In previous sections we have discussed the concepts of "No Self", "No Being", and "Non-dualism", in this section we will discuss briefly the concept of "No Words." The Buddha discusses how words are a creation of people with no innate permanent quality, saying "Words are neither different nor non-different from discrimination. Words rise from discrimination as their cause. Just like things are subject to birth and destruction." And he adds, "words are an artificial creation."
What this means for the practicing Buddhist is that we have to disassociate with the reliance on words. Words are not the truth, and a reliance on them will eventually be more a hindrance to learning than a benefit. The purpose of words is to describe to ourselves and communicate with others things that we have perceived. Undoubtedly, when humans first created language it was to describe natural phenomena that they were seeing. As we are able to perceive more things more words were created to document such perceptions. And as society evolves, words take on greater use, meaning and power, however, the underlying personality of the words is based on erroneous discriminations.
For example, when we see a dog, we think the word dog and we associate all those qualities that we perceive with a dog. However, what we do not associate, is all the qualities that we don't perceive with our senses, since that is not the way we have developed to engage with the world. But a dog is composed not just of fur, eyes, cuteness, bark, etc., a dog is composed of ignorance, suffering, karma, past, present, and future, etc. And we do this with all things. This would not be a problem if one were cognizant of the fact, but if we are not cognizant of this, our ignorance will only get compounded by words, because words grant legitimacy to the erroneous perceptions. In this way people "they do not realize that things have nothing to do with qualify an qualifying, nor with the course of birth, abiding and destruction, and instead they assert that they are born of a creator, of time, of atoms, of some celestial spirit," said the Buddha.
So how can we attain enlightenment without words? The simple answer is "we" probably cannot. Our bodies and minds have developed a dependency to words as a form of communication, but that does not mean all beings do. As there are "Buddha worlds where there are no words." However, it is important for a Buddhist to realize its limitations and not become too reliant on the words. As there will be those who will use words and language to twist and turn the teachings to find fault and to minimize its purpose, the Buddha warned "Bodhisattvas should avoid all discussion relating the assertions and negations whose only basis is words and logic." Therefore, there is no profit to pursue philosophical, scientific, or theological discussions with those whose sole contentions are the definitions of terms and wordplay. As even Buddhist texts and sutras suffer from the same dangers of the fallacy of words.
That is why even though Buddhism speaks of attaining enlightenment, when the Buddha was asked how does one attain enlightenment, responded that enlightenment cannot be achieved because it is cannot be strived for, as it is neither coming or going, it is neither present or not present, and Nirvana is neither part of or separate from the world. Such statements cannot be accepted by the skeptical mind, but enlightenment is beyond worldly descriptions, and enlightenment cannot be gained through the studying of texts and the practice of rituals, it is only though self-realization that one become enlightened.
What this means for the practicing Buddhist is that we have to disassociate with the reliance on words. Words are not the truth, and a reliance on them will eventually be more a hindrance to learning than a benefit. The purpose of words is to describe to ourselves and communicate with others things that we have perceived. Undoubtedly, when humans first created language it was to describe natural phenomena that they were seeing. As we are able to perceive more things more words were created to document such perceptions. And as society evolves, words take on greater use, meaning and power, however, the underlying personality of the words is based on erroneous discriminations.
For example, when we see a dog, we think the word dog and we associate all those qualities that we perceive with a dog. However, what we do not associate, is all the qualities that we don't perceive with our senses, since that is not the way we have developed to engage with the world. But a dog is composed not just of fur, eyes, cuteness, bark, etc., a dog is composed of ignorance, suffering, karma, past, present, and future, etc. And we do this with all things. This would not be a problem if one were cognizant of the fact, but if we are not cognizant of this, our ignorance will only get compounded by words, because words grant legitimacy to the erroneous perceptions. In this way people "they do not realize that things have nothing to do with qualify an qualifying, nor with the course of birth, abiding and destruction, and instead they assert that they are born of a creator, of time, of atoms, of some celestial spirit," said the Buddha.
So how can we attain enlightenment without words? The simple answer is "we" probably cannot. Our bodies and minds have developed a dependency to words as a form of communication, but that does not mean all beings do. As there are "Buddha worlds where there are no words." However, it is important for a Buddhist to realize its limitations and not become too reliant on the words. As there will be those who will use words and language to twist and turn the teachings to find fault and to minimize its purpose, the Buddha warned "Bodhisattvas should avoid all discussion relating the assertions and negations whose only basis is words and logic." Therefore, there is no profit to pursue philosophical, scientific, or theological discussions with those whose sole contentions are the definitions of terms and wordplay. As even Buddhist texts and sutras suffer from the same dangers of the fallacy of words.
That is why even though Buddhism speaks of attaining enlightenment, when the Buddha was asked how does one attain enlightenment, responded that enlightenment cannot be achieved because it is cannot be strived for, as it is neither coming or going, it is neither present or not present, and Nirvana is neither part of or separate from the world. Such statements cannot be accepted by the skeptical mind, but enlightenment is beyond worldly descriptions, and enlightenment cannot be gained through the studying of texts and the practice of rituals, it is only though self-realization that one become enlightened.