The Buddhism acoordance with worldly lordsーVimalakīrtinirdeśa Chap.2 - Vimalakīrti, what kind of man is he

 Introduction

Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Chap.2  is spent to describe the character of Vimalakīrti - mostly compliments and admirations. A successful businessman as well as enthusiastic patron, well-trained practitioner and skillful teacher of the Buddhism.

Key insights

Interestingly, he is described as a good citizen and a competent minister of the Kingdom, well-obedient to not only the Buddist-teachings but also to worldly rules.

vkn 2.4  (He is) Advocate of righteousness. Assistants for the old, the middle-aged, and the young for following the ways of the world. Engaged in all worldly dealings, but not desirous of gain or enjoyment. And seen in all courtyards and crossroads for the discipline of all sentient beings. And one who is involved in state affairs for the sake of protection. And seen in the lectures on hearing all the Dharma, for turning people away from Hīnayāna, encouraging them in the Mahāyāna. And he goes to all the script-houses for the child's maturation. and he enters all families and brothels for the sake of showing the faults of cravings. And he enters all the dens for the establishing of mindfulness and full awareness.

vkn 2.5  And among the merchants, he is respected by the merchants, for the reason of discussing the duties of the merchants. And among householders, he is respected by householders, for the reason of determining of the seizure of all villages. And among Kṣatriyas(Knights), he is respected by knights, for the reason of establishing forbearance, gentleness, and strength. And among the Brahmins(Scholar-lords), he is respected by lords, for the reason of removal of pride, madness, and arrogance. And among the ministers, he is respected by the ministers, for the reason of organizing all state affairs in accordance with the Dharma(righteousness). And among the princes, he is respected by princes, for the reason of abandoning the cravings in royal enjoyment and sovereignty. And in the inner courts, he was honored among the eunuchs because he trained the ladies and the young girls.

 Translation mainly done by Google Gemini and modified by me.

Vimalakīrtinirdesa Chap. 2 full text and Translation by Google Gemini

Full translation is Reading Vimalakirtinirdesa with Google Gemini English, but it is often inaccurate.

