Two Kinds of Language ❖ ภาษาคนภาษาธรรม
~ By Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu ~
MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN RELIGIONS Series No. 8
[INTRODUCTION by Buddha-Nigama Chiangmai]
Every field of human knowledge has its own specialized vocabulary. The layman reading a textbook on physics is at first baffled by the strange jargon used. Some of the terms he encounters are brand new to him; others, such as “mass” and “work,” are quite familiar to him as ordinary everyday words but are obviously being used in the scientific context with rather different and specialized meanings.
Religion also has a special language of its own, which has to be learnt before there can be any communication of ideas on the subject. In this special language of religion, just as in the jargon of science, some of the words are brand new, coined just for the purpose, and others are old familiar terms used in new ways.
The talk recorded in this booklet deals in particular with the special language which the Buddha, Gotama, used in teaching. The author has called this the Language of Dhamma. But since the Higher Truth or Dhamma is constant, independent of time, place, and teacher, the language in which it is discussed is to a large extent international. The language which the Buddha used in expounding the Dhamma has a lot in common with that which Jesus Christ used in teaching that same Dhamma. So, though this talk was intended specifically for a Buddhist audience, much of it is equally relevant and to the point in the context of Christianity or any other religion.
If we are to understand the Dhamma as taught by the Buddha or any other great teacher, we must first become familiar with the special terminology used. We must first learn the Language of Dhamma. It is in the belief that it will serve as a useful guide to distinguishing everyday language from Dhamma (Dharmic) language that this little booklet has been printed.
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