The purpose of explaining the Two Truths is that we are basically confused and ignorant about reality. His Holiness The Dalai lama familiarises us with the four tenets which form the Two Truths
We are all human beings who want happiness and do not want suffering. There are different kinds of philosophies and systems of teaching in human society and Buddhism is one of them. As a follower of Buddha, I have learnt a few things. The basic foundation of Buddhist philosophy is made up of two truths: if you find something useful in these teachings, you should investigate it for yourself and try to implement it in your daily life; if you find nothing important, then you should just leave it.
Most of you know about the Four Noble Truths (true suffering, true cause of suffering, true cessation, and true path). They are the foundation of Buddhism. The goal of every sentient being is happiness, permanent happiness. Hence, these Four Noble Truths become significant. Because we do not want suffering, it is most important to investigate their causes. Is it possible to eliminate themIJ If so, it is worth the attempt. Otherwise, there is no point in trying.
It also indicates the law of cause and effect and interdependency, and is the basis of shunya. The theory of shunya is based on the idea that things are interdependent. For, every thing has different aspects and if you compare these aspects, you find that all things are related. Its very nature is relative, and emptiness refers to its ultimate nature. Thus there is the possibility to create new things, and these will change since things depend upon other factors.
There is also the turning of the three wheels of the doctrine. In the first wheel, Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths. For people more disciplined and purified in their conduct, he taught the ‘Wisdom-Perfection Sutra’. It contains mainly the teaching of emptiness. However, depending upon the way people interpreted the thought behind that teaching, the two tenets — the Cittamatra and the Madhyamika — came into being.
In the last turning of the wheel of the doctrine, Buddha mainly emphasised how to purify the delusions of the mind. In other words, the mind has clarity that can be used to develop it in a holistic way. The Four Noble Truths were taught along with their 16 aspects. The characteristics of the aspect of true suffering are impermanence, suffering, emptiness and selflessness. In general, there is the teaching of the Four Seals and this teaching is commonly accepted by all Buddhists. The Four Seals are: all conditioned things are impermanent; all contaminated things are suffering; phenomena are selfless and empty; nirvana is peace. The four different tenets came into existence depending upon the differences of the view. They are Vaibhashika, Sautantrika, Cittamatra andMadhyamika. All these make a presentation of the Two Truths.
According to the Vaibhashika, the conventional truth means any phenomenon which cannot hold its identity after disintegration. For example, the microphone is a conventional truth, and if we split the different parts which constitute its existence, its very entity is lost. The very subtle nature of this particular instrument cannot be split or its core be thrown out. This specific nature is referred to as ‘ultimate’. According to this system, it accepts the partless particle and accepts the consciousness as momentarily partless.
According to the Sautantrika tenet, conventional truth is the one which cannot ultimately function, whereas ultimate truth is the one which can. For instance, a flower is the ultimate truth according to this system because a flower is itself produced by causes and conditions and it can also produce effect. Therefore, wit is able to produce effect, it is called functional.
Since this particular object — the flower — is not anything other than the flower, it has all the reverse qualities of not being other phenomena. Thus, that particular quality is merely a mental interpretation, and this interpretation of the quality of that flower is what is called the conventional truth.
According to the Madhyamika school, every subject or phenomenon has two qualities: its conventional quality and its ultimate quality. In other words, it has a temporary quality, and a lasting, real or permanent one. These two qualities are inevitably present in one object. Even though the entity of the conventional truth and the ultimate truth is the same, the Two Truths are different. The exponents of Cittamatra school explain the Two Truths; they start by explaining the three characteristics or signs and base their explanation of the Two Truths on that.
The purpose of explaining the Two Truths is that we are basically confused and ignorant about reality. In order to identify that ignorance and eradicate that confusion, one has to know the real nature of phenomena. Thus, the Two Truths play an important role in understanding reality.
Excerpts taken from The Transformed Mind by His Holiness The Dalai lama