vkn 2.1	tena khalu punaḥ samayena vaiśālyāṃ mahānagaryāṃ vimalakīrtir nāma licchaviḥ prativasati sma /	At that time, there lived in the great city of Vaiśālī a certain Licchavi, Vimalakīrti by name.
	pūrvajinakṛtādhikāraḥ	The authority of the former Jina.
	avaropitakuśalamūlaḥ	one who has planted the root of merit
	bahubuddhaparyupāsitaḥ	Having served many Buddhas
	pratilabdhakṣāntikaḥ	one who has attained forbearance
	labdhapratibhānaḥ	quick-witted, ready in reply
	mahābhijñāvikrīḍitaḥ	Sport of the Great Supernatural Knowledge
	dhāraṇīpratilabdhaḥ	one who has attained a dhāraṇī (a mystic formula or power)
	vaiśāradyaprāptaḥ	having attained confidence
	nihatamārapratyarthikaḥ	Conqueror of Māra, the Adversary
	gambhīradharmanayasupraviṣṭaḥ	deeply entered into the law/principle of profound truth
	prajñāpāramitānirjātaḥ	Born of the Perfection of Wisdom
	upāyakauśalyagatiṃgataḥ	one who has attained the stage of skill in means
	pratibhānasamanvāgataḥ	endowed with ready wit
	satvāśayacaritakuśalaḥ	skilled in the character and disposition of sentient beings
	indriyaparāparajñānaniryātaḥ	knowledge arising from the senses and beyond the senses
	yathāpratyarhadharmadeśakaḥ	A preacher of the doctrine according to the qualifications of the listener
	kṛtaniścayaḥ kṛtaśrama iha mahāyāne	Having resolved (to do it), having made effort in this Mahayana.
	suparīkṣitakarmakārī	well-examined worker
	buddheryāpathapratiṣṭhitaḥ	established in the path of intellect
	sāgaravarabuddhyanupraviṣṭaḥ	Entered into the ocean-like best understanding.
	sarvabuddhastutastomitapraśaṃsitaḥ	Praised and extolled by all Buddhas.
	sarvaśakrabrahmalokapālanamaskṛtaḥ	revered by all the gods headed by Indra, Brahma, and the world-protectors
	sa satvaparipākāyopāyakauśalyena vaiśālyāṃ mahānagaryāṃ prativasati sma /	He, through the skill in means for the maturation of beings, dwelt in the great city of Vaiśālī.
vkn 2.2	akṣayabhogo daridrānāthasatvasaṃgrahāya	Inexhaustible wealth to sustain the poor, the helpless, and all beings
	pariśuddhaśīlo duḥśīlasaṃgrahāya	He was pure in discipline in order to internalize those who were undisciplined.
	kṣamadamaprāpto duṣṭapraduṣṭavyāpannakrudhacittānāṃ satvānāṃ saṃgrahāya	He maintained tolerance and self-control in order to reconcile beings who were angry, cruel, violent, and brutal.
	uttaptavīryaḥ kusīdānāṃ satvānāṃ saṃgrahāya	His energy is inflamed for the sake of gathering lazy beings.
	dhyānasmṛtisamādhisthito vibhrāntacittānāṃ satvānāṃ saṃgrahāya	He remains in meditation, mindfulness, and concentration for the sake of gathering together living beings whose minds are distracted.
	prajñāniścayaprāpto duḥprajñānāṃ satvānāṃ saṃgrahāya	Having attained the certainty of wisdom, in order to gather the living beings of poor wisdom.
vkn 2.3	gṛhavāsasthitaḥ kāmadhāturūpadhātvārūpyadhātvasaṃsṛṣṭaḥ	situated in a house, unattached to the desire-realm, form-realm, and formless-realm
	bhāryāputradārāṃś ca saṃdarśayati, sadā ca brahmacārī	He always shows his wives, sons, and others, and is always a celibate.
	parivāraparivṛtaś ca bhavati, sadā ca vivekacārī	He is surrounded by a family and is always discerning.
	ābharaṇavibhūṣitaś ca saṃdṛśyate, sadā ca lakṣaṇaparicchinnaḥ	and appears adorned with ornaments, and is always marked by (auspicious) signs.
	annapānabhojanajīvaḥ saṃdṛśyate, sadā ca dhyānāhāraḥ	He who lives on food and drink is seen, and he who lives on meditation is always seen.
	sarvadyūtakaraśālāsu ca saṃdṛśyate, dyūtakrīḍāsaktacittāṃś ca satvān paripācayati, sadā cāpramādacārī	and is seen in all gambling houses, he matures beings whose minds are attached to gambling, and he always moves with vigilance.
