Final answer:
The central teaching of the Vimalakirti Sutra emphasizes the non-duality and the possibility of attaining enlightenment in lay life through wisdom, compassion, and the Bodhisattva path.
Step-by-step explanation:
The central teaching of the Vimalakirti Sutra, a Mahayana Buddhist text, primarily stresses the idea of non-duality and the importance of practicing the Bodhisattva path in everyday lay life. It presents the protagonist, Vimalakirti, as an enlightened layman who possesses a profound understanding of the Buddhist teachings. The Sutra indicates that one does not need to become a monk or a nun to achieve enlightenment; instead, what is essential is to cultivate wisdom and compassion in one's everyday actions. Moreover, the teachings emphasize the idea that the ultimate reality is beyond conventional labels of existence and non-existence, fullness and emptiness, suffering and nirvana.
The teaching of the Vimalakirti Sutra resonates with the core principles of the Four Noble Truths, which assert that suffering exists, it has a cause, it can cease, and there is a path to the cessation of suffering -- primarily through the practice of the Eightfold Path. This is represented as the Middle Way, which is a balanced path of life avoiding both extreme asceticism and indulgence. By incorporating these teachings into daily life, followers are guided toward the realization of enlightenment or nirvana, which is the cessation of all suffering and attachment.