The Moving Feast: Reading into the Fragrant Chapter of the Vimalakirtinirdesa

Abstract

The ninth chapter (or the tenth in the Chinese versions) of the Vimalakirtinirdesa (Weimoji jing), " The Feast Brought by the Emanated [Bodhisattva]" (Nirmitabhojananayana) follows the climax of the whole narrative where Vimalakirti and Manjusri exchange their understanding of non-duality. In contrast to that density of teaching, chapter nine appears to be rather loose in doctrinal orientation. No wonder why it has gained limited attention among scholars except for a few (Lamotte 1962; Gummer 2014). Much is yet to be explored around the complexity and the transformative power of the dramatic scenario. In this paper, I will limit myself to two motifs in this chapter: the name of the Buddha Gandhottamakua (Accumulated Fragrance; Xiangjifo, Xiangtaifo) as an allusion to Gandhakui, and avasesa, the "leftovers" (avasesa; yu) of Buddha's meal.