	sarvapāṣaṇḍapratyeṣakaś ca buddhe cābhedyāśayaḥ sarvalaukikalokottaraśāstravidhijñaś ca sadā ca dharmārāmaratirataḥ	and the one who searches for all heretics, and whose intention is inseparable from the Buddha, and who knows all worldly and transcendental scriptural rules, and who is always devoted to the joy of the garden of Dharma.
	sarvasaṃgaṇikāsu ca saṃdṛśyate, sarvatra cāgrapūjitaḥ	and is seen in all assemblies, and is honored everywhere.
vkn 2.4	dharmavādī ca	advocate of righteousness and
	vṛddhamadhyadahrasahāyakaś ca lokānuvartanāya	Assistants for the old, the middle-aged, and the young for following the ways of the world.
	sarvavyavahārodyuktaś ca na ca lābhabhogābhilāṣī	Engaged in all worldly dealings, but not desirous of gain or enjoyment.
	sarvacatvaraśrṅgāṭakeṣu ca saṃdṛśyate sarvasatvavainayikatāyai /	And it is seen in all courtyards and crossroads for the discipline of all sentient beings.
	rājakāryānupraviṣṭaś ca satvārakṣāyai /	And one who is involved in state affairs for the protection of beings.
	sarvadharmaśravaṇasāṃkathyeṣu ca saṃdṛśyate hīnayānavicchandanāya mahāyāne samādāpanatayā /	It is seen in the discourses on hearing all the Dharma, for the sake of cutting off the Hīnayāna, by the method of encouraging [them] in the Mahāyāna.
	sarvalipiśālāsu copasaṃkrāmati dārakaparipācanāya /	and he goes to all the script-houses for the child's maturation.
	sarvagaṇikākulāni ca praviśati kāmadoṣasaṃdarśanāya /	and he enters all families and brothels for the sake of showing the faults of desires.
	sarvakallavālagṛhāṇi ca praviśati smṛtisaṃprajanyopasthāpanāya /	And he enters all the dens for the establishing of mindfulness and full awareness.
vkn 2.5	śreṣṭhiṣu ca śreṣṭhisaṃmataḥ śreṣṭhadharmārocanatāyai /	and among the merchants, one respected by the merchants, for the purpose of discussing the duties of the merchants /
	gṛhapatiṣu ca gṛhapatisaṃmataḥ sarvagrāhodgrahaparicchedāya /	And among householders, one approved by householders, for the determination of the seizure of all villages.
	kṣatriyeṣu ca kṣatriyasaṃmataḥ kṣāntisauratyabalapratiṣṭhāpanāya /	And he is respected by Kṣatriyas for establishing forbearance, gentleness, and strength among Kṣatriyas.
	brāhmaṇeṣu ca brāhmaṇasaṃmato mānamadadarpanirghātanāya /	and among the Brahmins, for the removal of pride, madness, and arrogance, agreeable to the Brahmins.
	āmātyeṣu cāmātyasaṃmataḥ sarvarājakāryasahadharmamyojanāya /	In the ministers, with the approval of the minister, for the purpose of joining in all the king's business and duties.
	kumāreṣu ca kumārasaṃmato rājabhogaiśvaryābhilāṣavinivartanāya /	And among the princes, for the purpose of abandoning the desire for royal enjoyment and sovereignty, approved by the prince.
	antaḥpureṣu ca kāñcukīyasaṃmataḥ strīkumārikāparipācanāya /	and in the inner apartments, approved by the chamberlain for the training of young women.
vkn 2.6	prākṛtajanānuvartakaś ca sāmānyapuṇyaviśiṣṭādhyālaṃbanāya /	and conforming to common people for the sake of reliance on extraordinary merit.
	śakreṣu ca śakrasaṃmata aiśvaryānityatvasaṃdarśanāyau /	And among the Śakras, he who is honored by Śakra (Indra), to show the impermanence of greatness/power.
	brahmasu ca brahmasaṃmato viśeṣajñānasaṃdarśanāya /	and in the Brahmas with the approval of Brahma for the exhibition of special knowledge.
	lokapāleṣu ca lokapālasaṃmataḥ sarvasatvaparipālanāya /	and in the guardians of the world, he is respected by the guardians of the world for the protection of all beings. /
	iti hi vimalakīrtir licchavir evam apramāṇopāyakauśalajñānasamanvāgato vaiśālyāṃ mahānagaryāṃ prativasati sma /	Now this Vimalakīrti, the Licchavi, endowed with immeasurable skillful means and knowledge, resided in the great city of Vaiśālī.
