenment is the seat of positive thought because it is without artificiality.

It is the seat of effort, because it releases energetic activities.
It is the seat of high resolve, because its insight is superior.
It is the seat of the great spirit of enlightenment, because it does not neglect anything.

[Six Paramitas:]
“‘It is the seat of generosity, because it has no expectation of reward.
It is the seat of morality, because it fulfills all commitments.
It is the seat of tolerance, because it is free of anger toward any living being.
It is the seat of effort, because it does not turn back.
It is the seat of meditation, because it generates fitness of mind.
It is the seat of wisdom, because it sees everything directly.

[Four Immeasurables:]
“‘It is the seat of love, because it is equal to all living beings.
It is the seat of compassion, because it tolerates all injuries.
It is the seat of joy, because it is joyfully devoted to the bliss of the Dharma.
It is the seat of equanimity, because it abandons affection and aversion.

“‘It is the seat of paranormal perception, because it has the six superknowledges.
It is the seat of liberation, because it does not intellectualize.
It is the seat of liberative art (skillful means), because it develops living beings.
It is the seat of the means of unification, because it brings together living beings.
It is the seat of learning, because it makes practice of the essence.
It is the seat of decisiveness, because of its precise discrimination.
It is the seat of the aids to enlightenment, because it eliminates the duality of the compounded and the uncompounded.
It is the seat of truth, because it does not deceive anyone.

“‘It is the seat of interdependent origination, because it proceeds from the exhaustion of ignorance to the exhaustion of old age and death.
It is the seat of eradication of all afflictions, because it is perfectly enlightened about the nature of reality.
It is the seat of all living beings, because all living beings are without intrinsic identity.
It is the seat of all things, because it is perfectly enlightened with regard to voidness.

“‘It is the seat of the conquest of all devils, because it never flinches.
It is the seat of the triple world, because it is free of involvement.
It is the seat of the heroism that sounds the lion’s roar, because it is free of fear and trembling.
It is the seat of the strengths, the fearlessnesses, and all the special qualities of the Buddha, because it is irreproachable in all respects.
It is the seat of the three knowledges, because in it no passions remain.
It is the seat of instantaneous, total understanding of all things, because it realizes fully the gnosis of omniscience.

“‘Noble son, when bodhisattvas are thus endowed with the transcendences, the roots of virtue, the ability to develop living beings, and the incorporation of the holy Dharma, whether they lift up their feet or put them down, they all come from the seat of enlightenment.
They come from the qualities of the Buddha, and stand on the qualities of the Buddha.’

“Lord, when Vimalakīrti had explained this teaching, five hundred gods and men conceived the spirit of enlightenment, and I became speechless.

Therefore, Lord, I am reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.”

.
.

13: Jagatindhara’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on the Inexhaustible Lamp

[A door of the Dharma called “The Inexhaustible Lamp”:]
.

The Buddha then said to the bodhisattva Jagatindhara,
“Jagatindhara, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

Jagatindhara replied,
“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.
Why? Lord, I remember that one day, when I was at home, the wicked Māra, disguised as Śakra and surrounded with twelve thousand heavenly maidens, approached me with the sounds of music and singing.
Having saluted me by touching my feet with his head, he withdrew with his retinue to one side.
I then, thinking he was Śakra, the king of the gods, said to him, ‘Welcome, O Kauśika!
You should remain consciously aware in the midst of the pleasures of desire.
You should often think on impermanence and strive to utilize the essential in body, life, and wealth.’ 

“Māra then said to me,
‘Good sir, accept from me these twelve thousand divine maidens and make them your servants.’

“I replied, ‘O Kauśika, do not offer me, who am religious and a son of the Śākya, things which are not appropriate. It is not proper for me to have these maidens.’ 

“No sooner had I said these words than the Licchavi Vimalakīrti came there and said to me,

‘Noble son, do not think that this is Śakra!
This is not Śakra but the evil Māra, who has come to ridicule you.’

“Then the Licchavi Vimalakīrti said to Māra,
‘Evil Māra, since these heavenly maidens are not suitable for this religious devotee, a son of the Śākya, give them to me.’ 

“Then Māra was terrified and distressed, thinking that the Licchavi Vimalakīrti had come to expose him.
He tried to make himself invisible, but, try as he might with all his magical powers, he could not vanish from sight.
Then a voice resounded in the sky, saying,
‘Evil One, give these heavenly maidens to the good man Vimalakīrti, and only then will you be able to return to your own abode.’

“Then Māra was even more frightened and, much against his will, gave the heavenly maidens.

“The Licchavi Vimalakīrti, having received the goddesses, said to them,
‘Now that you have been given to me by Māra,
you should all conceive the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.’

“He then exhorted them with discourse suitable for their development toward enlightenment, and soon they conceived the spirit of enlightenment.
He then said to them, ‘You have just conceived the spirit of enlightenment.
From now on, you should devote yourselves to
finding joy in the pleasures of the Dharma,
and should take no pleasure in desires.’

“They then asked him, ‘What is “joy in the pleasures of the Dharma”?’

“He declared,
‘It is the joy of unbreakable faith in the Buddha, of wishing to hear the Dharma, of serving the Saṅgha and honoring the spiritual benefactors without pride.
It is the joy of renunciation of the whole world, of not being fixed in objects, of considering the five aggregates to be like murderers, of considering the elements to be like venomous serpents, and of considering the sense-media to be like an empty town.
It is the joy of always guarding the spirit of enlightenment, of helping living beings, of sharing through generosity, of not slackening in morality, of control and tolerance in patience, of thorough cultivation of virtue by effort, of total absorption in meditation, and of absence of afflictions in wisdom.
It is the joy of extending enlightenment, of conquering the māras, of destroying the afflictions, and of purifying the buddhafield.
It is the joy of accumulating all virtues, in order to cultivate the auspicious marks and signs.
It is the joy of the liberation of non-intimidation when hearing the profound teaching.
It is the joy of exploration of the three doors of liberation, and of the realization of liberation.
It is the joy of being an ornament of the seat of enlightenment, and of not attaining liberation at the wrong time.
It is the joy of serving those of equal fortune, of not hating or resenting those of superior fortune, of serving the spiritual benefactors, and of avoiding sinful friends.
It is the joy of the superior gladness of faith and devotion to the Dharma.
It is the joy of acquiring liberative arts and of the conscious cultivation of the aids to enlightenment.
Thus, the bodhisattva admires and finds joy in the delights of the Dharma.’

“Thereupon, Māra said to the goddesses,
‘Now come along and let us return home.’

“They said, ‘You gave us to this householder. Now we should enjoy the delights of the Dharma and should no longer enjoy the pleasures of desires.’

“Then Māra said to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti, ‘If it is so that the bodhisattva, the spiritual hero, has no mental attachment, and gives away all his possessions, then, householder, please give me these goddesses.’

“Vimalakīrti replied, ‘They are given, Māra. Go home with your retinue. May you fulfill the religious aspirations of all living beings!’

“Then the goddesses, saluting Vimalakīrti, said to him, ‘Householder, how should we live in the abode of the māras?’

.

“Vimalakīrti replied,
‘Sisters, there is a door of the Dharma called “The Inexhaustible Lamp.” Practice it!
What is it? Sisters, a single lamp may light hundreds of thousands of lamps without itself being diminished.
Likewise, sisters, a single bodhisattva may establish many hundreds of thousands of living beings in enlightenment without his mindfulness being diminished
In fact, not only does it not diminish, it grows stronger.
Likewise, the more you teach and demonstrate virtuous qualities to others, the more you grow with respect to these virtuous qualities.
This is the door of the Dharma called “The Inexhaustible Lamp.”
When you are living in the realm of Māra, inspire innumerable gods and goddesses with the spirit of enlightenment.
In such a way, you will repay the kindness of the Tathāgata, and you will become the benefactors of all living beings.’

