The Knowledge of the Whole Truth: Theory of Two Truths (Satyadvayavāda)

Wong Weng Hon

Introduction

Pure Science, Economics, Engineering, Information Technology, Language, Achitecture, Accounting, Geography, History and so on are knowledge of the conventional truth (saṃvṛti satya). They are merely phenomenal. The Gnostics or mystics, the Knowers (Jñānis) of Truth,  perceive that knowledge of conventional truth or phenomena (dharmas) is only the knowledge of  half-truth of intellectual knowledge. Even though it is half-truth, it has still has its pragmatic value. A half length of  a pencil is better than having no pencil at all. One can still write with a short pencil with some discomfort. If one has the full length, it is more comfortable.

Conventional and Absolute

In fact , religion emerges to awaken the ordinary worldlings that our general academic knowledge and even profound professional knowledge are also the knowledge of half-truth of conceptual knowledge. This sounds astounding but true. All secular or mundane  knowledge is conventional, conceptual  or phenomenal. Any knowledge of conventional knowledge is relative but  not absolute. This knowledge is non-definitive (neyārtha) and requires further elaboration.  The Prophets,  Gnostics and  religious Supreme  Masters promulgate that ordinary worldlings know only the half-truth of conceptual knowledge. Knowing the half-truth, one is impeded spirtually.  The founders of religions emerged in the world to awaken us to the knowledge of the whole  Truth of intuitive knowledge.  This knowledge is definitive (nītārtha) and requires no  further elaboration. The knowledge of  the whole  Truth is the  ultimate Reality of  Brahman, Tao, Buddha, God or Allah.

Religious knowledge is  the complete Truth because it expounds two-fold aspect of the whole Truth, namely the conventional or relative truth and the ultimate or absolute Truth. Most importantly, religion unveils to mankind that the conventional or relative truth and the absolute Truth  are intimately related. Whoever intuitively discerns the distinction between these two truths actualizes self-awakening, self-enlightenment or gnosis. To be meaningfully  religious is to be liberated from the ignorance of this two-fold aspect of the whole  Truth. Liberation connotes freedom from selfishness or egoism -  the great energy to avoid vices and  great compassion to do good.

Human Shortcomings

The conventional or relative truth is exoteric or external  whilst the ultimate or absolute Truth is esoteric or internal. All sentient beings or ordinary worldlings only knows the former without knowing the later. No knowing the latter, they become ethically and intellectually fallible or vulnerable. Human flawed character formation and the commission of vices or unwholesome karmas  mirror the half-truth knowledge of the worldlings. The ethical fallibilities and vulnerabilities are also reflected from the unwholesome states of human  consciousness, such as greed, hatred and delusion. These unwholesome consciousness evokes further negative character traits, such as  selfishness, anger, stupidity, jealousy, envy, conceit, disharmony, disunity, conflict, disputations, quarrels and so forth.

Self or Ego

When one functions with only knowledge of conventional or relative knowledge of truth, one’s mind  is directed and empowered by self-centric ego. This is the vexation or suffering of knowing the half truth of intellectual knowledge. The self -centric ego is accountable for the  personal social conflicts, unrests, turmoils, disharmony, disunity and so forth existing in human society.

The acid test for the dominance or existence  of the self-centric ego is the dominance  of the knowledge of the conventional or relative truth which conceals the  knowledge of the ultimate Truth. The intellectual understanding of conventional truth is epistemologically derived from the substantial and static view of ontology of existence. When one views and thinks substantially, one perceives the subject and the object substantially or dualistically. One perceives the subject (the perceiver) and the object  (the perceived) in terms of two separate substantial entities. Consequently, one reifies the subject and object substantially. Reification of objects results in attachment to pleasant objects and aversion towards the unpleasant objects. Attachment and aversion defile human consciousness due to the superimposition of the illusory self-centric ego. The grasping upon the five aggregates is effected by the self-centric ego illusively imposed . This is the result of willful ignorance and discursive thinking .

Neuro-spirituality

 Interestingly enough, modern neuro-scientists  have discovered that when one ‘s mind is predominated with the knowledge of conventional or relative truth, one only utilizes only one  half of the human mind , that is the left-brain function. The neuro-scientists also unveil that the left-brain function is egoistic, intellectual and seeing multiplicity or parts. Ontologically put, the substantial view of ontology is arisen from the intellectual or conceptual thinking of the left-brain. The substantialists perceive only multiplicity without perceiving unity. Multiplicity is unreal; unity is real. The beauty of discerning the truth of unity is that one becomes more cohesively  united with others in whatever collaborative activities or teamworks. The drawback of perceiving multiplicity is that  one tends to criticize or  disparage others , be more quarrelsome and confrontational towards others because of attachment and aversion.

