Monday, September 27, 2021

Buddhist Semiology

Some Notes on Buddhist Semiology 

§1. Semiology is said to be another term for “semiotics,” which in turn, is said to be “the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation.” §2. Is it justified to talk of a “Buddhist semiology”? Obviously. Let us keep it very basic. The signs, significations, the signified. Think of: abhidhāna and abhidheya; lakṣaṇa and lakṣya, saṃketa, sāṃketika and pāramārthika. Add Tibetan words for these. There are many more terms and concepts that relevant for semiology. §3. Physical, verbal, and conceptual signs have some referents as the signified. Sounds and symbols are signs only if there is something signified. §4. Those factors which bind signs with the signified are conceptual constructions. Without conceptual constructions, semiology would not possible. §5. Take terms such as vinaya, abhidharma, prajñāparamitā, tantra. Always two: abhidhāna and abhidheya; pada and artha. §6. Rong zom pa speaks of brdar gyur pa, sgrar grags pa, sgrar snang ba. All of these are signs. §7. All signs are conceptually signed. Verbal and sign languages operate according to a similar principle: sgra don ’dres ’dzin. As such, related with language and logic. §9. The terms nimitta and saṃjñā. No saṃjñā without nimitta. Ontology and soteriology. Note: nimitta as a cause: material cause and logical cause. Former in a narrow sense is gender specific signs: such as male and female physical attributes and organs. §9. Gender specific nimittas (real or imagined) activate or instigate feelings and sensations. Tackle nimitta and saṃjñā. §10. aśubhabhāvanā presuppose nimitta and saṃjñā. §11. rgyu mtshan ma med pa, chos thams cad mtshan ma med pa = chos thams cad stong pa. Ontological tabula rasa. Leave no room for mtshan ma. No mtshan ma, no saṃjñā. §12. Tantric: mtshan bcas mtshan med rdzogs rim. Using mtshan ma in a soteriologically beneficial way. §13. visual mudrās, verbal mantras, visualization also signs. dhamas as signs and dharmatā as signified. §14. Using all possible phenomena such as the 5 skandhas, all letters and syllables as signs. saṃsāric phenomena as signs and nirvāṇic reality as the signified. §15. All colors, all shapes, all times, as signs and substrates of the purity and reality. §16. All maṇḍalas, all temples, all stūpas, objects such vajra and bell are ascribed with significance of all teachings of the Buddha.