“Then, those goddesses bowed at the feet of the Licchavi Vimalakīrti and departed in the company of Māra.

Thus, Lord, I saw the supremacy of the magical power, wisdom, and eloquence of the Licchavi Vimalakīrti, and

therefore I am reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.”

.
.

14: Sudatta’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on the Dharma-Sacrifice

[The Dharma-sacrifice:]
.

The Buddha then said to the merchant’s son, Sudatta,
“Noble son, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

Sudatta replied,
“Lord, I am indeed reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.
Why? Lord, I remember one day in my father’s house when, in order to celebrate a great sacrifice, I was bestowing gifts upon religious devotees, brahmins, the poor, the wretched, the unfortunate, beggars, and all the needy. On the seventh and final day of this great sacrifice, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti came there and said, 

‘Merchant’s son, you should not celebrate a sacrifice in this way.
You should celebrate a Dharma sacrifice.
What is the use of the sacrifice of material things?’

“I then asked him, ‘How does one give a Dharma-sacrifice?’ 

“He replied, ‘A Dharma-sacrifice is that which develops living beings without beginning or end, giving gifts to them all simultaneously.
What is that?
It consists of the great love which is consummated in enlightenment;
of the great compassion consummated in the concentration of the holy Dharma on the liberation of all living beings;
of the great joy consummated in the awareness of the supreme happiness of all living beings;
and of the great equanimity consummated in concentration through knowledge.

“‘The Dharma-sacrifice consists of the transcendence of generosity, which is consummated in peacefulness and self-discipline;
of the transcendence of morality, which is consummated in the moral development of immoral beings;
of the transcendence of tolerance, consummated through the principle of selflessness;
of the transcendence of effort, consummated in initiative toward enlightenment;
of the transcendence of meditation, consummated in the solitude of body and mind;
and of the transcendence of wisdom, consummated in the omniscient gnosis.

“‘The Dharma-sacrifice consists
of the meditation of voidness, consummated in effectiveness in the development of all living beings;
of the meditation of signlessness, consummated in the purification of all compounded things;
and of the meditation of wishlessness, consummated in voluntarily assuming rebirths.

“‘The Dharma-sacrifice consists
of heroic strength, consummated in the upholding of the holy Dharma;
of the power of life, consummated in the means of unification;
of the absence of pride, consummated in becoming the slave and the disciple of all living beings;
of the gain of body, health, and wealth, consummated by the extraction of essence from the essenceless;
of mindfulness, consummated by the six remembrances;
of positive thought, consummated through the truly enjoyable Dharma;
of purity of livelihood, consummated by correct spiritual practice;
of the respect of noble ones, consummated by joyful and faithful service;
of soberness of mind, consummated by absence of dislike for ordinary people;
of high resolve, consummated by renunciation;
of skill in erudition, consummated by religious practice;
of retirement in solitary retreats, consummated by understanding things free of afflictions;
of introspective meditation, consummated by attainment of the buddha-gnosis;
of the stage of the practice of yoga, consummated by the yoga of liberating all living beings from their afflictions.

“‘The Dharma-sacrifice consists
of the store of merit which is consummated by the auspicious signs and marks, the ornaments of the buddhafields, and all other means of development of living beings;
of the store of knowledge which is consummated in the ability to teach the Dharma according to the thoughts and actions of all living beings;
of the store of wisdom, which is consummated in the uniform gnosis free of acceptance and rejection in regard to all things;
of the store of all roots of virtue, consummated in the abandonment of all afflictions, obscurations, and unvirtuous things;
and of the attainment of all the aids to enlightenment, consummated in the realization of the gnosis of omniscience as well as in accomplishment of all virtue.

“‘That, noble son, is the Dharma-sacrifice. The bodhisattva who lives by this Dharma-sacrifice is the best of sacrificers, and, through his extreme sacrifice, is himself worthy of offerings from all people, including the gods.’

“Lord, as soon as the householder had discoursed thus, two hundred brahmins among the crowd of brahmins present conceived the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.
And I, full of astonishment, having saluted this good man by touching his feet with my head, took from around my neck a necklace of pearls worth one hundred thousand pieces of gold and offered it to him. But he would not accept it.
I then said to him, ‘Please accept, good man, this necklace of pearls, out of compassion for me, and give it to whomsoever you wish.’

“Then, Vimalakīrti took the pearls and divided them into two halves.
He gave one half of them to the lowliest poor of the city, who had been disdained by those present at the sacrifice.
The other half he offered to the Tathāgata Duṣprasaha.
And he performed a miracle such that all present beheld the universe called Marīci and the Tathāgata Duṣprasaha.
On the head of the Tathāgata Duṣprasaha, the pearl necklace took the form of a pavilion, decorated with strings of pearls, resting on four bases, with four columns, symmetrical, well constructed, and lovely to behold. 

Having shown such a miracle, Vimalakīrti said,
‘The giver who makes gifts to the lowliest poor of the city, considering them as worthy of offering as the Tathāgata himself, and the giver who gives without any discrimination, impartially, with no expectation of reward, and with great love — that giver, I say, totally fulfills the Dharma-sacrifice.’

“Then the poor of the city, having seen that miracle and having heard that teaching, conceived the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.

Therefore, Lord, I am reluctant to go to that good man to inquire about his illness.”

In the same way, all the bodhisattvas, the great spiritual heroes, told the stories of their conversations with Vimalakīrti and declared their reluctance to go to him.

SUMMARY of Chapter 3

1: Śāriputra's Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Contemplation

[Contemplating [T1] without contemplating [T2] [U2T-in-action]
according to reality as it is (tathatā) as pointed by the Union of the Two Truths [U2T / U2T-2T], Union of the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S], Union of opposites [Uopp / U2T-opp], in accord with the Middle Way free from all extremes and middle: not accepting, rejecting, or changing anything in absolute terms.
Acting/meditating [T1] without acting/meditating [T2] [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute.]
.

From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s critique of Śāriputra’s contemplation in Chapter 3, reveals the essence of practicing in accord with the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]: engaging in contemplation as a dependently arisen, functional practice [T1] ⇐⇒ while fully realizing its emptiness of inherent existence [T2] ⇐⇒ thus transcending dualistic extremes [tetralemma: not internal, not external, not both, not neither].

Śāriputra, absorbed under a tree, is corrected for a contemplation that likely fixates on cessation or internal stillness, subtly reifying a dualistic separation of body/mind and the three realms (desire, form, formless).

Vimalakīrti instructs that true contemplation neither locates body/mind as inherently present in samsaric realms nor clings to cessation as an absolute escape, but manifests ordinary behavior [T1] ⇐⇒ without forsaking the unborn, unceasing nature of phenomena [T2]. This non-dual practice [U2T-3S] — free from settling within (subjectivism) or chasing external forms (objectivism) — aligns with the thirty-seven aids to enlightenment without deviation into convictions, maintaining passions as illusory tools for worldly engagement without attachment.

Śāriputra’s silence reflects his inability to grasp this Middle Way, where contemplation embodies skillful means (upāya) [T1] ⇐⇒ inseparable from wisdom [T2] ⇐⇒ revealing tathatā (suchness)  [U2T] as primordially pure ⇐⇒ beyond differentiation or karmic fixation ⇐⇒ yet functionally liberating [T1].

