Tuesday, January 26, 2016

A reflection on what cannot be spoken about

5 comments:

Heath White said...

Deep Thoughts Part XXX...?

Karl Aho said...

I for one welcome the indirect communication--or at least how performative it is.

Alexander R Pruss said...

Karl:

Keywords updated.

Dan Johnson said...

This is almost exactly how chapter 9 of the Vimalakirti sutra (a major Mahayana Buddhist Scripture) ends. Everybody keeps trying to explain "nondualistic reality"; when Vimalakirti is asked, he remains silent, and that's the best and last explanation of the nature of ultimate reality. Definitely indirect or performative communication, together with the idea that that's the only sort of thing fitting for grasping ultimate reality.

You aren't turning into a Mahayana Buddhist on me, are you? :)

Alexander R Pruss said...

Of course, the title is a cheat, just as it is a cheat that Vimalakirti is silent *when asked*. And there is something interesting about the fact that even indirect communication needs to cheat like that.