Chapter 7- The Family of the Tathāgatas

“In the fertile mud of life’s trials, where the lotus of enlightenment unfurls its petals, Chapter 7 of the Vimalakīrti Sutra — titled "The Family of the Tathāgatas" — beckons you to join the boundless lineage of the Buddha, where every step, right or wrong, blossoms into awakening through the Union of the Two Truths, the Union of Opposites, and the Middle Way. Here, passions transform into virtues, mistakes into wisdom, and the world’s feedback into a mirror of tathātā (suchness), as skillful means like bodhicitta and the six paramitas fuse with the perfection of wisdom, free from attachment/rejection or rigid rules/chaos. Step into this vibrant family, where "acting without acting" dissolves dualities of good and bad, guiding you to live fully in saṃsāra’s dance, cultivating compassion and insight with every breath, and awakening to the non-dual reality that "embraces all as a path to unexcelled enlightenment".”

Last update: August 13, 2025
Image from: Stoneflower013 (see full image at the end of this page)
Source Text: https://84000.co/translation/toh176 

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Content of Chapter 7 – The Family of the Tathāgata

• • Topics:
    – "Everything is for our Awakening": In a non-dual world, everything good or evil, is an adapted skillful means (upāya) used to provoke our non-dual awakening byF realizing the true nature of reality as it is as pointed out by the Union of the Two Truths [U2T / U2T-2T], Union of opposites [Non-duality / Uopp / U2T-opp].
    – This Union of the Two Truths [U2T / U2T-opp] is the foundation of the Tathāgata’s family, a lineage not bound by birth or dogma but forged through the harmonious interplay of skillful means [T1] and wisdom [T2], increasingly aligned with the Unions [U2T / U3S / Uopp / UGM / U3K].
    – All of life’s mud — mistakes, dualistic rules, and worldly feedback — nurtures the lotus of enlightenment, where compassion [T1] and wisdom [T2] co-emerge inseparably [U2T], transforming apparent obstacles into liberative opportunities, inviting practitioners to see that "everything is for our awakening".
    – Even a wrong path leads to Buddha-qualities when acted upon without attachment or reification, free from malice or pride.
    – We need the harsh experiences of the world to develop compassion [T1] and wisdom [T2] [U2T]. A lotus grows in the mud.
    – The "Family of the Tathāgatas" (the path) is a vibrant Union of adapted skillful means [T1] — bodhicitta, the six paramitas, the four immeasurables, even passions — fused with the perfection of wisdom [T2],
    a lineage where every element, seen as empty yet functional,
    contributes to a non-dual path increasingly in accord with reality [U2T].
    "Reality is always compassionately directly teaching reality-as-it-is";
    we just need to humbly accept the lessons.
    – "It is an invitation to live fully in the world, learning from every encounter, and awakening to the non-dual reality."

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• • Content:
    – Section A. One extreme: Following the wrong way can still lead to the qualities of the Buddha (with wisdom) or to hell (with ignorance). Reality-as-it-is is non-dual: not  dual, not non-dual, not both, not neither.
    – Section B. Another extreme: Following strict dualistic rules (conditioning / karma) is not necessarily conducive to compassion, wisdom and enlightenment; nor hiding from the feedback of the world. Reality-as-it-is is beyond conceptualisation, differentiation / discrimination, causality / production / universal-laws, form / matter-energy, space and time.
    – Section C. Middle Way:  The path is not about accepting this while rejecting that; but about realizing the true nature of Reality-as-it-is (tathātā) as pointed by the Union of the Two Truths:
    The Family of the Tathāgatas (the source of Enlightenment): Union of various adapted skillful means (like bodhicitta, six paramitas, four immeasurables, dedication, even passions …) ⇐⇒ combined with more and more perfection of wisdom; more and more in accord with the Middle Way, more and more in accord with the true nature of reality-as-it-is (tathātā) as pointed out by the Unions.

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• • Conclusion of Chapter 7 - "Everything is for our Awakening!"