This teaching underscores that authentic contemplation is not a retreat into static emptiness or a rejection of worldly activity, but an active, non-grasping presence that integrates the conventional [T1] ⇐⇒ with ultimate emptiness [T2] ⇐⇒ embodying the bodhisattva’s path of “acting [T1] without acting [T2] [U2T].”

Vimalakīrti’s guidance points to the non-dual realization [Uopp / U2T-opp] that passions and liberation are not opposed — both empty, interdependent illusions — urging practitioners to cultivate the perfection of wisdom in every moment, aligning with reality’s inconceivable nature to accumulate non-dual merit and guide beings toward enlightenment [T1] without reifying self or phenomena [T2] [U2T].

Śāriputra’s reluctance stems from recognizing his contemplative shortfall, highlighting Vimalakīrti’s superior insight into the Middle Way, where all dharmas, including practice, are primordially enlightened, non-binding when seen as suchness.

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2: Maudgalyāyana’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on the Dharma

[Teaching [T1] without teaching [T2] [U2T-in-action]
to householders according to reality as it is (tathatā) as pointed by the Union of the Two Truths [U2T / U2T-2T], Union of the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S], Union of opposites [Uopp / U2T-opp], in accord with the Middle Way free from all extremes and middle: not accepting, rejecting, or changing anything in absolute terms. Acting/teaching without acting/teaching, without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute.]
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s correction of Mahāmaudgalyāyana’s teaching to householders in Chapter 3, Section 2 unveils the profound essence of the Dharma as the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]: a dependently arisen, functional expression [T1] ⇐⇒ that is ultimately empty of inherent existence [T2] ⇐⇒ transcending all dualistic conceptual proliferations [tetralemma: not this, not non-this, not both, not neither].

Maudgalyāyana’s conventional teaching [T1], likely emphasizing moral or doctrinal instructions, is critiqued for presuming the Dharma as an object, teacher, or listener with inherent reality, thus misaligning with tathatā (suchness).

Vimalakīrti articulates that the Dharma is without living beings, self, life, or person — free from dust, desire, birth/death, or origins/destinies [T2]; it is peace, inexpressible, omnipresent like space, without attributes, possession, ideation, or conditionality [beyond causality, space, time].

It permeates all things evenly, conforms to reality through nonconformity, and abides at the reality-limit, void, signless, wishless, without establishment or rejection [U2T].

Teaching it as an absolute entity risks reification, whereas its true nature is illusory, like an illusory person teaching illusory beings, aligning with the Middle Way free from extremes of realism (inherent teaching) or nihilism (no inherent effect).

Maudgalyāyana’s speechlessness reflects his recognition of this non-dual depth, which inspired eight hundred householders to conceive bodhicitta, highlighting the Dharma’s power when taught without presumption.

Vimalakīrti’s guidance to teach with the wisdom-eye, great compassion, pure intentions, and acknowledgment of the Buddha’s activity emphasizes skillful means [T1-in-action] ⇐⇒ conjoined with perfection of wisdom [T2-in-action] ⇐⇒ ensuring the Three Jewels’ continuity ⇐⇒ without grasping at teacher, listener, or teaching [U3S / U2T-3S — union of the three spheres].

This non-dual practice — “acting without acting” — avoids presumptuous words, recognizing all as empty ⇐⇒ yet functional illusions [U2T], fostering non-dual merit by aligning with the Dharma’s inconceivable nature: beyond high/low, movement/stillness, or coming/going, yet compassionately engaging beings’ faculties to awaken them to primordial purity, where samsāra and nirvāṇa converge as tathatā.

Maudgalyāyana’s reluctance stems from his humbled awareness of Vimalakīrti’s superior insight, which reveals teaching as an illusory act of compassion [T1] ⇐⇒ not an absolute doctrine [T2] [U2T], guiding practitioners to the ineffable reality where all dharmas are inherently enlightened, non-binding, and liberating when realized as such.

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3: Mahākāśyapa’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Begging for Alms

[Stop discriminating in absolute terms,
“acting/begging [T1] without acting/begging [T2] [U2T-in-action]”,
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute;
while aware of the true nature of the three spheres of the activity (subject/actor, relation/action, object/result): that they are empty of inherent existence, never absolute [T2-3S]
⇐⇒ because they are dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind [T1-3S]
⇐⇒ and vice versa; Union of the Two Truths about the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S] ⇐⇒ like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’.]
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s admonition to Mahākāśyapa in Chapter 3, Section 3 exposes the limitations of a disciple’s partial practice — favoring the poor over the wealthy in begging — as a subtle dualistic grasping that deviates from the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]: engaging in conventional acts like alms-seeking [T1] ⇐⇒ while realizing their emptiness of inherent existence [T2] ⇐⇒ thus embodying non-dual equality beyond partiality or discrimination [tetralemma: not favoring this, not that, not both, not neither].

Mahākāśyapa’s Hīnayāna-inspired benevolence reifies opposites like rich/poor or giver/receiver [Non-duality / Uopp], ignoring the karmic cycle’s interdependence [T1] ⇐⇒ and the ultimate unborn, unceasing nature of phenomena [T2] [U2T].

Vimalakīrti instructs to dwell on things’ equality ⇐⇒ begging  [T1] ⇐⇒ with awareness of food’s non-existence, towns’ voidness [T2] [U2T-in-action], homes as the Buddha’s family, accepting without taking [U3S—union of the three spheres: no inherent beggar, alms, or donor], perceiving forms/sounds/scents/tastes/tangibles without contact or discrimination, and knowing via illusory consciousness — practices that align with tathatā (suchness) as primordially pure, without self/other, burning/extinguishing, or high/low.

This non-dual begging enters the sameness of reality through perversity, equipoised in eight liberations without transcending perverse paths, transforming a single alms into a gift to all beings, saints, and buddhas [beyond causality], eating neither afflicted nor free, neither worldly nor liberated — accumulating non-dual merit by “acting without acting [U2T-in-action]”, revealing all dharmas as empty illusions yet functionally compassionate.

Vimalakīrti’s teaching elevates the Mahāyāna path over the disciples’ vehicle, urging bodhisattvas to follow the buddhas’ way: using skillful means [T1-in-action] ⇐⇒ conjoined with wisdom [T2-in-action] to benefit all without gain/loss or merit’s reification [Middle Way].

Mahākāśyapa’s astonishment and shift toward recommending Mahāyāna stem from realizing this profound eloquence in a lay bodhisattva, inspiring unexcelled enlightenment by dissolving samsaric dualities into nirvāṇa’s suchness here and now — where begging becomes a gateway to primordial Oneness, all dharmas inherently enlightened and non-binding when perceived without attachment.

His reluctance reflects humbled recognition of Vimalakīrti’s insight, which transcends extremes, fostering bodhicitta through non-conceptual alignment with reality’s inconceivable nature.

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4: Subhūti’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Non-Dual Acceptance of Alms

[Take this food if you can
“act [T1] without acting [T2] [U2T-in-action]”
(physically, conceptually, mentally), without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute;
if you can transcend opposites [T2] without rejecting them [T1] [U2T-in-action].
The Middle Way free from all extremes: not accepting / rejecting / changing anything in absolute terms, just conventionally, relatively.]
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s dialogue with Subhūti in Chapter 3, Section 4 unveils the essence of non-dual practice in accepting alms, embodying the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]: engaging conventional acts like eating [T1] ⇐⇒ while realizing their emptiness of inherent existence [T2] ⇐⇒ transcending all dualistic distinctions and extremes [tetralemma: not this, not non-this, not both, not neither]. 

