The name “Vimalak\u012brti” is a transliteration, often fully referred to as “Vimalak\u012brti-nirde\u015ba” or simply “Vimalak\u012brti.” He is regarded as the foremost lay practitioner during the Buddha’s time.<\/p>\n
On one occasion, Vimalak\u012brti claimed to be ill and remained at home, drawing the attention of the Buddha. The Buddha sent someone to visit him, but many disciples were hesitant to go. This was due to Vimalak\u012brti’s profound wisdom, which often left others speechless when questioned by him, instilling a sense of awe and fear. Finally, the Buddha entrusted Ma\u00f1ju\u015br\u012b, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, along with others, to visit him. While the visit was ostensibly to inquire about his illness, it became an opportunity for Vimalak\u012brti to teach and inspire.<\/p>\n
As described: The term \u201cFangzhang\u201d (\u65b9\u4e08), meaning “ten square feet,” originates from The Vimalak\u012brti Sutra<\/em>. Vimalak\u012brti, though living as a layperson, resided in a modest room merely one zhang (approximately ten square feet) in size. Yet, it was said to miraculously accommodate two thousand lion thrones, demonstrating an inconceivable spiritual power.<\/p>\n According to Dharma Forest Pearls<\/em> (\u6cd5\u82d1\u73e0\u6797): The term \u201cFangzhang\u201d has since been revered, symbolizing the profound and mystical virtues of Vimalak\u012brti, as acknowledged by sages, past Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas alike.<\/p>\n Vimalak\u012brti practiced the Bodhisattva path, using skillful means to inspire and guide those attached to the \u015ar\u0101vaka and Pratyekabuddha paths. By feigning illness, he created an opportunity for the Buddha\u2019s disciples, Bodhisattvas, and Ma\u00f1ju\u015br\u012b to engage in dialogue, showcasing his integration of compassion and wisdom.<\/p>\n He deeply engaged with the mundane world, meeting beings where they were, all to propagate the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. Vimalak\u012brti taught the beings of the Sah\u0101 world to realize the Pure Land within their own minds and to co-create a beautiful world. He expounded on the inconceivable methods of liberation, emphasizing the “non-duality” of sa\u1e43s\u0101ra and nirv\u0101\u1e47a: His teachings offered practitioners profound methods for healing the afflictions of the mind, providing timeless guidance on the path to enlightenment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Vimalak\u012brti\u2019s Teaching Through Feigned Illness The name “Vimalak\u012brti” is a transliteration, often fully referred to as “Vimalak\u012brti-nirde\u015ba” or simply “Vimalak\u012brti.” He is regarded as the foremost lay practitioner during the Buddha’s time. On one occasion, Vimalak\u012brti claimed to be ill and remained at home, drawing the attention of the Buddha. The Buddha sent someone to visit him, but many disciples were hesitant to go. This was due to Vimalak\u012brti’s profound wisdom, which often left others speechless when questioned by him, instilling a sense of awe and fear. Finally, the Buddha entrusted Ma\u00f1ju\u015br\u012b, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, along with others, to visit him. While the visit was ostensibly to inquire about his illness, it became an opportunity for Vimalak\u012brti to teach and inspire. As described: “Through skillful means, he manifested an appearance of illness. Because of his condition, kings, ministers, elders, lay practitioners, Brahmins, royal princes, and countless officials came to visit him. To each visitor, Vimalak\u012brti expounded the Dharma based on their circumstances, inspiring innumerable beings to awaken to Anuttar\u0101 Samyaksa\u1e43bodhi (unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment).” The Origin of the Term \u201cFangzhang\u201d The term \u201cFangzhang\u201d (\u65b9\u4e08), meaning “ten square feet,” originates from The Vimalak\u012brti Sutra. Vimalak\u012brti, though living as a layperson, resided in a modest room merely one zhang (approximately ten square feet) in size. Yet, it was said to miraculously accommodate two thousand lion thrones, demonstrating an inconceivable spiritual power. According to Dharma Forest Pearls (\u6cd5\u82d1\u73e0\u6797): “In the city of Vai\u015b\u0101l\u012b, six li northwest of the royal palace, there stood a stupa marking the former residence of Vimalak\u012brti. The remains of his home, said to be the site where he manifested illness to teach the Dharma, were later measured during the Tang dynasty by envoy Wang Xuance, who determined its size to be precisely ten square feet. Hence, it became known as ‘Fangzhang.’” The term \u201cFangzhang\u201d has since been revered, symbolizing the profound and mystical virtues of Vimalak\u012brti, as acknowledged by sages, past Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas alike. The Incomparable Virtues of Vimalak\u012brti Vimalak\u012brti practiced the Bodhisattva path, using skillful means to inspire and guide those attached to the \u015ar\u0101vaka and Pratyekabuddha paths. By feigning illness, he created an opportunity for the Buddha\u2019s disciples, Bodhisattvas, and Ma\u00f1ju\u015br\u012b to engage in dialogue, showcasing his integration of compassion and wisdom. He deeply engaged with the mundane world, meeting beings where they were, all to propagate the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. Vimalak\u012brti taught the beings of the Sah\u0101 world to realize the Pure Land within their own minds and to co-create a beautiful world. He expounded on the inconceivable methods of liberation, emphasizing the “non-duality” of sa\u1e43s\u0101ra and nirv\u0101\u1e47a: “Defilements are enlightenment; one does not abandon sa\u1e43s\u0101ra to dwell in nirv\u0101\u1e47a.” His teachings offered practitioners profound methods for healing the afflictions of the mind, providing timeless guidance on the path to enlightenment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-venerable-masters"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.damiok.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1492","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.damiok.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.damiok.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.damiok.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.damiok.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1492"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/en.damiok.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1492\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7547,"href":"https:\/\/en.damiok.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1492\/revisions\/7547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.damiok.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.damiok.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1492"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.damiok.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1492"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.damiok.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1492"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n“Through skillful means, he manifested an appearance of illness. Because of his condition, kings, ministers, elders, lay practitioners, Brahmins, royal princes, and countless officials came to visit him. To each visitor, Vimalak\u012brti expounded the Dharma based on their circumstances, inspiring innumerable beings to awaken to Anuttar\u0101 Samyaksa\u1e43bodhi (unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment).”<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe Origin of the Term \u201cFangzhang\u201d<\/h3>\n
\n“In the city of Vai\u015b\u0101l\u012b, six li northwest of the royal palace, there stood a stupa marking the former residence of Vimalak\u012brti. The remains of his home, said to be the site where he manifested illness to teach the Dharma, were later measured during the Tang dynasty by envoy Wang Xuance, who determined its size to be precisely ten square feet. Hence, it became known as ‘Fangzhang.'”<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe Incomparable Virtues of Vimalak\u012brti<\/h3>\n
\n“Defilements are enlightenment; one does not abandon sa\u1e43s\u0101ra to dwell in nirv\u0101\u1e47a.”<\/em><\/p>\n