vkn 2.7	sa upāyakauśalyena glānam ātmānam upadarśayati sma / tasya glānasya vaiśālyāṃ mahānagaryāṃ rājarājamahāmātrāmātyakumārapāriṣadyā brāhmaṇagṛhapatayaḥ śreṣṭhinaigamajānapadās tadanyāni ca bahūni prāṇisahasrāṇi glānaparipṛcchakāny upasaṃkrāmanti sma /	He revealed himself to be ill by means of his skill in means (upāyakauśalya). In the vastness of his illness, in the great city of Vaiśālī, kings, chief ministers, ministers, princes, members of the assembly, Brāhmaṇas, householders, guild leaders, merchants, inhabitants of the country, and thousands of other living beings came to inquire about his sickness.
vkn 2.8	teṣām upasaṃkrāntānāṃ vimalakīrtir licchaviḥ	The Licchavi Vimalakirti approached them.
	imam eva cāturmahābhautikaṃ kāyam ārabhya dharmaṃ deśayati sma: evam anityo 'yaṃ mārṣāḥ kāyaḥ	Starting from this very body, composed of the four great elements, he taught the Dharma: "Friends, this body is thus impermanent."
	evam adhruvaḥ, evam anāsvāsikaḥ, evaṃ durbalaḥ, evam asāraḥ	Thus unstable, thus unreliable, thus weak, thus essence-less
	evaṃ jarjaraḥ, evam itvaraḥ, evaṃ duḥkhaḥ, evam ābādhikaḥ, evaṃ vipariṇāmadharmā, evaṃ bahurogabhājano 'yaṃ mārṣāḥ kāyaḥ	This body, O friends, is thus decayed, thus frail, thus painful, thus afflicted, thus subject to change, and a vessel of many diseases.
	tatra paṇḍitena niśrayo na kartavyaḥ	The wise man should not rely on that.
vkn 2.9	phenapiṇḍopamo 'yaṃ mārṣāḥ kāyo 'parimardanakṣamaḥ /	This body, Sir, is like a lump of foam, not capable of being crushed or enduring.
	budbudopamo 'yaṃ kāyo 'cirasthitikaḥ /	This body is like a bubble, not long-lasting.
	marīcyupamo 'yaṃ kāyaḥ kleśatṛṣṇāsaṃbhūtaḥ /	This body, which is like a mirage, is born from defilements and craving.
	kadalīskandhopamo 'yaṃ kāyo 'sārakatvāt /	This body is like the stem of a plantain tree because it is without substance.
	yantrabhūto batāyaṃ kāyo 'sthisnāyuvinibaddhaḥ /	Alas, this body, bound by bones and sinews, is like a machine.
	māyopamo 'yaṃ kāyo viparyāsasaṃbhūtaḥ /	This body, born of error, is like an illusion.
	svapnopamo 'yaṃ kāyo vitathadarśanaḥ /	This body is like a dream, seeing falsely.
	pratibhāsopamo 'yaṃ kāyaḥ pūrvakarmapratibhāsatayā saṃdṛśyate /	This body, which is like an illusion, is seen because of the appearance of previous karma.
	pratiśrutkopamo 'yaṃ kāyaḥ pratyayādhīnatvāt /	This body is like an illusion, depending on conditions.
	meghopamo 'yaiḥ kāyaś cittākulavigamalakṣaṇaḥ /	The body is like a cloud, characterized by the cessation of mental disturbance.
	vidyutsadṛśo 'yaṃ kāyaḥ kṣaṇabhaṅgayukto 'navasthitaḥ /	This body is like lightning, momentary, and unstable.
	asvāmiko 'yaṃ kāyo nānāpratyayasaṃbhūtaḥ /	This body is masterless, arisen from various causes.
vkn 2.10	nirvyāpāro 'yaṃ kāyaḥ pṛthivīsadṛśaḥ /	This body is inert, similar to the earth.
	anātmo 'yaṃ kāyo 'psadṛśaḥ /	This body is non-self, like water.
	nirjīvo 'yaṃ kāyas tejaḥsadṛśaḥ /	This lifeless body is like light.
	niṣpudgalo 'yaṃ kāyo vāyusadṛśaḥ /	This body, without a soul, is like the wind.
	niḥsvabhāvo 'yaṃ kāya ākāśasadṛśaḥ /	This body is without inherent existence, like space.
vkn 2.11	asaṃbhūto 'yaṃ kāyo mahābhūtānām ālayaḥ /	This body, which is not born, is the abode of the great elements.
	śūnyo 'yaṃ kāya ātmātmīyavigataḥ /	This body is empty, devoid of self and what belongs to the self.
	jaḍo 'yaṃ kāyas tṛṇakāṣṭhakuḍyaloṣṭapratibhāsasadṛśaḥ /	This body, being inert, is like an appearance of grass, wood, a wall, and a clod of earth.
	niśceṣṭo 'yaṃ kāyo vātayantrayukto vartate /	This motionless body exists like a machine operated by wind.
