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二諦

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: two truths

Senses:

  • (Skt. satya-dvaya). The ultimate truth 眞諦 (paramârtha-satya) and conventional truth 世俗諦 (saṃvṛti-satya). The ultimate truth is the view of reality as experienced by enlightened people. Since it transcends dualistic logic, it cannot exactly be expressed in linguistic constructions. The conventional (or relative) truth is reality as experienced by unenlightened people, and is expressed readily in dualistic linguistic constructions. Conventional truth is also written as 俗諦, 世諦, 覆俗諦, and 覆諦, meaning common or ordinary statement, as if phenomena were real. Absolute truth is also expressed as 勝義諦, 第一義諦, and 第一義. From the ultimate viewpoint everything is equal and void, while from the conventional viewpoint everything is different from every other thing and existent. In Madhyamaka 中觀派, any given doctrine can be seen in both divisions of absolute and relative. The theory of affirmation is called the conventional truth, while that of negation is called the absolute truth. Laws belonging to religious affairs are called ultimate, while laws connected with royal or political affairs are regarded as conventional. The Chinese Sanlun scholar Jizang wrote a full-length treatise on the two truths, the Erdi yi 二諦義 (T 1854) (Skt. dvisatya, saṃbhṛti-dvaya; Tib. bden pa gnyis). 〔入楞伽經 T 671.16.571b23〕 [Charles Muller; source(s): Ui, Nakamura, Hirakawa, YBh-Ind]
  • Fr. les deux vérités [Paul Swanson]

  • References:

    Lai, Whalen W. 1978. “Sinitic Understanding of the Two Truths Theory in the Liang Dynasty (502–557): Ontological Gnosticism in the Thoughts of Prince Chao-ming.” Philosophy East and West 28 (3): 339–351.

    Lusthaus, Dan. . “The Two Truths (Saṃvṛti-satya and Paramārtha-satya) in Early Yogācāra.” Journal of Buddhist Studies 2010 : 101–152.

    Streng, Frederick J. 1971. “The Buddhist Doctrine of Two Truths as Religious Philosophy.” Journal of Indian Philosophy 1 : 262–271.

    [Charles Muller]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 819

    Bulgyo sajeon 725a

    A Glossary of Zen Terms (Inagaki) 263

    Zengo jiten (Iriya and Koga) 9-P175

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 1048d

    Fo Guang Dictionary 244

    Ding Fubao

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 0086

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1-6)3187a,4026b, (v.9-10)571b

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 1096-3*1330-1

    Sanskrit-Tibetan Index for the Yogâcārabhūmi-śāstra (Yokoyama and Hirosawa)

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 1993-09-01

    Updated: 2021-05-17