Vimalakīrti ［維摩詰］ (;  Yuimakitsu): A wealthy Buddhist layman of the city of Vaishālī at the time of Shakyamuni. He is the protagonist of the Vimalakīrti Sutra, in which he represents the ideal Mahayana lay believer. According to the sutra, he had mastered the profound doctrines of Mahayana and instructed the people with various skillful means. The sutra depicts him as refuting the Hinayana views held by Shakyamuni’s voice-hearer disciples such as Shāriputra with devastating eloquence and preaching Mahayana doctrines to them based on his understanding of non-substantiality and non-duality. See also Vimalakīrti Sutra.