Vimalāvadāna

Vimalāvadāna is a distinctive avadāna narrative concerning Vimala and his spiritual journey toward Buddhahood. The text is structured through three narrative layers. In the first, the Bodhisattva Jineśvarī responds to questions posed by the monk Jayaśrī; in the second, King Aśoka inquires of the monk Upagupta; and in the third, the narrative reaches its oldest frame, wherein the Buddha delivers a discourse at Jetavana Monastery concerning the practices of Vimala. The story recounts how the lay devotee (upāsaka) Vimala first learns of the Buddha through a peacock and is subsequently inspired to pursue the Buddha’s teachings. The avadāna further emphasizes the religious merit associated with the construction and worship of caityas. It specifically extols the virtues of worship performed on Āśvina Pūrṇimā, a tradition that continues to be observed among the Buddhist Newars of the Kathmandu Valley. The manuscript is incomplete, and its samāptivākya identifies the text as a chapter of the Vicitraratnāvadāna. The manuscript preserved in this collection thus provides valuable material for the study of Newar Buddhist narrative literature, merit-making practices, and the textual transmission of avadāna traditions.