The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti: A Mahayana Scripture

The first thought that comes to mind about this outstanding piece of literature: it is a great "next-step" for readers of, say, any of the Carlos Castaneda writings (of his adventures with the shaman don Juan in Mexico). Well, why would I think of that? Some Castaneda readers, not all, once they finish all or any one of his books, will reflect on it and think "how do I go beyond these writings? There has to be a deeper understanding, but which direction do I go to find it?" "The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti" is that stepping stone such a reader would emigrate to. Mind you, I say it is a stepping stone, not a final destination, yet certainly a direction leading readers to what they are single-focusedly seeking. In a way, you could say Vimalakirti is the next shaman who picks up where don Juan left, a reincarnation, an evolution. The common thread of the Castaneda writings has a Taoist flavor to it, to those who are familiar with Taoist or early Chinese Buddhist literature. Listen to the bodhisattvas as they each describe their encounters with Vimalakirti; listen to each of the disciples as they, too, recount their exchanges with this sage. Inspired readers can't put this book down and soon find themselves returning to it again and again, and why not? The message is compelling, it penetrates our outer shell and strikes the heart of our True Self. What is the next stepping stone, then? Well, that's an entirely subjective question: my answer would be the Lankavatara Sutra or the Surangama Sutra; for another reader, it could be a sojourn with the tribes of the Amazon or Borneo, but the message will be the same and still remain incomprehensible: it has to be experienced to be believed yet resistant to linguistic explanation. This book is a fantastic right direction............ I give it my highest recommendation.

Got this book for a class and really it's a good thing I wasn't trying to read it on my own.I really enjoyed this teaching because Vimalakīrti was a layperson who schooled monastics and he had a lot of great points. If you're looking for some interesting notions in Buddhism regarding gender and how a person who not a monastic should conduct her life, this might be the book for you.

This is heavy duty Buddhist scripture. Thurman's prolouge and introduction do a great job of setting up the actual scripture reading itself. Considered advanced for adherents of Buddhist thought, for those that aren't (like myself), the introduction is critical - don't skip it. The proposition is that all is unified, and dualism is not real. The artifical dualism and the concept of voidness (the absence of dualism, not nihiilism) permeate the reading. The aparent paradox of an existent void is exactly the "Zen like" koan that is pondered and meditated on to attempt to understand the profundity of reality. A tough read, but a good one. A strong working knowledge of Buddhist thought will be very helpful before diving in.

"[T]hose living beings who, having heard this teaching of the Dharma, accept it, remember it, read it, and understand it deeply will be, without a doubt, true vessels of the Dharma... They will cut off all possibility of unhappy lives, will open their way to all fortunate lives, will always be looked after by all Buddhas, will always overcome all adversaries, and will always conquer all devils." So read it. What have you got to lose?

A wonderful teaching for any true spiritual tradition. This is a definitive meaning sutra, wich means it deals with the nature of reallity, emptiness. As Dr. Thurman states in his introduction this sutra can almost be considered a tantric teaching since it expounds the absolute truth in all aspects of the path.

Roots-Thurman. A very readable translation of a profound, yet wry, text of the Great Vehicle. In many ways the gentle satire of this work continues to inform Thurman’s engagement with Buddhist philosophy and religion.

The book was not in a good condition

This is one of the jewels of Mahayana Buddhism but it is very difficult to read and understand. I bought it for a study group and it was helpful to go through it with others with more experience. If you are a beginner studying Buddhism, start somewhere else!

Great book, thank you and arrived when promised.

Recommended by Buddhist friends - a good translation and an amusing and thought-provoking sutra.

This translation by Robert A. Thurman is a magical and inspiring read and re-read. It is full of visual imagery and difficult to talk about. Maybe this is the reason why another reviewer only cited the text stated on the book-cover. When one reads this scripture, kingdoms arise out of empty space, 32.000 and more Buddhas and bodisattvas appear in a split-second while the story of Vimalakirti is told, an indian lay practitioner who is visited by Sariputra, a follower and chief-disciple of the historic Buddha around 500 BC. The most famous section might be the one where Vimalakirti keeps silent expressing the Lion's Roar of big Enlightenment in chapter 9 "The Dharma Door of Non-Duality" - in comparison to Sariputra who falls silent in order to point to the fact that liberation cannot be expressed by words. For anyone who deems him/herself a serious practitioner this is a great book which offers deep insight when studied. I highly recommend it because it teaches humility, offers insight and can never be fully grasped.