This quote describes the ultimate nature of reality in Mahayana Buddhism, where conventional distinctions vanish. It suggests that beyond our concepts of existence and non-existence, there is a unified, unchanging truth that transcends all dualities, leading to liberation.
Quote by Vimalakirti Sutra: “Non‑duality is neither birth nor death, neither coming nor going.”
Non‑duality is neither birth nor death, neither coming nor going.
Insight
Historical Context
The Vimalakirti Sutra is celebrated for its profound teachings on emptiness and non-duality, particularly in its chapter on entering the Dharma-gate of Non-duality. This concept was revolutionary, dissolving the boundaries between sacred and profane, lay and monastic.
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Buddhist Mahayana sutra attributed to the layman Vimalakirti, believed to have been composed in India around the first or second century CE. The text is celebrated for its wit, philosophical sophistication, and its radical argument that enlightenment is available to laypeople, not just monks. It was highly influential in Chinese and Japanese Buddhism and features one of the most famous silences in philosophical literature.
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