also: みょうたい
profound truth; cardinal principle; key insight
A literary or philosophical term for a deep, essential truth or the key to understanding something. Often used in Buddhist or scholarly contexts.
This sutra expounds the profound truths of Buddhism.
I felt the cardinal principle of life in his words.
Standard kanji spelling; the reading みょうてい is more common than みょうたい.
Alternate reading; less common than みょうてい.
From 妙 (myō, 'wondrous, exquisite') + 諦 (tei/tai, 'truth, principle'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound is used in Buddhist and philosophical texts to denote a profound, sublime truth.