Subhūti, a disciple renowned for understanding emptiness, is challenged when Vimalakīrti fills his alms bowl and instructs him to take the food only if he grasps the sameness of all things [Non-duality / Uopp] — material objects, Buddha qualities, passions, liberation, noble truths, and even perverse views — without reifying opposites like desire/hatred, bound/liberated, noble/ordinary, or true/false [Non-duality / Uopp].

This teaching critiques Subhūti’s potential fixation on emptiness as an absolute, which subtly reinforces dualities (e.g., rejecting passions or affirming liberation as inherently real).

Vimalakīrti’s paradoxical injunction — to accept food while entertaining false views, associating with māras, passions, or outsider masters, yet remaining free of notions like “all things” or “ultimate liberation” — reveals that all phenomena, including alms, donors, and recipients, are illusory, like magical incarnations [T1 ⇐⇒ T2].

True practice involves “acting without acting [U2T-in-action]”; accepting alms [T1] ⇐⇒ without attachment [T2] [U2T], neither purifying nor defiling, neither gaining nor losing, aligning with the Middle Way where passions and liberation are non-dual, empty yet functional for awakening all beings [U3S—union of the three spheres: no inherent giver, gift, or receiver].

Subhūti’s speechlessness reflects his struggle to reconcile this non-dual perspective, which transcends his Hīnayāna lens, inspiring gods to attain pure vision and conformative tolerance of birthlessness by realizing all dharmas as liberation itself.

Vimalakīrti’s further clarification — that words and things share the illusory nature of a Tathāgata’s incarnation, thus warranting neither fear nor attachment — underscores the Madhyamaka view that language and phenomena exist only as liberative tools, empty of ultimate reality.

This insight dissolves Subhūti’s fear, revealing that practice is not about rejecting samsaric elements (food, passions, māras) or clinging to liberation, but about engaging them without presumption, in accord with tathatā (suchness) as primordially pure and unborn.

The non-dual merit of this realization — where even perverse conditions become gateways to enlightenment — fosters bodhicitta, as seen in the gods’ awakenings, and highlights Vimalakīrti’s superior skill in liberative art: using illusory acts to point to reality’s ineffable Oneness, where samsāra and nirvāṇa converge without differentiation [Non-duality / Uopp], compelling Subhūti’s reluctance due to his humbled recognition of this profound, non-conceptual truth.

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5: Pūrṇa’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Teaching the Dharma

[Give teaching adapted to the level of the students (upāya). All teachings are adapted skillful means (upāya), antidotes [T1]; there are no absolute teachings, truths, methods, goals, since everything is empty of inherent existence [T2]  [U2T-in-action]. Ex. Do not teach the lower vehicle to students ready for the Mahāyāna.]
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s correction of Pūrṇa’s teaching to young monks in Chapter 3, Section 5 underscores the necessity of aligning instruction with the non-dual Union of the Two Truths [U2T] ⇐⇒ emphasizing skillful means [T1] ⇐⇒ grounded in the wisdom of emptiness [T2] ⇐⇒ to discern beings’ spiritual faculties [T1] ⇐⇒ without reifying limited paths [T2] ⇐⇒ or dualistic distinctions [tetralemma: not this, not non-this, not both, not neither].

Pūrṇa’s error lies in presuming to teach the Hīnayāna-oriented Disciple Vehicle to monks with latent Mahāyāna aspirations, likened to putting rotten food in a jeweled bowl or confusing sapphires with glass beads — imposing a narrow path (like an ox’s hoof-print or glowworm’s light) on those capable of the great ocean or lion’s roar of the Mahāyāna.

Vimalakīrti instructs Pūrṇa to first concentrate and understand the monks’ inclinations, avoiding wounding those unmarred by lesser aspirations or diminishing their potential for perfect enlightenment.

This critique reveals Pūrṇa’s teaching as misaligned with tathatā (suchness), subtly reifying fixed faculties or paths [Uopp: big/small, Mahāyāna/Hīnayāna], ignoring their emptiness and interdependence [U3S: no inherent teacher, teaching, or learner].

Vimalakīrti’s miraculous concentration enables the monks to recall past lives serving buddhas, reawakening their bodhicitta and attaining irreversibility, demonstrating that true teaching uses illusory means [T1] — like recalling past merits ⇐⇒ to align with the unborn, non-dual nature of all dharmas [T2] ⇐⇒ fostering non-dual merit without attachment to any vehicle.

The essence of this teaching lies in the bodhisattva’s skill in liberative art (upāya): teaching the Dharma requires non-conceptual discernment of beings’ interdependent karmic inclinations, free from presuming inherent superiority/inferiority or absolute methods [beyond causality].
Unlike disciples, who lack the Tathāgata’s constant concentration and insight into faculties, the bodhisattva “acts without acting,” using adapted upāya to guide all toward Mahāyāna’s boundless path, where samsāra’s illusions become gateways to nirvāṇa’s primordial purity [U2T].

Pūrṇa’s reluctance reflects his humbled recognition of Vimalakīrti’s superior wisdom, which transcends Hīnayāna’s limitations, inspiring practitioners to teach in accord with reality’s ineffable Oneness — where all dharmas, including spiritual paths, are empty yet functionally transformative, guiding beings to the Middle Way of irreversible enlightenment.

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6: Mahākātyāyana’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Ultimate Reality

[About impermanence, suffering, selflessness, and peace – Peace is realizing that all dependently co-arisen relatively functional impermanent dharmas [T1] are unborn, unconditioned, unchanging, unceasing, non-dual, empty of inherent existence [T2] [U2T]. The Middle Way: not accepting, not rejecting them in absolute terms [U2T-in-action].]
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s correction of Mahākātyāyana in Chapter 3, Section 6 illuminates the essence of teaching the Dharma in alignment with the Union of the Two Truths [U2T], emphasizing that ultimate reality (tathatā) transcends dualistic notions of activity, production, or destruction, being empty of inherent existence [T2] ⇐⇒ yet conventionally expressed to liberate beings [T1].

Mahākātyāyana, elaborating on the Buddha’s discourse by defining impermanence, suffering, selflessness, and peace, inadvertently risks reifying these as inherent truths with active processes (e.g., destruction or production), thus deviating from the Middle Way [tetralemma: not existent, not non-existent, not both, not neither].

Vimalakīrti counters that “nothing was ever destroyed, is destroyed, or will be destroyed,” pointing to the unborn, unceasing nature of phenomena — impermanence as the absence of inherent arising/ceasing [T2]. Suffering is reframed as the realization of birthlessness via the voidness of the five aggregates, selflessness as the non-duality of self and selflessness [Non-duality / Uopp], and peace as the lack of burning (afflictions) and extinction, since phenomena lack intrinsic or extrinsic substance [U2T].

This teaching dissolves dualistic extremes, revealing all dharmas as illusory, dependently arisen [T1] ⇐⇒ yet primordially pure and non-binding when realized as empty [T2], liberating the monks’ minds from defilements into non-grasping — a state aligned with tathatā, free from conceptual proliferation.

Vimalakīrti’s intervention underscores the bodhisattva’s skill in liberative art (upāya): teaching without reifying concepts like impermanence or peace as absolute processes, using skillful means [T1-in-action] ⇐⇒ conjoined with wisdom [T2-in-action] to guide beings beyond the karmic cycle’s illusions [U3S: no inherent teacher, teaching, or listener].

Mahākātyāyana’s Hīnayāna approach, while valid conventionally, falls short of the Mahāyāna’s non-dual insight, which sees all phenomena as neither arising nor ceasing, inherently enlightened in their suchness.

His reluctance reflects awe at Vimalakīrti’s profound correction, which inspires non-dual merit by pointing to the Middle Way — where samsāra’s apparent flux is nirvāṇa’s stillness, and teaching becomes an act of compassionate illusion, fostering liberation without attachment to any fixed doctrine or state.