	rikto 'yaṃ kāyo 'śucipūtisaṃcayaḥ /	This body is empty, a mass of impurity and rot.
	tuccho 'yaṃ kāya ucchādanaparimardanavikiraṇavidhvansanadharmā /	This body is subject to rubbing, mashing, scattering, and destruction.
	upadruto 'yaṃ kāyaś caturuttaraiś caturbhī rogaśataiḥ /	This body is afflicted by four hundred and more diseases.
	jīrṇodapānasadṛśo 'yaṃ kāyaḥ sadā jarābhibhūtaḥ /	This body, always overcome by old age, is like a ruined well.
	paryantasthāyī batāyaṃ kāyo maraṇaparyavasānaḥ /	Alas, this body is transient and ends in death.
	vadhakāśīviṣaśūnyagrāmopamo 'yaṃ kāyaḥ skandhadhātvāyatanaparigṛhītaḥ /	This body is like a village devoid of a hangman, a poisonous snake, and a zero, grasped by the aggregates, elements, and sense-bases.
	tatra yuṣmābhir evaṃrūpe kāye nirvidvirāga utpādayitavyas tathāgatakāye ca spṛhotpādayitavyā /	Therefore, disgust and detachment should be generated by you towards a body of this nature, and desire should be generated towards the body of the Tathāgata.
vkn 2.12	dharmakāyo hi mārṣāḥ tathāgatakāyo dānanirjātaḥ śīlanirjātaḥ samādhinirjātaḥ prajñānirjāto vimuktinirjāto vimuktijñānadarśananirjātaḥ / maitrīkaruṇāmuditopekṣānirjātaḥ	Indeed, friends, the body of a Tathagata is the Dharma-body, born of generosity, born of morality, born of meditation, born of wisdom, born of liberation, born of the knowledge and vision of liberation, and born of loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity.
	maitrīkaruṇāmuditopekṣānirjātaḥ	Born of friendship, compassion, joy, and equanimity
	dānadamasaṃyamanirjātaḥ kṣāntisauratyanirjāto dṛḍhavīryakuśalamūlanirjāto dhyānavimokṣasamādhisamāpattinirjātaḥ śrutaprajñopāyanirjātaḥ	Born from giving, self-control, and restraint; born from patience and gentleness; born from the roots of goodness and firm energy; born from meditation, liberation, concentration, and absorption; born from learning, wisdom, and skillful means.
	saptatriṃśadbodhipakṣyanirjātaḥ śamathavidarśanānirjāto daśabalanirjātaś caturvaiśāradyanirjātaḥ	Born of the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, born of tranquility and insight, born of the ten powers, and born of the four fearlessnesses.
	abhijñāvidyānirjātaḥ sarvākuśaladharmaprahāṇāya nirjātaḥ sarvakuśaladharmaparigrahanirjātaḥ satyanirjāto bhūtanirjāto 'pramādanirjātaḥ	Produced from supernatural knowledge and science; produced for the sake of abandoning all unwholesome dharmas; produced from the acceptance of all wholesome dharmas; produced from truth; produced from reality; produced from vigilance.
	apramāṇaśubhakarmanirjāto mārṣās tathāgatakāyas tatra yuṣmābhiḥ spṛhā kartavyā	O sirs, the body of the Tathagata is born of immeasurable virtuous deeds; you should aspire to it.
	sarvasatvānāṃ ca sarvakleśavyādhiprahāṇāyānuttarāyāṃ samyaksaṃbodhau cittāny utpādayitavyāni	And the thoughts of all beings must be directed toward the attainment of unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment for the sake of the removal of all afflictions and diseases.
vkn 2.13	evaṃ vimalakīrtir licchavis tathā saṃnipatitānāṃ teṣāṃ glānaparipṛcchakānāṃ tathā tathā dharmaṃ deśayati yad bahūni satvaśatasahasrāṇy anuttarāyāṃ samyaksaṃbodhau cittāny utpādayanti	Thus Vimalakīrti taught the Dharma in various ways to the Licchavis who had gathered to inquire about his illness, so that many hundreds of thousands of beings generated thoughts of unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.
	acintyopāyakauśalyaparivarto nāma dvitīyaḥ //	The second chapter, called 'The Inconceivable Skill in Means'.

Text is downloadable from here:

https://gretil.sub.uni-goettingen.de/gretil/corpustei/transformations/plaintext/sa_vimalakIrtinirdezasUtra.txt