Words as "mere expressions." In this passage of the #PaliCanon of #Buddhism (Samyutta Nikaya 1.25), the question is: Does the "Arahant" (who has attained the goal) use the word "I"? The answer is yes, but only conventionally:
Words as "makeshift description." In the #Tao Te Ching, 15 (D.C. Lau):
> Of old he who was well versed in the way
> Was minutely subtle, mysteriously comprehending,
> And too profound to be known.
> It is because he could not be known
> That he can only be given a makeshift description:
An anti-linguistic thread, in which words are described as "mere expressions," as "servants," and as "makeshift description" in three different areas of #philosophy: #Taoism#Buddhism and #Greek philosophy @philosophy
(Yes, I know the Lau translation of the #Tao is a bit unlike other translations of this passage)
@obu - AMAZING comprehensive FREE online courses on a variety of topics. I'm doing one on the words of the #Buddha and I am loving it. #Education#OnlineLearning
And as @zenartcenter has noted, there are female Bodhisattvas within the #Mahayana tradition.
This is not to say that there are not problems. But I've always thought religious communities are so diverse. Consider #Christianity - you can have hardcore Christian nationalists in the US and you can have radical peace churches like the Quakers, Mennonites, and Amish within the same tradition.
The key is to not see religious traditions as monolithic and to understand that there are many traditions operating simultaneously within the larger umbrella and which can become more important in certain places, times, societies, and contexts.