Words and Ultimate Truth

Mahamati again asked the Buddha, "Bhagavan, are words ultimate truth? Or is what they express ultimate truth?"

The Buddha replied, "Mahamati, words are not ultimate truth, nor is what they express ultimate truth. And how so? Ultimate truth is what buddhas delight in. And what words lead to is ultimate truth. But words are not ultimate truth. Ultimate truth is what is attained by the personal realization of buddha knowledge. It is not a realm known by means of the projection of words. Therefore, the projection of words does not express ultimate truth."

---The Lankavatara Sutra---