Triptych of Buddhist, Saint Vimalakirti (Yuima)

Vimalakirti is the name of a lay Buddhist who appears in a Mahayana Buddhist scripture. This highly knowledgeable and wealthy man is believed to have actually existed in India. One day, he is said to have engaged in a debate with Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, over the concept of the ultimate state of non-duality. While Manjushri said that it was "beyond words, beyond explaining," despite using words to express that fact, Vimalakirti remained silent, thus providing an answer simply through his attitude. This well-known episode of Vimalakirti's silence has been taken up in numerous paintings, and this is one such work. Expressing the sage's transcendent aspect through his long white beard and piercing eyes, the painting is solemn, despite its bright and pale colors.