Vimalakīrti is a bodhisattva and the central figure in the Vimalakirti Sutra, which presents him as the ideal Mahayana Buddhist upāsaka and a contemporary of Gautama Buddha. There is no mention of him
Sculpture of Vimalakirti at the Hosso (Yogacara) temple of Kōfuku-ji, 1196 CE
Vimalakirti, 8th-century wall painting, Dunhuang
The layman Vimalakīrti Debates Manjusri, Dunhuang Mogao Caves
Depiction of Vimalakirti from the Southern Song period (1127–1279)
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, bodhi or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or bodhi in
Vimalakirti
…Vimalakīrti (Sanskrit: विमल vimala "stainless, undefiled" + कीर्ति kīrti "fame, glory, reputation") is a bodhisattva and the central figure in the Vimalakirti Sutra, which presents him as the ideal Mahayana Buddhist upāsaka ("lay practitioner") and a contemporary of…
A 9th-century relief depicting Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, from the Candi Plaosan temple located in Central Java, Indonesia
Probable early image of a bodhisattva (Bimaran casket, 50 CE)
Gandharan relief depicting the bodhisattva (future Gautama Buddha) taking a vow at the foot of Dipankara Buddha, Art Institute of Chicago
6th century painting of Maitreya, Kizil Caves, Cave 224