Neyyatthadesanā & Nītatthadesanā

These two terms hold the meaning of Teaching of which meaning is to be brought and teaching of which meaning is already brought. Human language is a man made thing as it is understood by Buddhism. The Brāhmanic view of language was that language is a divine creation, therefore, Brahmins belief Vedic Sanskrit language to be perfect. Buddhism understands the language in different light. According to Buddhist view of language, the language has different deficiencies and inadequacies because it is a man made thing. Human language never represents everything on human thought, therefore, Buddhism says that sometimes truth can be fully expressed and sometimes it is not. Therefore, some teachings represent the teaching directly. They are called ‘nītatthadesanA’ (meaning brought) and the teachings that should be understood after further verification called ‘neyyatthadesana’ (meaning to be brought). The pakiNNakavagga of the ∂hammapada depending on this philosophical teaching says:

“µAtaraM pitaraM hantvA – rAjAno dve ca khattiye

raTThaM sAnucaraM hantvA – anIgho yAti brahmaNo

=Having killed mother and father, and the two warrior kings

having destroyed a country  and revenue officer, the brahmana goes ungrieving.

Here mother represents craving as reproduces birth,

Father represents conceit,

Two kings represent the two views called Eternalism and Nihilism,

Country represents ignorance or sense objects

Revenue officer represents clinging to life (cankers)

Brahmana represents the liberated one.

The Buddha says those two kinds of discourses should not be mixed. Each should be understood as it is.

“Yo ca nItattaM suttantaM neyyattaM suttantanti dIpeti, neyyatthaM suttantaM nItattaM suttantanti dIpeti te tathAgataM abbhAcikkhanti.”