A Critique of the Binary: Ultimate vs. Relative Truth in Buddhist Philosophy

Is "ultimate truth" a static, abstract inventory of the universe, or is it something more personal and profound? In this insightful essay, Bhikkhu Dhammananda challenges the rigid binary between "ultimate" and "relative" truth, a cornerstone of traditional Abhidhamma. He argues that by prioritizing abstract doctrines, we risk devaluing the very territory of our lived experience—our relationships, our ethics, and our personal growth. Drawing on the five niyāmas (natural laws), he proposes a powerful alternative: a developmental model where truth is a moving horizon. What is "ultimate" is not what is most fundamental, but what is most relevant to our current stage of being. This essay offers a compelling vision of philosophy not as a collection of facts, but as a practical path to seeing more clearly and becoming more whole.

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Time

Most people never have enough time, rarely have a good time and in general time seems be something that works usually against them. A person working on a spiritual path can not get around the problem of time. Because acquiring more control over ones life means also acquiring more control over time...

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Continuity

Sometimes people studying Buddhism, especially in relation to the vipassanā schools, end up with some conclusion that there is no continuity in mental and material phenomena…So here we want to…

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What is Bīja Niyāma?

Bīja Niyama is the law of organic life. Bīja literally means 'seed', in the sense of 'germ of life'. Thus, Bīja Niyama, is essentially the law that governs the growth…

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Bhavanga to Samadhi

The practice of meditation is very central to Buddhism. However without an understanding of the mind, there are many pitfalls. The idea of Bhavanga, an idea central to the Abhidhamma,…

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