Multiplicity and Unity

Perceiving multiplicity is the substantial view of ontology.  Such substantial view of ontology contradicts with the religious communal Truth of dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality. The ontology of dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality is the process or perennial philosophy of the ontology of dynamic becoming. The ontology of dynamic becoming  is the intuitive perception of right-brain function  by which the interpenetration between the convention truth and ultimate Truth is discerned intuitively. The interpenetration is perceived in terms of perceiving unity in the multiplicity and also perceiving multiplicity in the unity. In other words, the interdependence and interconnectedness between the principle  of unity and the phenomena of multiplicity are perceived simultaneously. The principle of unity refers to absolute Truth. The phenomena of multiplicity refer to the conventional truth.

Buddha-nature or Godhead

 Mahāyāna sutras, such as Lotus Sūtra, Tathāgagarbha Sūtra, Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Platform Sūtra of Sixth Patriarch, Avataṃsaka Sūtra  and other sūtras repeatedly remind that Buddha-nature exists innately in all sentient beings. Chan or Zen Buddhism is the great exponent of Buddha-nature (Tathāgatagarbha).  The innate existence of Buddha-nature mirrors the intrinsic divine supremacy of Man .

 Monotheism also unveils the intrinsic divine supremacy of Man when it declares that the kingdom of Heaven (God) is found within everyone of us. Human being himself or herself  is the temple of God . It is evident from the Word of God which says, “ Know ye that ye are the temple of God , and the spirit of God dwelleth in you (New Testament; 1 Corinthians 316 ).

Islamic Ḥadīth affirms , “Whoever knows his true Self knows his Lord.”  Such promulgation is consonant with Buddhist exposition of Buddha-nature or Buddha-womb (Tathāgatagarbha). Both Godhead and Buddha-nature are not permanent self-natures (svabhāvas). Self-nature can be perceived by the human  senses. But God or Buddha cannot be perceived  by human senses. They can only be realized by intuition because they are both empty of inherent existence.

Communal Truth

Quite a large number of Theravādins and Monotheists have  misconceived and misconstrued Buddha-nature and Godhead to be permanent substances or permanent own natures. Buddha and God have no self-natures and yet they are eternal. They are neither absolute existence nor absolute non-existence. They are selfless or empty. If Buddha and God have  permanent self-natures, they do not have creative powers of dependent co-arising. The creative power of dependent co-arising  connotes the innate potentialities to give arise to necessary existents or conditioned phenomena through the unity of contigent conditions.  Buddha and God are able to create because of the fact that they are empty of inherent existence. Both God and Buddha are communal Truth of Unity or Non-duality.

Unity or Non-duality is synonymous with Buddhist concept of Emptiness (‘Sūnyatā). Emptiness is not nothingness. Emptiness is the unity of existence or interdependent existence. God is too unity of existence. Thus, it follows that Emptiness equals God ontologically. Many God believers (Monotheists) and Buddha believers (Buddhists) do not see eye to eye ontologically because this communal Truth of Emptiness or Unity  has not been discovered. Thanks to the western process or perennial philosophers who have bridged interfaith understanding between Monotheism and Buddhism. In fact, the process or perennial philosophy is the philosophy of Dependent Co-arising or Emptiness. Nāgārjuna writes in Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (MMK) thus : We state that whatever is dependent co-arising, that is Emptiness (Yaḥ pratītyasamutpādaḥ ‘sūnyatāṃ tāṃ pracakṣmahe. MMK14.18)

Upaniṣads

 In fact , this communal Truth of Unity or Non-duality was first declared by Vedānta of Hinduism in a very early period of human civilization in India.  Alas ! the world does not take the lead from Vedānta or Upaniṣads. The Vedānta or Upaniṣads’ declaration of universal Unity is perfectly right ! The earliest teaching of Upaniṣads occurred between 800- 300 B.C.E. (S.Radhakrishnan. The Principal Upaniṣads). In other words, the interfaith understanding of the communal Truth of Wisdom was already unveiled by the Hindus to the world about three thousands ago before the emergence of Buddhism. Upaniṣads and Buddhism expanded their philosophical influences beyond the shore of India to Tibet, China, Japan, Korea, Ceylon, Malay Peninsula and far away in the islands of the Indian and Pacific oceans.

