Fine Points about the Two Truths: Gelug Prasangika

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The Two Truths Have the Same Essential Nature

When the statement is made that the two truths have the same essential nature (ngo-bo gcig), but different conceptual isolates (ldog-pa tha-dad), it does not mean that they are referring to the same essential nature. It is not that the two truths are referring to the same superficial object or the same voidness of the same superficial object, but just viewed from the perspective of two different minds: a mind stained with unawareness and the mind of a Buddha.

Rather, the two truths share the same essential nature of both being devoid of self-established existence. In other words, their deepest essential natures of voidness are the same; it is just that the basis that their voidnesses are in reference to (ltos-gzhi) can be conceptually isolated as these two different items.

  • Conceptual isolation is a phenomenon that occurs merely in thought as a tool for analysis.
  • Two items that share the same essential nature but which can be conceptually isolated from each other do not, in fact, exist or occur separately from each other.

The reason why the two truths cannot be of two different deepest essential natures is the following. If superficial truths were of a different deepest essential nature from deepest truths, i.e. if superficial truths were of a different deepest essential nature than voidness, then the absurd conclusion would follow that only voidness would be devoid of self-established existence and superficial truths would not be devoid of self-established existence. This would absurdly follow because the two would have to have different deepest natures: if one is voidness, the other could not be voidness.

Although the two truths are different conceptual isolates, nevertheless, being of the same essential nature, they are inseparable (dbyer-med). “Inseparable,” in its technical sense, means that if one is the case, so is the other.

  • If it is the case that minds stained by unawareness take as true the existence of self-establishing natures that establish the superficial essential natures of things, it is also the case that non-deceptive minds will nevertheless take as true the deepest essential natures of things, i.e. their voidness.
  • If it is the case that non-deceptive minds take as true the deepest essential natures of things, it is also the case that minds stained by unawareness will nevertheless take as true the existence of self-establishing natures that establish the superficial essential natures of things.
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