維摩義記 4.19

4.19

Question: What is the difference between speech (言), exposition (說), indication (示), and cognition (識), that they are individually stated to be absent? Answer: Stating characters with the mouth is called speech (言); elucidating the Dharma through speech is only then called exposition (說). Alternatively, utterable words that accord with the Dharma are speech (言); elucidating the Dharma through speech is called exposition (說); revealing the Dharma with reference to a person is called indication (示); and causing a person to understand the Dharma is spoken of as cognition (識). These exist in accordance with the conventional, but in the ultimate all are absent, so it says "there is no speech" down to "no cognition."