Inglorious Bodhisattvas: The Path from Ugra to Vimalakirti

Most early Mahayana sutras glorify virya—vigor, or manliness —as the most desirable quality of a bodhisattva. But was this always the case? The purpose of this article is to argue that shifting notions of exemplar masculinity parallel the change from the early Mahayana, to mature developments of this Buddhist tradition. To prove my point, I will examine four influential early Mahayana sutras to argue that the bodhisattva-path discourse became gradually more assertive and authoritative.