TEXT with Comments:

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

(Google: In the Vimalakirti Sutra, the "Family of the Tathāgatas" chapter explores the paradoxical nature of the Buddha's lineage. It asserts that the family of the Tathāgatas is not a lineage of birth, but rather a lineage of enlightenment that arises from the very afflictions and defilements of sentient beings. This chapter emphasizes that Buddhas are not separate from the world but emerge from within it, just as lotuses bloom from mud. Here's a breakdown of the key ideas presented in this chapter:
– The paradoxical nature of the lineage: The chapter highlights that the "family" of the Tathāgatas is not a traditional lineage but rather a state of being attained through overcoming afflictions.
– Afflictions as the source of enlightenment: It suggests that the very passions, ignorance, and defilements that characterize ordinary beings are the raw material from which Buddhahood arises.
– The lotus analogy: The image of the lotus growing from mud illustrates how Buddhas emerge from the defiled realm of saṃsāra.
– Vimalakirti's perspective: Vimalakirti, through his unconventional actions and teachings, embodies this paradoxical nature of the lineage.
– The importance of skillful means: The chapter also touches on the concept of skillful means (upāya), suggesting that bodhisattvas use various methods, even those that appear contradictory, to guide beings towards enlightenment.
– In essence, the "Family of the Tathāgatas" chapter in the Vimalakirti Sutra challenges conventional notions of lineage and purity, emphasizing that enlightenment is not an escape from the world but a transformation that occurs within it.
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In the Vimalakirti Sutra, "following the wrong way" can lead to the qualities of a Buddha because it highlights the importance of understanding and transcending (without rejecting) the conventional understanding of right and wrong.
By engaging with the "wrong way" without attachment or malice, a bodhisattva can gain a deeper, more profound understanding of reality and compassion, ultimately leading to enlightenment. Here's a more detailed explanation:
– Transcending Dualities: The Sutra suggests that true enlightenment isn't achieved by rigidly adhering to a set of rules or practices, but by understanding the nature of reality beyond dualistic concepts like right and wrong.
– Experiential Learning: Engaging with the "wrong way" can be a powerful form of experiential learning. By encountering the consequences of actions without being consumed by negativity or attachment, a bodhisattva can develop wisdom and compassion.
– The "Inconceivable" Path: The Sutra emphasizes that the path to Buddhahood is "inconceivable" (beyond ordinary understanding). This suggests that it's not a linear progression but a process of transformation that may involve unconventional or even seemingly contradictory experiences.
– Vimalakirti's Example: The character Vimalakirti himself embodies this idea. He is a layperson who engages with worldly affairs and even seemingly negative actions, yet he is a great bodhisattva, demonstrating that enlightenment can be attained through diverse and even unconventional means.
– Compassion and Skillful Means: By engaging with the "wrong way" without malice, a bodhisattva can develop a deeper understanding of the suffering of others and cultivate skillful means to help them.
– In essence, the Vimalakirti Sutra challenges the conventional view of the path to enlightenment, suggesting that true wisdom and compassion can arise from engaging with the complexities of life, including its apparent contradictions and even its "wrong ways".)

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TEXT:

[A. Following the wrong way can still lead to the qualities of the Buddha. How? By acting without acting [U2T-in-action, Uopp-in-action], without attachment/rejection, reification, malice, anger, hate, pride, conceit, and arrogance. These experiences can lead to more compassion and wisdom, to acting more and more in accord with reality as it is (tathātā) as pointed out by the Unions [U2T / U3S / Uopp / UGM / U3K / U2T-2T], and ultimately to enlightenment.]

