Vimalakirti and Manjushri

Made from a stone engraving in a temple, the rubbing image depicts an episode from the Vimalakirti Sutra, one of the influential Buddhist sacred texts in China. In a debate about religion, Vimalakirti, seated on the right, wins the respect of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, pictured on the left. The story became popular because its hero was not a deity or monk but a layman who demonstrates his mastery of doctrine. His plain clothing as a scholar and a landscape painting behind him express his lay status, embodying the essence of Chinese culture.