The Two Truths: Understanding Conventional and Ultimate Reality - Part One with Justin Kirkwood

This Dharma talk is from our May 2024 One Community Sangha gathering. Justin Kirkwood discusses the profound teachings of the two truths and guides listeners toward a richer understanding of this cornerstone of a successful practice of Mahayana Buddhism.
The Buddha's teachings hinge upon the principle of the two truths. Many teachings can appear confusing or contradictory without grasping this fundamental concept. For instance, in certain contexts, the Buddha speaks of phenomena such as karma and suffering, emphasizing their impact on our spiritual journey. However, in texts like the Heart Sutra, the Buddha seemingly negates the existence of all phenomena.
Yet, the Buddha's intent was not to advocate nihilism or deny the principle of karma. To grasp the profound implications of these teachings, we must contextualize them within the broader framework of the two truths - the conventional truth of appearances and the ultimate truth of emptiness.
While it's crucial to understand these truths individually, they are fundamentally inseparable. The conventional truth of appearances and the ultimate truth of emptiness are not separate entities but are inherently united. Without conventional phenomena, emptiness has no basis for existence. Emptiness isn't a standalone concept but rather the very nature of phenomena itself.
Contrary to the misconception that conventional truth is to be discarded in favor of ultimate truth, the understanding of their union is pivotal in Mahayana Buddhism. Embracing this union enables us to navigate the complexities of Buddhist teachings with clarity and insight, fostering a deeper understanding of reality and our spiritual path.
About Justin Kirkwood
Justin Kirkwood is a dedicated dharma student and teacher with over 20 years of experience in studying and practicing Buddhism. Formally trained in monastic universities in India, Justin had the privilege of studying and practicing with many renowned Tibetan masters. He has also worked as a Tibetan translator and interpreter for over fifteen years, deepening his understanding of the sacred texts. Justin is a vital member of the Namchak Foundation, serving as a translator of texts, an interpreter for Namchak Khen Rinpoche, and a teacher.
About One Community
For one evening each month, we come together as a community to deepen our understanding of the dharma and connect with our fellow sangha members. Each gathering is facilitated by a different Namchak teacher, thought leader, or staff member and will revolve around our month's theme. These gatherings are two hours in total. The first half will consist of a dharma talk, and the second half will offer an opportunity for participants to reflect on the teachings through small group discussions in short break-out sessions. These group discussions will be followed by a Q&A session with the teacher. Participation in small group discussions is encouraged but not required. You can always sit these out! We encourage Learning Circles and meditation buddies to attend together. Inviting friends, partners, family members, neighbors, and co-workers is always welcome.
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🙏 (yum!hum...) Apparently, "I" am the first viewer/"person" willing to reveal & confess something of the extent of my relative/obscured view of life by self-imagining & thereby creating a temptation to reply, and then accepting the bait and following through on "my" temptation to comment ... (whereas the wiser, more stable, grounded & awakened "students" have already realized the egocentric folly of replying, or of otherwise imposing strings of crunchy, crumbling word-symbols upon this quintessential quantum Field of empty/pure Whole-y Reality-Awareness an imposition of "my" own deluded obscurations.) "My" comment: [God knows from whence these words have been pilfered!]: Through a purported 64 years of an alleged "life" in a so-called "body," this one has had many occasions, if not obligations, to listen to multifarious levels of Western "civilized" childish poppycock of the sort that countless herd-aligned sheeple have been convinced is worth sacrificing their lives for, (along with the lives of legions of other gullible, herdable, humanoid sheeple), this presentation has induced "my" current culminating peak of inner subtle life-giving warmth in appreciation for the degree of unaffected trust-inducing compassion-saturated clarity in "your" verbal guidance freely offered to all constituents of the greater whole called "humanity and all life on "Earth ." "My" fakey-flakey alleged "I" is likewise moved to acknowledge all the teachers and bearers of widest open wondrous truth-awareness who have skillfully modeled and shared such well-chiseled pristine truth expressions to your ears, eyes, & mind, thereby contributing to, and leading to, your current truth expression which reflects and reveals the excellence, value, and success of all those prior teachers who imbued the graces of awareness of the Vast eternal Empire of Emptiness upon "you." Mahalo, and Bravo!