(Summary: In Section A of Chapter 7, the Vimalakīrti Sutra unveils the transformative potential that even following the wrong path can hold, guiding one toward the qualities of the Buddha when actions are performed "without acting" — free from attachment, reification, malice, anger, hate, pride, conceit, or arrogance.
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, the subtle essence of this teaching lies in the Union of the Two Truths [U2T] — dependently arisen appearances (conventional truth, T1) and their emptiness of inherent existence (ultimate truth, T2) — where the apparent missteps of life become fertile ground for awakening when approached with non-dual awareness.
This alignment with tathātā (suchness) is further enriched by the Unions (U3S: subject-object-action; Uopp: opposites; UGM: ground-manifestation; U3K: three kayas; U2T-2T: two truths about the two truths), suggesting that the bodhisattva’s path transcends (without rejecting) dualistic judgments of right and wrong (transcends all dualities, triads, quads … by realizing their true nature & dynamic).
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The deep message here is that experiences, even those deemed erroneous, can cultivate compassion and wisdom when stripped of egoic distortions, transforming apparent failures into skillful means (upāya) that harmonize conventional action [T1] with ultimate emptiness [T2], leading to a more profound accord with reality’s boundless nature.
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The subtle insight emerges in the recognition that "acting without acting" reflects a state where the bodhisattva engages the world effortlessly, unburdened by the reified emotions and attitudes that typically bind ordinary minds.
This non-attached approach, increasingly in tune with the Middle Way, allows even negative experiences — misguided paths or emotional turmoil — to serve as mirrors for developing greater empathy and insight, as the absence of malice or pride dissolves (without rejecting) the illusion of inherent selfhood.
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Thus, the bodhisattva’s journey becomes a dynamic process where every misstep, when seen through the lens of emptiness and dependent origination [U2T], fuels a deeper compassion for suffering beings and a sharper wisdom into the interdependent play of empty phenomena.
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The deeper message is that this non-dual engagement with the "wrong way" enhances efficiency by aligning actions with tathātā, where the energy spent on attachment or aversion is redirected toward liberation.
By acting without reification — neither clinging to success nor rejecting failure— the bodhisattva embodies the inseparable co-emergence of wisdom (prajñā, discerning emptiness, T2) and compassion (karuṇā, embracing all experiences, T1), turning even the muddiest paths into a path toward the Buddha’s qualities.
This transformative potential, rooted in the Unions, invites practitioners to relinquish judgmental frameworks, embracing all experiences as empty yet meaningful, thereby awakening to the non-dual reality that underlies both error and enlightenment, fostering a liberative practice that benefits all beings effortlessly.
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“Everything is for your Awakening”: You're absolutely right — distilled to its essence, the message of Section A in Chapter 7 of the Vimalakīrti Sutra can be succinctly captured as "Everything is for your Awakening." From a Madhyamaka perspective, this reflects the non-dual insight that all experiences, even those deemed "wrong" or misguided, serve as catalysts for enlightenment when approached with awareness of the Union of the Two Truths [U2T] — dependently arisen appearances [T1] and their emptiness [T2]. By acting without attachment or reification, and aligning with tathātā through the Unions (U3S, Uopp, UGM, U3K, U2T-2T), every moment — free of malice, pride, or anger — becomes a skillful means to deepen compassion and wisdom, transforming the conventional into the ultimate path of awakening for all beings.)

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Then, the crown prince Mañjuśrī asked the Licchavi Vimalakīrti,
“‌Noble sir, how does the bodhisattva “follow the way”
to attain the qualities of the Buddha?”

Vimalakīrti replied,
“Mañjuśrī, when the bodhisattva “follows the wrong way”,
he follows the way to attain the qualities of the Buddha.”

Mañjuśrī continued,
“How does the bodhisattva “follow the wrong way”?”

Vimalakīrti replied,
“Even should he enact the five deadly sins, he feels no malice, violence, or hate.
Even should he go into the hells, he remains free of all taint of afflictions.
Even should he go into the states of the animals, he remains free of darkness and ignorance.
When he goes into the states of the asuras, he remains free of pride, conceit, and arrogance.
When he goes into the realm of the lord of death, he accumulates the stores of merit and wisdom.
When he goes into the states of motionlessness and immateriality, he does not dissolve therein.

“He may follow the ways of desire, yet he stays free of attachment to the enjoyments of desire.
He may follow the ways of hatred, yet he feels no anger toward any living being.
He may follow the ways of folly, yet he is ever conscious with the wisdom of firm understanding.

“He may follow the ways of avarice, yet he gives away all internal and external things without regard even for his own life.
He may follow the ways of immorality, yet, seeing the horror of even the slightest transgressions, he lives by the ascetic practices and austerities.
He may follow the ways of wickedness and anger, yet he remains utterly free of malice and lives by love.
He may follow the ways of laziness, yet his efforts are uninterrupted as he strives in the cultivation of roots of virtue.
He may follow the ways of sensuous distraction, yet, naturally concentrated, his contemplation is not dissipated.
He may follow the ways of false wisdom, yet, having reached the transcendence of wisdom, he is expert in all mundane and transcendental sciences.