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7: Aniruddha’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on the Divine Eye

[The true nature of the divine eye –
Seeing [T1] without seeing [T2] [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute,
while being aware of the true nature of the three spheres of the activity [U2T-3S].]
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The Buddha then said to the venerable Aniruddha,
“Aniruddha, go to the Licchavi Vimalakīrti to inquire about his illness.”

From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s challenge to Aniruddha in Chapter 3, Section 7 unveils the non-dual essence of perception in alignment with the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]: the divine eye, a dependently arisen faculty praised in Aniruddha for its vast vision of Śākyamuni’s billion-world universe [T1] ⇐⇒ is empty of inherent existence [T2] ⇐⇒ transcending dualistic extremes [tetralemma: not compounded, not uncompounded, not both, not neither].

Aniruddha’s claim to see the cosmos as clearly as a nut in hand risks reifying the divine eye as an inherent power, prompting Vimalakīrti’s incisive question: is it compounded (samsaric, like outsiders’ superknowledges) or uncompounded (unconstructed, thus incapable of seeing)?
This dilemma exposes the fallacy of attributing inherent reality to perception, rendering Aniruddha speechless as it reveals the eye’s illusory nature — neither truly seeing nor non-seeing, but a functional illusion [T1 ⇐⇒ T2].

Vimalakīrti clarifies that only buddhas possess the true divine eye ⇐⇒ perceiving all buddhafields [T1] ⇐⇒ without leaving concentration or succumbing to duality [U3S: no inherent perceiver, perceived, or perception], ⇐⇒ embodying non-dual wisdom that sees phenomena as unborn and unceasing, aligned with tathatā (suchness) [U2T].

This teaching inspires ten thousand Brahmās to conceive bodhicitta, recognizing the Middle Way where perception is neither grasped nor rejected, but used compassionately to awaken beings.

The essence of Vimalakīrti’s correction lies in dismantling dualistic fixation on spiritual faculties, urging practice without reification — “acting/perceiving without acting/perceiving” in accord with the karmic cycle’s interdependence [U2T-3S].

Aniruddha’s Hīnayāna lens, while valid conventionally, falls short of the Mahāyāna’s non-dual insight, which sees all dharmas, including the divine eye, as empty yet functionally liberative.

By affirming buddhas’ vision as non-dual, Vimalakīrti points to the path of skillful means [T1-in-action] ⇐⇒ conjoined with wisdom [T2-in-action] ⇐⇒ where perception becomes a gateway to primordial purity, free from opposites like compounded/uncompounded [Non-duality / Uopp].

Aniruddha’s speechlessness and reluctance reflect his awe at this profound insight, which generates non-dual merit by revealing samsāra’s illusions as nirvāṇa’s suchness, inspiring practitioners to cultivate the perfection of wisdom in every act of seeing, aligning with reality’s ineffable Oneness for universal liberation.

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8: Upāli’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Sin and Mind

[“Discriminating without discriminating between opposites [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute.
The Middle Way: It is not about discriminating in absolute terms, accepting / seeking / doing / affirming this, while rejecting / abandoning / not-doing / negating that, or changing / improving / purifying something;
it is about directly realizing the true nature of reality as it is (tathatā) as pointed by the Union of the Two Truths [U2T], Union of the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S], Union of opposites [Uopp / U2T-opp]:]
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s correction of Upāli in Chapter 3, Section 8 reveals the non-dual essence of addressing sin, aligning with the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]: sins and their absolution arise interdependently as mental constructs [T1], yet are empty of inherent existence [T2], transcending dualistic extremes [tetralemma: not within, not without, not between, not neither]. 

Upāli, tasked with absolving two monks’ infractions through disciplinary discourse, risks aggravating their remorse by reifying sin as an inherent fault to be located within, without, or between—reinforcing dualities of affliction/purification or self/other [Non-duality / Uopp].

Vimalakīrti teaches that sin, like the mind, lacks inherent locus or reality, sharing the same unborn, unceasing nature as all dharmas, which are illusory like dreams, clouds, or mirror-images, evanescent and without production or destruction [T2]. 

The Buddha’s saying that beings are afflicted and purified by thought underscores the karmic cycle’s interdependence [U3S: no inherent sinner, sin, or absolver], where apparent phenomena like conceptualization / misapprehension / self-presumption and non-conceptualization / non-discrimination / selflessness are neither inherently afflictive nor pure, but empty designations [T2] that function conventionally [T1] as pointers to tathatā (suchness) [U2T] without true opposition [Non-duality / Uopp].

True discipline lies in realizing this non-dual nature, freeing the monks from remorse without perpetuating samsaric guilt, as all phenomena are empty [T2] yet functionally liberative [T1] [U2T].

The monks’ recognition of Vimalakīrti’s wisdom and their aspiration for such eloquence reflect the non-dual merit of this insight, inspiring bodhicitta.

Vimalakīrti’s teaching emphasizes the bodhisattva’s skillful means [T1-in-action] ⇐⇒ conjoined with wisdom [T2-in-action]: absolving sins without affirming their inherent reality, using illusory conditions to guide beings to the Middle Way free from extremes of sin/virtue or bondage/liberation.

The Buddha’s teaching that beings are afflicted and purified by thought reveals their interdependence within the karmic cycle [U3S: no inherent afflictions, purifications, or agent of change], where phenomena like conceptualization, misapprehension, self-presumption, and their apparent opposites — non-conceptualization, non-discrimination, selflessness — are empty, co-arisen illusions [T2] ⇐⇒ functioning conventionally [T1] as pointers to tathatā (suchness) ⇐⇒ without true transition or duality [T2].

Upāli’s Hīnayāna approach, focused on disciplinary correction, falls short of this Mahāyāna insight, which sees all dharmas as inherently enlightened, non-binding when realized as primordially pure.

His reluctance and the monks’ high resolve highlight Vimalakīrti’s superior eloquence, transforming remorse into awakening by revealing samsāra’s illusory veils as nirvāṇa’s indivisible Oneness, fostering practice without attachment — “acting without acting” — to uphold discipline in accord with reality’s ineffable nature.

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9: Rāhula’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Renunciation

[“Renouncing without renouncing [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute;
while aware of the true nature of the three spheres of the activity (subject/actor, relation/action, object/result): that they are empty of inherent existence, never absolute [T2-3S] ⇐⇒ because they are dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind [T1-3S] ⇐⇒ and vice versa; Union of the Two Truths about the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S] ⇐⇒ like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’.]
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s correction of Rāhula in Chapter 3, Section 9 reveals the non-dual essence of renunciation as the embodiment of the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]: conventionally, renunciation appears as the act of leaving worldly life [T1], yet it is ultimately the uncompounded, empty nature of all phenomena, free from inherent virtues, benefits, or material existence [T2], transcending dualistic extremes [tetralemma: not compounded, not uncompounded, not both, not neither].

Rāhula’s teaching to young Licchavis about the benefits and virtues of renunciation risks reifying it as a compounded achievement with tangible rewards, subtly reinforcing dualities like worldly/spiritual or self/other [Non-duality / Uopp].

Vimalakīrti counters that true renunciation is the absence of such attributes, being uncompounded — free from matter, beginnings/ends, grasping at “I”/“mine,” or disturbance — and inherently aligned with tathatā (suchness) as the path of liberation that defeats māras, liberates from the five states, and supports spiritual faculties without attachment.

