􀒁􀐎􀐰􀈠􀔴􀎷􀈡􀚩􀈠􀏍􁍕􀈡􀣁􀙯􀇴􀯖􀫸􁁰􀕕􀙿􀧎􀞑􁇟􀙂􀸼􀱣􀇶􀥨􀓃􀡰􀑀 􀈠􀔴􀎷􀈡􁆶􀈠􀏍􁍕􀈡􀓚􀔾􀹓􀒔􀒅􀏸􁃹􁄽􁆶􀡽􀪇􀐪􀒥􀏐􁇟􀙂􀸼􀱣􁊳􀔄􀇴􀨔􀮤􀙎 􀬑􀓦􀡽􀏌􀙂􀎞􀙂􀇵􀡽􁇥􀔶􀎞􀏌􁇥􀇴􀐰􀒅􀏸􀇵􀒥􀪇􀞑􀐑􀔄􀇴􀙰􀟄􁁲􀚁􀦣􁏢􀙀􁀾􀇶 􀚁􀔛􀇴􀈠􀔴􀎷􀈡􁆶􀈠􀏍􁍕􀈡􀒅􀏸􀇵􀒥􀪇􀞑􀙂􁇥􀸼􀱣􀇴􀑑􀙀􀎋􀙤􀓅􀳯􀳀􀇴􀙯􀓵 􀙿􀞣􁇟􀙂􀸼􀱣􀏐􁁮􀒔􀇴􀎏􀣁􀓣􁔈􀏌􀑑􁇥􀞑􁁰􁆶􀞜􀜄􀇴􀔶􀐪􀓧􁇟􀙂􀸼􀱣􀺎􀭱􀎠􀇴 􀣣􁡉􀒢􁇥􁆶􀏌􁇥􀞑􀼾􀖮􁆶􀐆􁁋􀋇􀋇􀕻􁇥􀏌􀑑􁇥􀑑􀺎􀣁􁇥􀏐􀾗􀴢􀇴􀔶􀏐􀜌􀐰􀤾 􁇥􀇴􀎞􀢂􀣁􀎑􀏌􁇥􀇴􁡉􀒢􀑀􁇥􁆶􀏌􁇥􀻔􀏐􀏌􀕻􀏌􁚆􀇹􀔶􀓵􀔜􀏐􁇟􀙂􀸼􀱣􀎨􀧖 􀒢􀑀􀭏􁄊􀇵􁡫􀑯􀏐􀩝􁍦􀇴􀙬􀫈􀏌􀭺􀹱􀔶􀹓􀒔􁇟􀙂􀇵􁎯􀻲􁇟􀙂􀏌􀳏􁇟􀙂􀜌􁇤􀇶 􀴨􀡕􀇴􁇟􀙂􀸼􀱣􁁋􀚻􀏐􁁮􀒔􀜰􀜭􀐇􀬆􀥄􀥟􀞑􁇤􁀾􀇴􀒁􀐎􀎨􀺾􀎋􀘁􀕢􀑀􁋂􀰮􀇶

Abstract This paper takes Laozi and Mulamadhyamakakarika as instances to discuss the linguistic strategies of Taoism and Buddhism. First, I point out that both the Laozi and the Mulamadhyamakakarika make good use of dualistic dialectic such as recto/verso or confirmation/negation as modes of linguistic strategies and moreover tend to express philosophical ideas circuitously, and hence non-speaking is usually viewed as a form of speaking and saying as not saying. Second, the linguistic strategies of recto/verso or confirmation/negation in the Laozi and the Mulamadhyamakakarika exhibit a number of notable similarities, e.g. employment of linguistic strategies for the sake of responding to the unsayable Dao and wunyata. Moreover, from the perspective of linguistic strategies, the delicacy and paradox of saying and non-saying are revealed; that is, claiming the unsayable could be viewed as a certain preparation for being about to say, while saying, by contrast, is for the sake of saying no more. Hence, there is a dialectical relation between saying and non-saying which serves to manifest the dynamic nature and flexibility within their linguistic strategies. These characteristics show us how to use language skillfully, without clinging to ideas and in a manner that masters language without being misled by it. Finally, I attempt to clear up certain misunderstandings with regard to the skillful linguistic strategies employed in the Laozi and the Mulamadhyamakakarika.