“He may show the ways of sophistry and contention, yet he is always conscious of ultimate meanings and has perfected the use of liberative arts.
He may show the ways of pride, yet he serves as a bridge and a ladder for all people.
He may show the ways of the passions, yet he is utterly dispassionate and naturally pure.
He may follow the ways of the māras, yet he does not really accept their authority in regard to his knowledge of the qualities of the Buddha.
He may follow the ways of the disciples, yet he lets living beings hear the teaching they have not heard before.
He may follow the ways of the solitary sages, yet he is inspired with great compassion in order to develop all living beings.

“He may follow the ways of the poor, yet he holds in his hand a jewel of inexhaustible wealth.
He may follow the ways of cripples, yet he is beautiful and well adorned with the auspicious signs and marks.
He may follow the ways of those of lowly birth, yet, through his accumulation of the stores of merit and wisdom, he is born in the family of the Tathāgatas.
He may follow the ways of the weak, the ugly, and the wretched, yet he is beautiful to look upon, and his body is like that of Nārāyaṇa.

“He may manifest to living beings the ways of the sick and the unhappy, yet he has entirely conquered and transcended the fear of death.
“He may follow the ways of the rich, yet he is without acquisitiveness and often reflects upon the notion of impermanence.
He may show himself engaged in dancing with harem girls, yet he cleaves to solitude, having crossed the swamp of desire.

“He follows the ways of the dumb and the incoherent, yet, having acquired the power of retention, he is adorned with a varied eloquence.

“He follows the ways of the outsiders without ever becoming an outsider.
He follows the ways of all the world, yet he reverses all states of existence.
He follows the way of liberation without ever abandoning the progress of the world.

“Mañjuśrī, thus does the bodhisattva follow the “wrong ways”,
thereby following the way to the qualities of the Buddha.”

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[B. Following strict dualistic rules is not necessarily conducive to compassion, wisdom and enlightenment; nor hiding from the feedback of the world. A lotus grows in the mud; a Bodhisattva needs to live in the world to learn the true nature of reality. One needs to learn from good and bad experiences, and mistakes, to transcend (without rejecting) dualistic illusions, conditioning, and karma.]

(Summary: In Section B of Chapter 7, the Vimalakīrti Sutra teaches that adhering rigidly to dualistic rules or retreating from the world’s feedback (i.e. to grasp at absolutes) hinders the cultivation of compassion, wisdom, and enlightenment, advocating instead that a bodhisattva must engage with life’s complexities [U2T-in-action] — much like a lotus thriving in mud — to discern the true nature of reality (tathātā) [U2T].
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, the subtle essence lies in the Union of the Two Truths [U2T] — dependently arisen appearances (conventional truth, T1) and their emptiness of inherent existence (ultimate truth, T2) — where the Middle Way transcends (without rejecting) the extremes of dogmatic adherence (acceptation) or isolation (rejection).
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The lotus metaphor illustrates that wisdom and compassion emerge not from avoiding samsaric conditions but from embracing them, using good and bad experiences, along with mistakes, as mirrors to transcend (without rejecting) dualistic illusions, conditioning, and karma, aligning with the Unions (U3S: subject-object-action; Uopp: opposites; UGM: ground-manifestation; U3K: three kayas; U2T-2T: two truths about the two truths) to reveal reality’s non-dual essence.
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The deep message is that strict dualistic rules (accepting) — categorizing actions as inherently right or wrong — bind the mind to reified concepts, obstructing the spontaneous flow of compassion and the insight into emptiness, while hiding from worldly feedback (rejection) cuts off the raw material needed for awakening.
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Engaging the world, as the bodhisattva does, transforms adversity into a liberative path, where errors and successes alike dissolve the illusions of a fixed self, rooted in interdependent karma.
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This aligns with Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, where phenomena lack svabhāva, yet their conventional interplay fosters liberation.
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The subtle insight is that learning from all experiences — without attachment or aversion — cultivates wisdom (prajñā, discerning emptiness, T2) and compassion (karuṇā, embracing beings, T1) inseparably [U2T], enhancing efficiency by turning life’s mud into the lotus of enlightenment.
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The essence further unfolds in the recognition that this engagement is not a passive endurance but an active, non-dual practice, increasingly in accord with tathātā.
By living amidst dualities — good and bad, success and failure — the bodhisattva leverages the Unions to transcend conditioning, using skillful means (upāya) to navigate saṃsāra without being enslaved by it. This transformative process, free from the extremes of rigid rules (acceptation) or escapism (rejection), invites practitioners to see every experience as a teacher, fostering a liberative path where wisdom illuminates the empty nature of phenomena, and compassion responds to their conventional needs, guiding all toward the non-dual reality of awakening.)

