The Relationship between Language and Reality in Theravada Buddhist Philosophy

Abstract

Theravada Buddhist philosophy considers language to be conventional. Language is used to describe reality as perceived through the senses, namely the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body. Buddhadasa called this type of language “human language”. Meanings that such language conveys is dependent on opinions of the language users, which may be right or wrong. However, according to Theravada Buddhist Philosophy, absolute truth stands in relation to absolute reality that is apparent to the mind. Buddhadasa called such language of the mind “dhamma language”. A link between human and dhamma language is none other than individual human beings who are capable of understanding the reality of suffering and its cessation based on an analysis of religious language expressed in negative, univocal and analogical modes of explanation.