This non-dual renunciation is not a rejection of samsāra but a realization of its illusory nature [T1 ⇐⇒ T2], disciplining the mind and others without commotion, favoring quiescence and transcendental analysis, and embodying the Middle Way where all dharmas are primordially pure and non-binding [U3S: no inherent renouncer, act, or object of renunciation].

The inspiration of thirty-two youths to conceive bodhicitta underscores the non-dual merit of this teaching, transforming renunciation into an act of awakening rather than a material abandonment.

Vimalakīrti’s further clarification — that cultivating the spirit of unexcelled, perfect enlightenment is itself renunciation and high ordination — addresses the youths’ concern about parental permission, emphasizing that true renunciation transcends conventional permissions or reified acts, arising from bodhicitta’s non-conceptual alignment with reality’s ineffable Oneness [U2T].

Unlike Rāhula’s Hīnayāna perspective, which frames renunciation as a personal achievement, the Mahāyāna view sees it as a liberative skillful means [T1-in-action] ⇐⇒ conjoined with wisdom [T2-in-action], where samsāra’s illusions (e.g., worldly attachments) dissolve into nirvāṇa’s purity without dualistic separation.

Rāhula’s reluctance reflects his recognition of Vimalakīrti’s superior insight, which reveals renunciation as an expression of the bodhisattva’s path — “acting without acting,” free from grasping at benefits or extremes, to guide beings toward enlightenment.

By pointing to the rarity of the Buddha’s appearance and human life, Vimalakīrti underscores the urgency of this non-dual practice, inspiring practitioners to embrace reality’s suchness, where all dharmas are inherently enlightened, fostering universal liberation through the compassionate realization of their empty, interdependent nature.

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10: Ānanda’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on the Tathāgata’s Body

[Transcending without transcending [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute;
while aware of the true nature of the three spheres of the activity (subject/actor, relation/action, object/result): that they are empty of inherent existence, never absolute [T2-3S] ⇐⇒ because they are dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind [T1-3S] ⇐⇒ and vice versa; Union of the Two Truths about the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S] ⇐⇒ like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’.]
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s correction of Ānanda in Chapter 3, Section 10 illuminates the non-dual nature of the Tathāgata’s body, embodying the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]: conventionally, the Buddha appears to manifest illness and require sustenance like milk [T1] ⇐⇒ yet his Dharma-body (dharmakāya) is ultimately uncompounded, free of defilements, and beyond mundane qualities like disease or material dependence [T2] ⇐⇒ transcending dualistic extremes [tetralemma: not material, not immaterial, not both, not neither].

Ānanda’s intention to fetch milk for the Buddha’s apparent indisposition risks reifying the Tathāgata’s body as samsaric, subject to illness and physical needs, thus misaligning with tathatā (suchness).

Vimalakīrti admonishes that the Tathāgata’s body, tough as a diamond and endowed with infinite virtue, is a transcendental Dharma-body, rid of instinctual traces, uncompounded, and free of formative activity — incapable of injury or disease.

By urging silence to avoid belittling the Buddha or fueling outsider sectarians’ criticisms, Vimalakīrti emphasizes that attributing illness to such a body is irrational, as it mistakes the illusory, compassionate display [T1] for inherent reality.

The celestial voice clarifies that the Buddha’s lowly, humble acts during the five corruptions are skillful means [T1-in-action] to discipline beings ⇐⇒ inseparable from the wisdom of his unborn, unceasing nature [T2-in-action] ⇐⇒ inspiring non-dual realization [U3S: no inherent Buddha, illness, or cure]. 

Ānanda’s shame and reluctance reflect his recognition of this profound non-duality, which dissolves misconceptions about the Buddha’s nature.

The essence of Vimalakīrti’s teaching lies in the bodhisattva’s liberative art (upāya): perceiving the Tathāgata’s actions as illusory manifestations [T1] ⇐⇒ without grasping at them as inherently real [T2], aligning with the Middle Way [U2T] where samsaric appearances (like illness) are used compassionately to guide beings [T1] without deviating from the Dharma-body’s primordial purity [T2] [U2T]. 

This non-dual practice — “acting without acting” — avoids reifying opposites like healthy/sick or material/transcendental [Non-duality / Uopp], recognizing all dharmas as empty [T2] ⇐⇒ yet functionally liberative within the karmic cycle [T1] [U2T-3S].

Unlike Ānanda’s Hīnayāna perspective, which risks literalizing the Buddha’s form, Vimalakīrti’s Mahāyāna insight reveals the Tathāgata’s body as an expression of tathatā, inherently enlightened and beyond affliction, fostering non-dual merit by pointing to samsāra’s illusory veils as nirvāṇa’s suchness. This teaching urges practitioners to cultivate wisdom ⇐⇒ through skillful engagement with appearances, realizing reality’s ineffable Oneness to awaken all beings without attachment to conceptual proliferations.

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11: Maitreya’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on Enlightenment and Birthlessness

[Prophesizing/awakening without prophesizing/awakening [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute;
while aware of the true nature of the three spheres of the activity (subject/actor, relation/action, object/result): that they are empty of inherent existence, never absolute [T2-3S] ⇐⇒ because they are dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind [T1-3S] ⇐⇒ and vice versa; Union of the Two Truths about the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S] ⇐⇒ like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’.]
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s discourse to Maitreya in Chapter 3, Section 11 unveils the non-dual nature of enlightenment, aligning with the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]: conventionally, enlightenment appears as a prophesied attainment for Maitreya and all beings [T1], yet it is ultimately uncompounded, free of birth, cessation, or discriminative constructions, embodying tathatā (suchness) as empty of inherent existence [T2], transcending all dualistic extremes [tetralemma: not born, not ceased, not both, not neither].

Maitreya’s conversation with the Tuṣita gods about non-regression risks reifying enlightenment as a temporal or individual achievement tied to past, present, or future births, or even as distinct from beings’ realities.

Vimalakīrti dismantles this by questioning the nature of Maitreya’s prophesied “one more birth,” noting that past births are finished, future ones never arrive, and present ones do not abide, as all moments involve birth, aging, death, and rebirth [U3S: no inherent birth or being].

Enlightenment, as birthlessness, is not a personal attainment but the universal reality of all beings — equal, undifferentiated, and without duality or diversity [Non-duality / Uopp].

When Maitreya attains buddhahood, all beings do, as enlightenment is their collective realization, and tathāgatas remain in samsāra until all are liberated, seeing all as inherently possessing the nature of ultimate liberation [U2T].

Vimalakīrti urges Maitreya to guide the gods beyond discriminative constructions, revealing enlightenment as free of marks, convictions, intentional thoughts, or sense-media — unconstructed, pervasive like space, neither physical nor mental, abiding at the reality-limit without location or agitation.

This teaching inspires two hundred deities to attain tolerance of birthlessness, recognizing all dharmas as illusory yet liberative, fostering non-dual merit.

The essence of Vimalakīrti’s correction lies in the bodhisattva’s skillful means [T1-in-action] conjoined with wisdom [T2-in-action]: “teaching enlightenment without reifying it” as an event or state, using the illusory prophecy [T1] to point to its unborn, non-dual nature [T2].

Unlike Maitreya’s initial framing, which risks dualistic fixation on attainment or regression, the Mahāyāna insight reveals enlightenment as the eradication of all distinctions — body/mind, self/other, samsāra/nirvāṇa — where all beings are primordially liberated in their empty, interdependent essence [U2T-3S].

Maitreya’s speechlessness and reluctance reflect his awe at Vimalakīrti’s profound eloquence, which transcends conventional notions of progress, aligning with the Middle Way free from abiding or regressing.