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TEXT:

Then, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti asked the crown prince Mañjuśrī,
“Mañjuśrī, what is the ‘family of the Tathāgatas’?”

Mañjuśrī replied,
“Noble sir, the family of the Tathāgatas consists
of all basic egoism;
of ignorance and the thirst for existence;
of lust, hate, and folly;
of the four misapprehensions;
of the five obscurations;
of the six sense-media;
of the seven abodes of consciousness;
of the eight perverse paths;
of the nine causes of irritation;
and of the paths of the ten sins.
Such is the family of the Tathāgatas.
In short, noble sir,
the sixty-two kinds of convictions
constitute the family of the Tathāgatas!”

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Vimalakīrti: Mañjuśrī, with what in mind do you say so?

Mañjuśrī:
Noble sir, one who stays in the fixed determination of
the vision of the uncreated [T2-only]
is not capable of conceiving the spirit of unexcelled perfect enlightenment.
However, one who lives among created things [T1],
in the mines of passions, without seeing any truth [T2] [U2T-in-action],
is indeed capable of conceiving the spirit of unexcelled perfect enlightenment.

Noble sir, flowers like the blue lotus, the red lotus, the white lotus, the water lily, and the moon lily do not grow on the dry ground in the wilderness, but do grow in the swamps and mud banks.
Just so, the buddha-qualities do not grow in
living beings certainly destined for the uncreated [T2-only]
but do grow in those living beings who are
like swamps and mud banks of passions [U2T-in-action].

Likewise, just as seeds do not grow in the sky but do grow in the earth,
so the buddha-qualities do not grow in those determined for the absolute [T2-only]
but do grow in those who, after having produced a
Sumeru-like mountain of egoistic views [U2T-in-action],
conceive the spirit of enlightenment,
from which all the buddha-qualities then arise.

Noble sir, through these considerations
one can understand that
all passions constitute the family of the Tathāgatas.

Just as, noble sir, without going out into the great ocean,
it is impossible to find precious, priceless pearls, so likewise,
without going into the ocean of passions,
it is impossible to obtain the mind of omniscience.
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Then, the elder Mahākāśyapa applauded the crown prince Mañjuśrī:
“Good! Good, Mañjuśrī!
This is indeed well spoken!
This is right!
The passions do indeed constitute the family of the Tathāgatas.

How can such as we, the disciples,
conceive the spirit of enlightenment,
or become fully enlightened in regard to the qualities of the Buddha?
Only those guilty of the five deadly sins
can conceive the spirit of enlightenment and
can attain buddhahood,
which is the full accomplishment of the qualities of the Buddha!

“Just as the five desire objects have no impression or effect on those bereft of faculties, in the same way all the qualities of the Buddha have no impression or effect on the disciples, who have abandoned all adherences.
Thus, the disciples can never appreciate those qualities.

“Therefore, Mañjuśrī,
the ordinary individual is grateful to the Tathāgata,
but the disciples are not grateful.
Why? Ordinary individuals, upon learning of the virtues of the Buddha, conceive the spirit of unexcelled perfect enlightenment, in order to ensure the uninterrupted continuity of the heritage of the Three Jewels;
but the disciples, although they may hear of the qualities, powers, and fearlessnesses of the Buddha until the end of their days, are not capable of conceiving the spirit of unexcelled perfect enlightenment.”

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[C. The Family of the Tathāgatas: Union of various adapted skillful means (like bodhicitta, six paramitas, four immeasurables, dedication, even passions …) ⇐⇒ combined with more and more perfection of wisdom; more and more in accord with the Middle Way, more and more in accord with the true nature of reality as it is (tathātā) as pointed out by the Unions [U2T / U3S / Uopp / UGM / U3K / U2T-2T].]

