Language as an Instrument of Soteriological Transformation from the Madhyamaka Perspective

Buddhist teachings and practices can be viewed as a journey of soteriological transformation, where language, as a tool for the analysis of views, occupies a place of special significance and importance. This article examines how the concept of non-duality, from the Madhyamaka perspective, has served as a powerful rhetorical device with the explicit aim of fostering soteriological transformation. Among the various expressions representative of the Madhyamaka perspective, two are particularly explored in this article for their facilitation of soteriological transformation: the expression of ‘neither a dharma nor a not-dharma’ (na sa dharmo nâdharma?) and the teaching that ‘one should let go even of dharmas, still more so not-dharmas’ (dharmā? eva prahātavyā? prāg evâdharmā?). I argue that the Madhyamaka expression of ‘neither A nor not-A’ is hardly ever just about conforming to any linguistic conventions. It is about gaining liberation from linguistic conventions and unexamined remarks.