Quote by Vimalakirti Sutra: “Vimalakirti's silence is like a thunderclap.”

In the Vimalakirti Sutra, when asked to explain the nature of non-duality, Vimalakirti says nothing — and his silence is described as the most eloquent answer possible. Sometimes language is the obstacle, and what cannot be said is exactly what needs to be communicated.

The Vimalakirti Sutra was composed during the first centuries of the Common Era as Mahayana Buddhism was developing a philosophical tradition distinct from early Theravada teachings. Its celebration of a layman as spiritually superior to monks challenged institutional Buddhism and its humor and wordplay made it popular across China, Japan, and Korea.

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.