Dogen Sangha Blog

  by Gudo NISHIJIMA

Japanese / German

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Philosophical Understanding MMK [1] (1) Whether the Real Truth really exists, or not?

Existence of the Truth

In Greco-Roman Civilization, or Euro-American Civilization, we, Human Beings, have been doubting the existence of the only one Truth for thousands of years.

We have been believing the two fundamental philosophies, that is Idealism and Materialism.

But in that case we should think that such a kind of belief, which equally believes in the two fundamental philosophies, Idealism and Materialism, suggests that, we, Human Beings, have been believing absolutely the two philosophies, and such a kind of existent two philosophies indicates that we, Human Beings, haven't had only one Truth for thousands of years.

But in the case of Mulamadhyamakakarika (MMK), the Indian Buddhist, Master Nagarjna, have been believing only one Truth, that is "Pratyaya, or the Real Truth."

In the First Chapter in MMK, we can find "Pratyaya", which means only one Truth in the Universe, therefore it might be problem whether such a kind of only one Truth in the Ancient India actually true in the Universal meaning, or not even today.


Mulamadhyamakakarika

The Chapters of Theories

[1] The Real Truth

[1] (1) Not the Subjective, nor the Objective.

Not both the Subjective, nor the Objective, but never Unreasonable.

What has always appeared, can be perceived,

But it is not clear whether it exists anywhere, or anyplace.

2 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Dear Nishijima Sensei: it is such an interesting matter, you may remember it was one of the principal issues discussed , here in Chile when you came. It was a great oportunity for my to join you and Senator Flores, having such different aproaches to "reality". Thank you very much.
One or two, or many has been under discussion, but which would the middle way be?

7:33 AM, July 06, 2009  
Blogger GUDO NISHIJIMA said...

Dear Ven. Ingrid Antonijevic,

Thank you very much for your interesting comments. Even today, I remember clearly the time, when I visited your country Chile.

I think that in our intellectual consideration we usually think our philosophical problems on the basis of extremely one-sided Idealism, or Materialism, but Gautama Buddha insists that Reality exists always not extremely, but in the balance of the middle way.

And when we are living our secular life, it is always necessary for us to remember such kind of secular situations too.

Thank you very much for your opinion.

And we are always believing Gautama Buddha's teachings, and so we can always look at Reality, which is never one-sided to any kind of extremity at all.

9:47 AM, July 06, 2009  

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