瑜伽論記 18.28

18.28

Ji says: The Great Master says: There are either three tiers of conventional truth, or four tiers of conventional truth. As for the four tiers of conventional truth, this is the doctrine of the two truths; conventional truth has four, and ultimate truth is likewise. Among the conventional: 1. truth that is nominal without real substance; 2. truth differentiated according to phenomena; 3. conventional truth established through realization; 4. nominal unconditioned truth. That is, it is conventionally designated by the name 'ultimate truth', yet lacks a substantial entity, for the substantial entity is according to what can be expressed. This text only contains the four tiers of conventional truth and no ultimate truth. Those who previously established three tiers did so because there was an entity to be posited; those who subsequently established four did so because of conventional designation. In the Western regions, some also establish four tiers of ultimate truth, which correspond in like manner: 1. worldly ultimate truth—its essence is the aforementioned conventional truth of principle; being superior to worldly conventional truth, it is called ultimate, but because it establishes differences among dharmas, cause and effect, paratantra-nature, and so on, it is called conventional; 2. ultimate truth of principle—its essence is the aforementioned conventional truth of realization; having the meaning of attaining the fruit and severing defilements, it is called principle; because it surpasses the aforementioned conventional truth of principle, it is called ultimate; the practices and stages of the ten grounds are this; 3. ultimate truth of realization—its essence is the aforementioned worldly ultimate; being conventionally established as a name, it is called ultimate; admitting the meaning of realization, it is called realization; because it surpasses the aforementioned conventional truth of realization, it is called ultimate; 4. ultimate truth of the ultimate—this is the unestablished truth, the essence of tathatā; being a dharma that cannot be conceptually established, it is called ultimate; because it surpasses the aforementioned ultimate truths, it is called ultimate.