(Summary: In Section C of Chapter 7, the Vimalakīrti Sutra introduces the "Family of the Tathāgatas" as a dynamic embodiment of the bodhisattva’s path, where a diverse array of skillful means — such as bodhicitta (awakening mind), the six paramitas (perfections), the four immeasurables (love, compassion, joy, equanimity), dedication of merit, and even passions — are harmonized with the perfection of wisdom (prajñāpāramitā) to form the essence of the Tathāgata’s lineage.
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From a Madhyamaka perspective, the subtle essence lies in the Union of the Two Truths [U2T] — dependently arisen appearances (conventional truth, T1) and their emptiness of inherent existence (ultimate truth, T2) — where this integration, guided by the Unions (U3S: subject-object-action; Uopp: opposites; UGM: ground-manifestation; U3K: three kayas; U2T-2T: two truths within two truths), aligns increasingly with tathātā (suchness) and the Middle Way.
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The deep message is that the Tathāgata’s family is not a rigid lineage but a living practice, transforming even passions — when seen as empty — into liberative tools, fostering a non-dual path where conventional actions enhance ultimate realization.
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The subtle insight unfolds in the recognition that skillful means, traditionally virtuous (e.g., generosity, patience), and seemingly adverse (e.g., passions), are not inherently dualistic but interdependent manifestations of emptiness, refined through wisdom’s insight.
This mirrors Nāgārjuna’s teaching that phenomena lack svabhāva yet function conventionally, allowing the bodhisattva to wield bodhicitta and the paramitas as expressions of compassion (karuṇā, T1) while wisdom (prajñā, T2) discerns their empty nature.
The Unions provide a framework: Uopp dissolves the duality of virtue/vice, U3S ensures actions are empty yet purposeful, and UGM and U3K ground this in the enlightened dimensions of the Tathāgata.
The process is gradual — perfection of wisdom deepens, aligning actions more with the Middle Way, free from reification or rejection, turning every practice into a step toward tathātā.
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The deeper message is that this union enhances efficiency by integrating all experiences into a cohesive path, where the bodhisattva’s dedication and immeasurables flow effortlessly, unhindered by dualistic attachments.
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The "Family of the Tathāgatas" thus becomes a transformative lineage, where wisdom and compassion co-emerge inseparably, guiding beings through the mud of saṃsāra to the lotus of enlightenment.
This non-dual harmony, increasingly in accord with reality, invites practitioners to embrace all aspects of life — passions included — as vehicles for awakening, embodying the Tathāgata’s qualities through a liberative dance of emptiness and engagement, benefiting all without distinction.)

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TEXT:

Thereupon, the bodhisattva Sarva­rūpa­saṃdarśana,
who was present in that assembly,
addressed the Licchavi Vimalakīrti:
“Householder, where are your father and mother,
your children, your wife, your servants,
your maids, your laborers, and your attendants?
Where are your friends, your relatives,
and your kinsmen?
Where are your servants, your horses,
your elephants, your chariots, your bodyguards,
and your bearers?”
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Thus addressed, the Licchavi Vimalakīrti
spoke the following verses to
the bodhisattva Sarva­rūpa­saṃdarśana:

“Of the true bodhisattvas,
The mother is the transcendence of wisdom,
The father is the skill in liberative technique;
The leaders are born of such parents.

“Their wife is the joy in the Dharma,
Love and compassion are their daughters,
The Dharma and the truth are their sons,
And their home is deep thought on the meaning of voidness.

“All the passions are their disciples,
Controlled at will.
Their friends are the aids to enlightenment;
Thereby they realize supreme enlightenment.

“Their companions, ever with them,
Are the six transcendences.
Their consorts are the means of unification,
Their music is the teaching of the Dharma.

“The incantations make their garden,
Which blossoms with the flowers of the factors of enlightenment,
With trees of the great wealth of the Dharma,
And fruits of the gnosis of liberation.

“Their pool consists of the eight liberations,
Filled with the water of concentration,
Covered with the lotuses of the seven purities —
Who bathes therein becomes immaculate.

