The Buddha - was Not a Buddhist

The 12 nidanas (causes), which the Wheel of Life, describe the chain of causation by which the cycle of death and rebirth known as samsara is created. They are also known as the 12 links of dependent origination.

In the Lankavatara Sutra, someone asks the Buddha, “What is speech? What are words?” And the Buddha says, “Speech is a combination of projections. It arises due to attachment to habit energy and the discrimination of our own mind.” By themselves, sounds have no meaning. The meaning of a certain word is given by the context in which it’s delivered, as well as its tone. Saying, “Hey,” in a soft voice is not the same as yelling, “Hey!” Context and tone matter, which points to the ways in which words can become weaponized.