Vimalamitra was arguably one of the most eminent Indian masters who played essential roles in forming Tibetan Buddhist tradition and a key figure who disseminated the teaching of unsurpassable Yoga Tantra (Anuttara Tantra) and the Great Perfection (rdzogs chen) both in India and in Tibet. However, it is hitherto uncertain whether there were one or two Indian masters who carried the same name and were both active in Tibet at the same time, or whether Vimalamitra was a progenitor of the Great Perfection teaching of the rNying ma pa or a propagator of the Chinese-styled Sudden Enlightenment Approach (cig car pa)? This paper starts with an annotated translation of Vimalamitra’s short biography in mKhas pa’i dga’ ston and is intended to clarify these controversial points concerning Vimalamitra’s life. It goes on to analyze wide-divided opinions on his treatise Cig car’jug pa rnam par mi rtog pa’i bsgom don, which reflects many central aspects of doctrinal differences between the Indian rim gyis pa and Chinese cig car pa schools during and after the legendary bSam yas debate, in modern scholarships. It follows by an annotated translation of Cig car’jug pa rnam par mi rtog pa’i bsgom don and ends with ane xperimental attempt of illustrating Vimalamitra’s unique position of synthesizing both cig car pa and rim gyispa’s approaches towards the realization of non-conceptual wisdom by applying the criterion of doctorial differences and superiorities through the notion 「conceptualization」 and 「non-conceptualization」 established by gNubs chen Sangs rgyas ye shes in his treatise bSam gtan mig sgron.
