According to the Chinese classification of Buddhist scriptures, the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa （Vkn） was categorized as a teaching that discourages the Lesser Vehicle and encourages the Great Vehicle. Due to this traditional evaluation, it has been generally and widely accepted that the sūtra discriminates against Śrāvakas. However, according to recent research on Chinese commentaries, this is not necessarily true. For example, Jizang （549-623） who had denied such a classification, insisted that rather than being a matter of superiority between Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, the integration of the two was more important.
Therefore, in this paper I examine this point from the perspective of the Sanskrit version of Vkn—since the sūtra itself warns its readers not to be caught by words, but to try to fathom the meaning or purpose behind them. By analyzing and understanding the intentions hidden behind Vkn’s ways of expression—especially yamaka （two-fold） rhetoric—it becomes clear that Vkn does not discriminate against Śrāvakas, but rather skillfully leads them to accept the Mahāyāna teachings and achieve the realm of non-dualism and emptiness.
