Translations from the Asian classics. 

xi, 168 pages ; 23 cm.; Buddha lands -- Expedient means -- The disciples -- The bodhisattvas -- Inquiring about the illness -- Beyond comprehension -- Regarding living beings -- The Buddha way -- Entering the gate of nondualism -- Fragrance accumulated -- Actions of the bodhisattvas -- Seeing Akshobhya Buddha -- The offering of the law -- Entrustment.; "The Vimalakirti Sutra, one of the most influential works of the Mahayana Buddhist canon, is of particular importance in the Ch'an or Zen sect. Originally written in Sanskrit, probably in the first century c.e., it claims to record events more than four hundred years earlier." "Noted for its eloquent, orderly exposition of the basic tenets of Mahayana, the text is also remarkable for the liveliness of its episodes and frequent touches of humor, rarities in a religious work of this type. The Vimalakirti Sutra is unusual in that its central figure is not a Buddha or Buddhas, but a wealthy townsman, Vimalakirti, who epitomizes the ideal lay believer. For this reason, and because of the sutra's enduring literary appeal, it has been particularly popular among lay Buddhists in China, Japan, and the other Asian countries where Mahayana doctrines prevail, and has exercised a marked influence on literature and art."--Jacket.; 

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