In fact, every foundation of modern religious philosophy can be comprehended through the Upaniṣads. The Hindu treatises of Upaniṣads provide human beings a complete chart leading to the hidden Reality of God (Brahma, Tao, Buddha, or Allah). The original seeds of Upaniṣads are the Vedas which are divine revelation (‘scruti). The Truth (Dharma) revealed in the Vedas is eternal and immutable (sanātana). What is expounded by Buddhism and Monotheism or all esoteric religions today is  eternal Truth (Sanātana Dharma) first revealed by God in the Vedas to Hindus on earth about 1,500-800 B.C.E. The history of esoteric religion first commenced in India. With the advent of Indian Buddhism in imperial China, the Chinese philosophy of Taosim and Confucianism was consummated through their syncretism with Chinese Buddhism to crystallize the Chinese philosophy of Neo-confucianism.

Emptiness

If one desires to understand  the attribute of Emptiness of Buddha or Unity of Existence  of God, one must fully understand the western process or perennial philosophy. Process or perennial thought explains the Emptiness of the world and the premordial potentialities of God-head in greater detail. The ultimate Truth is that the world and God (phenomena and principle) are intimately and reciprocally related. If both are not empty of inherent existence, they cannot be related intimately.

Nāgārjuna explains in his Mūlamadhyamakakārikā that the world is pertinent only when it is empty of inherent existence. Emptiness or God  permits countless potentialities or possibilities of continuously creating the phenomenal world through dependent co-arising. We know well that the phenomenal world is unceasingly created when it is conditioned by changeable contigent conditions. The unceasing creation of the phenomenal world  ensues from  the primordial potentialities or creative possibilities of God or the attribute of Emptiness of the Buddha-nature all things. That God or Buddha-nature is immanent in all things connote that all things are empty of inherent existence or self-nature. Emptiness creates the potentialities or possibilities of dynamic change for the phenomenal world to undergo incessant changes. The phenomenal world is changing incessantly day and night. Its mutabilities  are arisen  from the Truth of Emptiness or Unity of Existence. Emptiness or Unity of Existence is God.

Direct Experience

Mystic experience is the spiritual essence of Christianity and Sufism. Sufism is the heart  or esoteric dimension of  Islam. The mystic Christians and the Sufis are not content to have  a relationship with God through Christian priests and Islamic Imams respectively  or their religious institutions, such as the church and mosque . Like the Buddhists and Hindus, they seek directly and inwardly to know God (Truth; Ḥaqq) . To see God directly does not imply meeting God  face to face directly in person. It means the intuitive discernment of the Truth  of Unity of Existence or Emptiness.

God is not a substantial, superpowerful figure or personality. God is impersonal and eternal Truth (Sans.: Dharma; Ara.: Ḥaqq).  God  or Truth  is invisible  and ineffable beyond the physical senses. Truth cannot be seen with the naked eyes  but it can be realized intuitively. Metaphorically put,  though air can not be seen, it can be experienced empirically.  The Buddhist, Hindu, Christian or Sufi mystics do not perceive the physical presence of their Lord. They merely  realize the eternal Truth of Unity or Non-duality. Unity or Non-duality is God. God, Brahman, Tao, Buddha and Allah are not only virtually identical but are absolutely identical in terms of Truth. Logically put, there exist no two Gods or Truths  in the world. There is only one God only or one Buddha vehicle only. There is only one absolute Truth (ekaṃ saccaṃ). It cannot be two (na dutīyam). God denotes Unity; Buddha denotes Dependent Co-arising. Unity is Dependent Co-arising. God is Buddha; Buddha is God. The One is in the many; the many is in the One. Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is Form. It is well said.

Seeing God , in truth,  is  Truth realization. It is  self-awareness of the Truth. It is complete understanding of the Truth through intuition but not through intellectual understanding. The ultimate Truth is that all beings, living or non-living exist in interconnected  unity as an infinite cosmic Self. Nothing  is separated from it. The multiplicity of myriad beings seems to exist separately or autonomously. Ultimately, they are not independent diverge entities. It is this  Truth-realization or God-realization that a mystic or gnostic seeks to discern Truth esoterically. Mystic is a seeker  or discerner of Truth of God. The fruit of realizing  the Truth is emancipation. Emancipation is the consummation of human wisdom and virtue.