Prajna: 12 Universal Wrong Conceptions: 3. Doctrine of Two Truths

«Of course I’ll hurt you. Of course you’ll hurt me. Of course we will hurt each other. But this is the very condition of existence. To become spring, means accepting the risk of winter. To become presence, means accepting the risk of absence.» ― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, "Manon, Ballerina".

Taxonomy of Existence

3. Doctrine of Two Truths

The Doctrine of Two Truths distinguishes between Conventional Truth — how things appear — and Ultimate Truth — how things truly are.

Even simple observations reveal this duality: the Sun is always shining, yet we conventionally measure day and night as roughly 12 hours each. From a solar system perspective, there is only the continuous flow of time; from the galaxy’s motion to the rotation of the Earth, our experience of “day” is a relative construct. https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11084/

In many philosophical and spiritual traditions, there is a teaching of two levels of truth:

Conventional Truth: describes the everyday experience of reality — the physical world, the Material Universe, perceived through the senses, subject to change, birth, decay, and death. It is the realm of opposites: existence and non-existence, true and false, life and death, light and darkness, day and night, presence and absence.

This dualistic understanding — often called the veil of Maya — is practical and functional. It allows us to navigate life, make decisions, and communicate effectively. Conventional truth is limited, context-dependent, and shaped by sensory perception, the scale of observation, and the structures of our experience.

Ultimate Truth: represents the timeless, formless, and unchanging reality underlying all phenomena. It is the deeper essence that transcends the flux of the material world — akin to Brahman in Vedantic philosophy, the unperishable foundation of all that exists. While conventional truth operates in duality and relativity, ultimate truth encompasses and validates it. It reveals the interdependence of all forms, the impermanence of appearances, and the unity of existence.

Unified View of Reality

Rather than seeing conventional and ultimate truths as opposing realities, they can be understood as two perspectives on a single, unified reality.

• Conventional truth functions as the relative lens through which we perceive and act in the world of change.

• Ultimate truth provides the absolute lens, illuminating the underlying unity and impermanence of all existence.

Recognizing both truths eliminates confusion and apparent contradictions. Conventional truth reflects ultimate truth through duality; ultimate truth validates and transcends conventional truth. Together, they form a coherent understanding of reality: the relative and absolute, seen and unseen, interdependent aspects of one Whole.

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Misunderstanding  the concept

• Overvaluation of Conventional Truth — Excessive reliance on conventional appearances obscures deeper truths, promoting flawed reasoning, superficial understanding, and limited perspective. One may remain trapped in fragmented, temporary views of reality.

• Internal Duality and Conflict — Viewing opposites as inherently separate (true vs. false, good vs. evil) fosters internal and external conflict. This duality can intensify divisions, perpetuate inner turmoil, and prevent the recognition of underlying unity.

• Postponement of Ultimate Understanding — Ignoring ultimate truth, whether consciously or unknowingly, delays its realization. Without engagement with the deeper reality, spiritual or philosophical development stagnates, leaving one confined to conventional, surface-level understanding indefinitely.

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Tell about your sense

• I align completely with the text
• I don't know, i'm not sure of several aspects in the text
• I desaggree completely with the text

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Thank you for seeking knowledge, wisdom and spiritual growth.