75
PROBLEMS OF LANGUAGE IN
BUDDHIST TANTRA
George R. Elder
Source: History of Religions 15, 3 (1975): 231-50.Near the beginning of his vast Summa Theologica, Thomas Aquinas quotes from
a patristic writing: "The sacred Scriptures surpass all sciences by their manner of
speaking. In one and the same word they record an event and proclaim a
mystery." Concurring, Thomas goes on to distinguish between literal and spir-
itual interpretation by stating: "God is the author of sacred Scripture, and he is
able not only to adapt words (which even a man can do) but also to adapt things
to signify something. While words mean something in every science, it is char-
acteristic of this science that the things which the words indicate themselves
signify something" (I, 1, 10).^1 Here we observe a medieval Christian theologian
grappling with the problem of language within his particular religious tradition,
and we observe that the discussion of this problem does not originate with
Thomas but is passed down to him. The issue would seem to be inherent in
sacred materials. Of course, this issue is potentially significant for any discipline
or art making use of words, but here-in the thought of Thomas-we notice that
the problem is felt keenly, that the problem is taken to be a particularly tough
one for religion. And there appears to be warrant for such a feeling. In this
"manner of speaking," a single word is said to be capable of multiple meanings,
one of the meanings remaining a "mystery." It is acknowledged that words
signify but that also things can be used to signify; thus, one might be confronted
in religious discourse with a depth of meanings-a word signifying something,
itself signifying something else. Obviously, the problem of language in this
context lies not with the language as such-which seems capable of many possi-
bilities with no problem at all-but with the interpretation of this highly versa-
tile manner of discourse. The problem is stated by the question, How are we to
take what is being said?
The reader may be assured that we are concerned with this question and its
answer within Buddhist Tantra. But we have chosen to open our considerations
with this look at developed Christian thought-interesting in itself-to call
attention to the presence of our problem of language elsewhere, perhaps