“Their bearers are the six superknowledges,
Their vehicle is the unexcelled Mahāyāna,
Their driver is the spirit of enlightenment‌,
And their path is the eightfold peace.

“Their ornaments are the auspicious signs
And the eighty marks;
Their garland is virtuous aspiration,
And their clothing is good conscience and consideration.

“Their wealth is the holy Dharma,
And their business is its teaching;
Their great income is pure practice,
And it is dedicated to the supreme enlightenment.

“Their bed consists of the four contemplations,
And its spread is the pure livelihood.
Their awakening consists of gnosis,
Which is constant learning and meditation.

“Their food is the ambrosia of the teachings,
And their drink is the juice of liberation.
Their bath is pure aspiration,
And morality their unguent and perfume.

“Having conquered the enemy afflictions,
They are the invincible heroes.
Having subdued the four māras,
They raise their standard on the field of enlightenment.

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“They manifest birth voluntarily [T1],
Yet they are not born, nor do they originate [T2] [U2T].
They shine in all the fields of the buddhas,
Just like the rising sun.

“Though they worship buddhas by the millions,
With every conceivable offering,
They never dwell upon the least difference
Between the buddhas and themselves.

“They journey through all buddhafields
In order to bring benefit to living beings [T1],
Yet they see those fields as just like empty space,
Free of any conceptual notions of ‘living beings’ [T2] [U2T].

“The fearless bodhisattvas can manifest,
All in a single instant,
The forms, sounds, and manners of behavior
Of all living beings.

“Although they recognize the deeds of māras,
They can get along even with these māras;
For even such activities may be manifested
By those perfected in liberative art [T1].

“They play with illusory manifestations
In order to develop living beings,
Showing themselves to be old or sick,
And even manifesting their own deaths.

“They demonstrate the burning of the earth
In the consuming flames of the world’s end,
In order to demonstrate impermanence
To living beings convinced about permanence.

“Invited by hundreds of thousands of living beings,
All in the same country,
They partake of offerings at the homes of all,
And dedicate all for the sake of enlightenment [T1].

“They excel in all esoteric sciences,
And in the many different crafts,
And they bring forth the happiness
Of all living beings.

“By devoting themselves as monks
To all the strange sects of the world,
They develop all those beings
Who have attached themselves to dogmatic views.

“They may become suns or moons,
Śakras, Brahmās, or lords of creatures;
They may become fire or water
Or earth or wind.

“During the short eons of maladies,
They become the best holy medicine;
They make beings well and happy,
And bring about their liberation.

“During the short eons of famine,
They become food and drink.
Having first alleviated thirst and hunger,
They teach the Dharma to living beings.

“During the short eons of swords,
They meditate on love,
Introducing to nonviolence
Hundreds of millions of living beings.

“In the middle of great battles
They remain impartial to both sides [Uopp];
For bodhisattvas of great strength
Delight in reconciliation of conflict.

“In order to help living beings,
They voluntarily descend
Into the hells which are attached
To all the inconceivable buddhafields.

“They manifest their lives
In all the species of the animal kingdom,
Teaching the Dharma everywhere.
Thus they are called ‘leaders.’

“They display sensual enjoyment to the worldlings,
And trances to the meditative.
They completely conquer the māras,
And allow them no chance to prevail.

“Just as displaying a lotus
Amidst a fire is miraculous,
So they display the miracles
Of both pleasures and trances.

“They intentionally become courtesans
In order to win men over,
And, having caught them with the hook of desire,
They establish them in the buddha.

“In order to help living beings,
They always become chieftains,
Captains, priests, and ministers,
Or even prime ministers.

“For the sake of the poor,
They become inexhaustible treasures,
Causing those to whom they give their gifts
To conceive the spirit of enlightenment.

“They become invincible champions
For the sake of the proud and the vain,
And, having conquered all their pride,
They start them on the quest for enlightenment.

“They always stand at the head
Of those terrified with fright,
And, having bestowed fearlessness upon them,
They develop them toward enlightenment.

“They become great holy men,
With the superknowledges and pure continence,
And thus induce living beings to the morality
Of tolerance, gentleness, and discipline.