This teaching beckons practitioners to “act without acting,” realizing reality’s ineffable Oneness where samsāra’s illusions are nirvāṇa’s suchness, guiding all beings to enlightenment through non-conceptual insight into their inherently pure, birthless nature, beyond all karmic cycles or temporal constructs.

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12: Prabhāvyūha’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on the Seat of Enlightenment

[Practicing without practicing [U2T-in-action],
without attachment/rejection, reification, effort or absolute;
while aware of the true nature of the three spheres of the activity (subject/actor, relation/action, object/result): that they are empty of inherent existence, never absolute [T2-3S] ⇐⇒ because they are dependently co-arisen, interdependent, co-defined, co-evolving, co-imputed by the mind [T1-3S] ⇐⇒ and vice versa; Union of the Two Truths about the three spheres [U3S / U2T-3S] ⇐⇒ like illusions, reflections, mirages, dreams, echos, ‘there, yet not there’.]
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s discourse to Prabhāvyūha in Chapter 3, Section 12 unveils the non-dual essence of the "seat of enlightenment" as the embodiment of the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]: conventionally, it manifests as the bodhisattva’s practices — such as positive thought, the six pāramitās (generosity, morality, tolerance, effort, meditation, wisdom), the four immeasurables (love, compassion, joy, equanimity), and other virtuous qualities like superknowledges, liberative arts, and aids to enlightenment [T1] ⇐⇒ yet these are ultimately empty of inherent existence, free from duality, intellectualization, or intrinsic identity [T2] ⇐⇒ transcending all extremes [tetralemma: not compounded, not uncompounded, not both, not neither].

When Prabhāvyūha inquires about Vimalakīrti’s origin, the response — “I come from the seat of enlightenment” — reframes enlightenment not as a physical or temporal destination but as the non-dual ground of all bodhisattva activities, arising interdependently from the exhaustion of ignorance to old age and death [T1] ⇐⇒ yet realized as void, without intrinsic substance or involvement in the triple world [T2].

This seat encompasses all living beings and things, as they lack inherent identity, and conquers devils through unflinching realization of reality’s nature — tathatā (suchness) — free from fear, deception, or affliction [U3S: no inherent practitioner, practice, or goal].

Vimalakīrti’s teaching inspires five hundred gods and men to conceive bodhicitta, reflecting the non-dual merit of aligning with this reality, where every step of the bodhisattva, lifting or placing the foot, is an illusory act [T1] grounded in the unborn, unceasing qualities of the Buddha [T2].

The essence of Vimalakīrti’s teaching lies in the bodhisattva’s skillful means [T1-in-action] ⇐⇒ conjoined with wisdom [T2-in-action]: engaging virtuous practices like generosity or compassion [T1] ⇐⇒ without reifying them as inherent achievements [T2] ⇐⇒ recognizing their empty, interdependent nature as liberative tools within the karmic cycle [U2T-3S].

Unlike Prabhāvyūha’s initial assumption of a literal origin,
Vimalakīrti’s Mahāyāna insight reveals the seat of enlightenment as the non-dual ground of all phenomena — equal to infinite space, free of duality like compounded/uncompounded or self/other [Non-duality / Uopp], and abiding at the reality-limit without fluctuation.

Prabhāvyūha’s speechlessness and reluctance stem from his awe at this profound perspective, which transcends conventional notions of practice or attainment, pointing to the Middle Way where samsāra’s illusory activities (e.g., walking, practicing) are nirvāṇa’s suchness, inherently enlightened and non-binding.

This teaching urges practitioners to cultivate the perfection of wisdom through compassionate engagement, realizing all dharmas as primordially pure, fostering universal liberation by “acting without acting” in accord with reality’s ineffable Oneness, where every moment becomes the seat of enlightenment itself.

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13: Jagatindhara’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on the Inexhaustible Lamp

[A door of the Dharma called “The Inexhaustible Lamp”:]
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s interaction with Jagatindhara in Chapter 3, Section 13 reveals the non-dual essence of the bodhisattva’s liberative art, embodying the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]: conventionally, Vimalakīrti engages with Māra, heavenly maidens, and Jagatindhara in a display of magical power and teaching [T1] ⇐⇒ yet all actions and phenomena are empty of inherent existence, illusory like dreams or magical incarnations [T2] ⇐⇒ transcending dualistic extremes [tetralemma: not giving, not withholding, not both, not neither].

Jagatindhara’s mistake — misidentifying Māra as Śakra and advising mindfulness of impermanence — reflects a Hīnayāna tendency to reify dualities like desire/renunciation or self/other [Non-duality / Uopp], missing Māra’s illusory nature.

Vimalakīrti exposes Māra’s deception and, taking the maidens, inspires them to conceive bodhicitta through the “Inexhaustible Lamp” teaching: a single bodhisattva’s virtuous qualities, like a lamp lighting countless others, grow stronger without diminution when shared, fostering enlightenment universally [T1].

This act is not attachment to possessions but a non-dual giving [T2], as Vimalakīrti releases the maidens back to Māra without grasping, aligning with tathatā (suchness) where all dharmas — desires, māras, or virtues — are empty yet functionally liberative [U3S: no inherent giver, gift, or recipient].

The maidens’ commitment to the Dharma’s joys — unbreakable faith, renunciation of aggregates, guarding bodhicitta, and cultivating virtues without intimidation — reflects non-dual merit, inspiring countless beings while dwelling in Māra’s realm, transforming samsaric illusions into nirvānic awakening.

The essence of Vimalakīrti’s teaching lies in the bodhisattva’s skillful means [T1-in-action] ⇐⇒ conjoined with wisdom [T2-in-action]: engaging Māra’s realm without attachment, using illusory interactions to awaken others, as the Inexhaustible Lamp amplifies virtues without depletion, akin to space’s boundless equality [U2T].

Jagatindhara’s initial advice, while conventionally valid, risks reifying impermanence or desire as inherent, whereas Vimalakīrti’s Mahāyāna insight reveals all phenomena as unborn, unceasing, and inherently enlightened, free from opposites like possession/non-possession or samsāra/nirvāṇa [Non-duality / Uopp].

His instruction to the goddesses to inspire enlightenment even in Māra’s abode underscores the Middle Way: “acting without acting”, where teaching and giving are empty  [T2] ⇐⇒ yet compassionate [T1], repaying the Tathāgata’s kindness by benefiting all without karmic fixation [beyond causality].

Jagatindhara’s reluctance and awe at Vimalakīrti’s supremacy reflect recognition of this non-dual eloquence, which unveils reality’s ineffable Oneness — where samsāra’s māras and desires are nirvāṇa’s suchness, fostering universal liberation through the inexhaustible radiance of bodhicitta.

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14: Sudatta’s Reluctance and Vimalakīrti’s Teaching on the Dharma-Sacrifice

[The Dharma-sacrifice:]
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, Vimalakīrti’s correction of Sudatta in Chapter 3, Section 14 unveils the non-dual essence of the Dharma-sacrifice, embodying the Union of the Two Truths [U2T]: conventionally, a sacrifice appears as the act of giving material gifts to religious devotees, brahmins, and the needy [T1], but the true Dharma-sacrifice is an uncompounded, boundless offering of virtuous qualities—such as the four immeasurables (love, compassion, joy, equanimity), the six pāramitās (generosity, morality, tolerance, effort, meditation, wisdom), and aids to enlightenment [T1] ⇐⇒ free of inherent existence, dualistic discrimination, or expectation of reward [T2] ⇐⇒ transcending extremes [tetralemma: not material, not immaterial, not both, not neither].

Sudatta’s material sacrifice risks reifying giving as a transactional act, reinforcing dualities like giver/receiver or worthy/unworthy [Non-duality / Uopp].

