Teachings on the Two Truths
“The Buddha’s teaching of the
Dharma is based on two truths:
a truth of worldly convention
and an ultimate truth.
Those who do not understand
the distinction drawn between these two truths
do not understand the Buddha’s profound truth.
Without a foundation in the
conventional truth the significance of the ultimate cannot be taught.
Without understanding the significance of the ultimate, liberation is not achieved.”
Shakyamuni Buddha’s first of Four Noble Truths is an acknowledgement of the suffering that one experiences in any of the six realms of existence. What a relief it was for me when I first read this foundational teaching. The impact was such that I remember the exact moment in time and location of that first exposure. When I first came to the Buddhist path I was in much personal turmoil and to have that suffering directly acknowledged and addressed with methods and teachings designed to free oneself from suffering was a gift beyond measure.
I have always found that one of the most effective ways to work with difficulty is to see how it is that I habitually get caught and to see the larger picture, to see the truth of my experience in the context of a larger reality. This is true on many levels. It is easy for us to live in a small bubble whether it be that of our habitual patterns or of our immediate social and familial network. When we limit ourselves to the narrow perspective of that which is close and familiar, whether it be on the level of the personal or interpersonal, we limit our access to a view that helps us see through the density of our struggles and differences, a view that allows our innate wisdom and compassion to arise, one that can ultimately liberate us and all beings.
The teaching of the Two Truths is a profound gift as it is the ultimate shift in perspective from the limited to the limitless. These two truths present two ways of experiencing the same reality. They are frequently referred to as relative truth and ultimate truth. They can also be translated as apparent or conventional truth and genuine truth. Apparent truth is a reality or dimension that is limited severely by habitual patterns whereas genuine truth is a reality that is beyond all thought and limitation, utterly free and beyond any dimension whose size could be conceived.
I have always found that one of the most effective ways to work with difficulty is to see how it is that I habitually get caught and to see the larger picture, to see the truth of my experience in the context of a larger reality.
Apparent truth is our everyday, ordinary moment-to-moment experience when we are relating to the world through a dualistic view of self and other. As soon as we divide consciousness into the duality of self and other, we cut ourselves off from the limitless experience of being that is beyond all concept. This undivided experience of primordial awareness is the genuine truth, the ultimate, authentic reality. It is the way things truly are.
Apparent and genuine truths are not two parallel realities. Genuine truth is the basis of all while apparent truth is the experience of genuine truth being concealed by habitual thoughts, perspectives, and behavior born from lifetimes of dualistic existence. Because the power of our habitual patterns is so strong, this concealment is thorough and convincing, and we experience it as a true reality. This is why it is called apparent truth. Apparent truth is like our experience when we dream, but don’t recognize that we are dreaming. We take all of the experiences in the dream, both frightening and blissful, to be real and experience them with intensity. Genuine reality is like when we wake up in the dream and recognize the dream experience to be the play of the mind. The consciousness is not different, but our perspective and experience of it is.
When we enter the spiritual path, we often think of ourselves being on a journey to enlightenment, like it is a faraway destination where we hope to eventually arrive. In actuality, the freedom to be found in the ultimate truth is nowhere other than the present moment, when it is experienced from a non-dual perspective. Where else could it be? The only place either of these experiences of reality can be experienced is the present moment. The habitual division of our consciousness into self and other is the veil between suffering and liberation; the limited and the limitless.
For as long as we are incarnate, we will be relating to the relative/apparent world. Recognizing that genuine reality is simultaneously present with this experience of the relative level allows us to fully embrace, engage with and experience this human life with all its joys and sorrows while simultaneously recognizing it all to be the illusory play of awakened mind. Our innate wisdom and compassion naturally rise to the surface as we recognize that we all share this predicament of a limited perspective and the pain that can result.
The Fall 2021 Sukhasiddhi Sunday series was an exploration of the Two Truths. Using the philosophical schools as a skillful map, we progressively deepened our understanding by exploring the Two Truths in the context of each of these schools. This gradual approach allowed for a more genuine experience of the Two Truths to emerge as opposed to one that is purely theoretical.
Each Sukhasiddhi Sundays session includes silent meditation, inquiry and discussion, and guidance for how to allow the teachings to steep in your experience between classes, becoming a lived understanding.