“Here in the world, they fearlessly behold
Those who are masters to be served,
And they become their servants or slaves,
Or serve as their disciples.

“Well trained in liberative art [T1],
They demonstrate all activities,
Whichever possibly may be a method
To make beings delight in the Dharma.

“Their practices are infinite;
And their spheres of influence are infinite;
Having perfected an infinite wisdom [T2],
They liberate an infinity of living beings [T1] [U2T].

“Even for the buddhas themselves,
During a million eons,
Or even a hundred million eons,
It would be hard to express all their virtues.

“Except for some inferior living beings,
Without any intelligence at all,
Is there anyone with any discernment
Who, having heard this teaching,
Would not wish for the supreme enlightenment?””

CONCLUSION of Chapter 7

"Everything is for our Awakening.
Reality is always compassionately directly teaching reality-as-it-is;
we just need to humbly accept the lessons."

Chapter 7 of the Vimalakīrti Sutra, "The Family of the Tathāgatas," emerges as a radiant exploration of the bodhisattva’s transformative journey, weaving a path where every experience — right or wrong, virtuous or passionate — becomes a stepping stone toward the qualities of the Buddha, guided by the non-dual essence of reality as it is (tathātā).

At its heart, this chapter reveals the Union of the Two Truths [U2T] — dependently arisen appearances (conventional truth, T1) and their emptiness of inherent existence (ultimate truth, T2) — as the foundation of the Tathāgata’s family, a lineage not bound by birth or dogma but forged through the harmonious interplay of skillful means and wisdom, increasingly aligned with the Unions (U3S: subject-object-action; Uopp: opposites; UGM: ground-manifestation; U3K: three kayas; U2T-2T: two truths within two truths) and reality-as-it-is.

The essence lies in the realization that all of life’s mud — mistakes, dualistic rules, and worldly feedback — nurtures the lotus of enlightenment, where compassion and wisdom co-emerge inseparably, transforming apparent obstacles into liberative opportunities, inviting practitioners to see that “everything is for our awakening”.

The subtle messages ripple through the chapter’s three sections,
– beginning with the insight that even a wrong path leads to Buddha-qualities when acted upon without attachment or reification, free from malice or pride — "acting without acting [U2T-in-action]" in a non-dual dance that aligns with reality-as-it-is (tathātā), where the Unions dissolve (without rejecting) the duality of success and failure into equality [Uopp].
– The second section challenges the rigidity of dualistic rules and the retreat from the world, using the lotus-in-mud metaphor to teach that true wisdom and compassion grow through engagement with saṃsāra’s raw experiences, transcending (without rejecting) illusions of conditioning and karma with a Middle Way that neither clings nor rejects.
– The final section unveils the "Family of the Tathāgatas" as a vibrant union of adapted skillful means [T1] — bodhicitta, the six paramitas, the four immeasurables, even passions — fused with the perfection of wisdom [T2] [U2T], a lineage where every element, seen as empty yet functional, contributes to a non-dual path increasingly in accord with reality.

Hidden treasures abound in these paradoxes: errors as teachers, passions as virtues, and the world as a classroom — each dismantling dualistic fetters to reveal the non-dual heart.

The chapter’s deeper layers illuminate the transformative power of this non-dual approach, where the bodhisattva’s engagement with life’s complexities — guided by the Unions — fosters a wisdom that discerns emptiness [T2] and a compassion that embraces appearances [T1] without effort or attachment [U2T].

The subtle insight is that efficiency arises from this alignment (acting more and more in accord with reality pays off): actions become effortless as the mind rests in tathātā, turning the mud of dualistic struggle into the clarity of enlightenment, as Nāgārjuna’s Mūlamadhyamakakārikā affirms the emptiness of all phenomena yet their conventional utility.

The deep message is that the Tathāgata’s family is an inclusive lineage, open to all who embrace the Middle Way, where good and bad experiences, strict rules or their absence, are woven into a liberative tapestry — neither accepted nor rejected in absolute terms, but transcended through the co-emergence of wisdom and compassion [U2T-in-action].

This transformative process, rooted in the Unions, invites practitioners to live fully in the world, learning from every encounter, and awakening to the non-dual reality where the lotus blooms eternally, guiding all beings toward the boundless qualities of the Buddha.