Vimalakīrti teaches that the Dharma-sacrifice develops all beings simultaneously without beginning or end, consummated in enlightenment through qualities like great love, selflessness, and omniscient gnosis, meditations on voidness, signlessness, and wishlessness, and the eradication of afflictions via stores of merit, knowledge, and wisdom [T1].

These acts are illusory ⇐⇒ yet liberative [T1] ⇐⇒ aligned with tathatā (suchness) as they operate without acceptance/rejection or self/other fixation.

His miracle — transforming a pearl necklace into a pavilion adorning Tathāgata Duṣprasaha, offered equally to the lowliest poor and the Tathāgata — demonstrates non-discriminatory giving, inspiring two hundred brahmins and the poor to conceive bodhicitta, reflecting non-dual merit where samsāra’s disparities dissolve into nirvāṇa’s equality [Non-duality / Uopp].

The essence of Vimalakīrti’s teaching lies in the bodhisattva’s skillful means [T1-in-action] ⇐⇒ conjoined with wisdom [T2-in-action]: giving ⇐⇒ without grasping at giver, gift, or recipient, using illusory acts to purify buddhafields and awaken beings ⇐⇒ without reifying merit or reward [Middle Way].

By dividing the pearls impartially and rejecting personal gain, Vimalakīrti embodies the Dharma-sacrifice as a non-dual practice — free from pride, attachment, or discrimination — that extends enlightenment universally, like the inexhaustible lamp.

Sudatta’s astonishment and reluctance stem from recognizing Vimalakīrti’s superior eloquence, which transcends his conventional giving by revealing all dharmas as inherently enlightened, empty yet functionally compassionate within the karmic cycle.

This teaching urges practitioners to “act without acting [U2T-in-action]”, cultivating virtues like generosity and wisdom in accord with reality’s ineffable Oneness, where samsāra’s apparent inequalities are nirvāṇa’s suchness, fostering boundless liberation through the non-conceptual realization of all beings’ primordial purity.

CONCLUSION of Chapter 3

In essence, Chapter 3 serves as a masterful orchestration of reluctance, where the Buddha's requests to fourteen disciples and bodhisattvas to inquire after Vimalakīrti's illness elicit profound confessions of past encounters, each revealing the lay bodhisattva's unparalleled wisdom in exposing the “limitations of dualistic understanding” and guiding toward the non-dual Madhyamaka insight of the Union of the Two Truths [U2T].

From a Madhyamaka viewpoint,
– this chapter subtly critiques the “Hinayana tendency to reify” practices, perceptions, and teachings as inherent — whether contemplation, Dharma exposition, begging, acceptance of alms, teaching methods, explanations of impermanence, divine faculties, discipline, renunciation, or even the Buddha's body —
– while Vimalakīrti's corrections demonstrate that all such activities arise interdependently as illusory, relatively functional tools [T1] ⇐⇒ empty of inherent existence, never absolute [T2] [U2T] ⇐⇒ transcending tetralemma extremes ⇐⇒ and aligning with Reality as it is (tathatā / suchness).

The structure of repeated reluctance forms a rhythmic litany, building tension that underscores Vimalakīrti's role as an “unassailable mirror of non-duality”: each story peels away layers of conceptual grasping, inspiring bodhicitta in bystanders (monks, gods, youths, brahmins, poor) and humbling the narrators, who recognize their shortfall in embodying the Middle Way free from attachment to self/other, pure/impure, or attainment/non-attainment [Non-duality / Uopp].

This chapter's hidden treasure lies in its portrayal of Vimalakīrti as the “quintessential bodhisattva”, whose "illness" is itself a skillful means to draw forth these revelations, transforming apparent hesitation into a collective teaching on the inconceivable depth of Dharma.

The subtle messages woven throughout the sections emphasize that true practice is “acting without acting [U2T-in-action]”: engaging worldly illusions [T1] ⇐⇒ with the perfection of wisdom [T2], without reifying the three spheres of subject, object, and action [U3S].
For instance, Vimalakīrti's critiques —
– whether urging Śāriputra to contemplate ⇐⇒ without forsaking cessation or ordinary behavior,
– advising Maudgalyāyana to teach the Dharma's inexpressible omnipresence ⇐⇒ without presumption, or
– instructing Mahākāśyapa to beg alms ⇐⇒ in awareness of voidness and equality —
highlight the “danger of partiality or fixation”, which subtly perpetuates karmic cycles.

These encounters reveal that
– “Hinayana approaches”, while conventionally useful, often fall into extremes like internal/external, compounded/uncompounded, or sin/virtue,
– whereas the “Mahayana non-dual view” sees all phenomena as unborn, unceasing illusions, primordially pure and non-binding when realized as such. 

Vimalakīrti's paradoxical teachings, such as Subhūti accepting food while entertaining false views or Aniruddha's divine eye being neither compounded nor capable of seeing, dismantle “conditioned dualistic conceptual proliferations”, pointing to enlightenment as the transcendence of all marks and convictions, where samsāra unites with nirvāṇa without transition [Non-duality / Uopp].

This chapter treasures the insight that reluctance itself is illusory, arising from humbled egos encountering the inconceivable, fostering non-dual merit that inspires boundless beings to bodhicitta, as seen in the gods attaining tolerance of birthlessness or youths conceiving enlightenment.

Deeper treasures emerge
– in Vimalakīrti's interactions with bodhisattvas like Maitreya, where prophecies of enlightenment are deconstructed as empty of temporal birth, revealing all beings' simultaneous buddhahood in non-dual reality,
or with Prabhāvyūha, framing the "seat of enlightenment" as the non-dual ground of all virtues and interdependent origination, free of location or involvement.
– Sections involving Māra, such as Jagatindhara's deception and the Inexhaustible Lamp, subtly convey that even adversarial illusions can be transformed through compassionate engagement, amplifying virtues without depletion and repaying the Tathāgata's kindness by awakening gods and goddesses in Māra's realm.
– Sudatta's material sacrifice, elevated to the Dharma-sacrifice consummated in boundless virtues like the pāramitās and stores of merit, treasures the non-discriminatory giving that purifies buddhafields without expectation, as Vimalakīrti's miracle equates the lowliest poor with a distant Tathāgata.

Collectively, these narratives underscore Madhyamaka's core: the Dharma is taught through adapted skillful means [T1] ⇐⇒ inseparable from emptiness [T2] ⇐⇒ avoiding presumption while benefiting all without differentiation ⇐⇒ aligning with the karmic cycle's interdependence [beyond causality] to realize primordial Oneness (not many, not one, not both, not neither).

The chapter's core subtlety lies in its ironic framing: Vimalakīrti's feigned illness draws out these reluctances, mirroring the Buddha's own compassionate display of indisposition (as in Ānanda's story), where apparent affliction serves as an antidote to ignorance [T1] ⇐⇒ without inherent suffering [T2] [U2T].

This reveals the hidden message that “all corrections are illusory teachings,” pointing to the inconceivable true nature where practices like renunciation (Rāhula), discipline (Upāli), or teaching impermanence (Mahākātyāyana) are neither affirmed nor negated absolutely, but used provisionally to dissolve grasping.

Vimalakīrti's lay status amplifies the treasure: enlightenment transcends monastic/lay dualities, manifesting in worldly engagement without binding, inspiring universal bodhicitta as the ultimate "visit" to illness — symbolizing samsāra's veils.

Ultimately, Chapter 3 beckons practitioners to the Middle Way:
realizing all dharmas as inherently enlightened,
fostering liberation through non-conceptual accord with suchness,
where reluctance becomes the gateway to profound awakening.