Absolute truth

Absolute truth (Skt. paramārthasatya; Wyl. don dam bden pa) — one of the two truths. Absolute or ultimate reality, the way things are, as distinct from the way they actually appear.

Patrul Rinpoche says:

In essence, the absolute is the basic space of phenomena (dharmadhatu), devoid of all conceptual elaboration. In its essence, it is without any divisions, but still it is possible to speak of ‘divisions’ according to whether or not this reality has been realized. Thus, there are divisions into the absolute which is the basic nature itself and the absolute which is the realization (or ‘making evident’) of this basic nature. Then again, there is the division into the absolute that is clarified through study and reflection and the absolute that is experienced through meditation practice; or the absolute that is conceptually inferred by ordinary beings versus the absolute that is experienced directly by noble beings. There is also a division into the conceptual absolute (namdrangpé döndam) and the absolute that is beyond conceptualization (namdrang mayinpé döndam).

Subdivisions

As mentioned above, there is a twofold division of absolute truth:

• Categorized (or conceptual) absolute (namdrangpé döndam)
• Uncategorized absolute (or absolute beyond conceptualization (namdrang mayinpé döndam)