Perspectives on Reality and Life: The Two Truths of Buddhist Philosophy
Tuesday, 18 February 2025 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Transform your perspective on reality through an immersive 5-week journey into Buddhism’s most profound teaching—recommended by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the perfect entry point for Western minds. In this intellectually rigorous yet practically grounded course, you’ll explore the fascinating interplay between conventional and ultimate truth. Far from abstract philosophy, this understanding becomes your compass for navigating daily life with remarkable clarity and purpose.
Joshua Cutler (Director of the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center in Washington, New Jersey) asked the Dalai Lama this question, “When someone comes to you seeking to understand Buddhism, where should you start? And the Dalai Lama suggested that for many in the West today, the two truths, conventional truth and ultimate truth-is the best place to start. He argued that it is best to lead people into dharma via exposure to philosophical reasoning and analysis of the nature of reality.
The Two Truths describe two ways of relating to phenomena, as conventional or all-obscuring truth – the truth to a worldly mind, and ultimate truth – the truth to a mind engaged in ultimate analysis.
In this course you’ll learn to:
– Master the delicate balance between engaging fully in life while maintaining inner clarity and freedom
– Develop razor-sharp analytical skills that cut through confusion and delusion
– Apply ancient wisdom to modern challenges with confidence and precision
– Cultivate a profound understanding of reality that transforms your everyday experiences
Recommended by the Dalai Lama himself, this approach doesn’t ask you to retreat from life’s complexities—it empowers you to embrace them with greater wisdom and authenticity.
Join us for this transformative exploration, where philosophical insight meets practical application. This short course offers not just knowledge, but a refined way of being that combines deep wisdom with everyday effectiveness.
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Please make a donation:
You can make your donation now online, or when you arrive on the on the day (with cash or card). Thank you for your generosity! Your donation helps keep LTC flourishing and providing courses such as this. (The Zoom link will appear at the top of this page 15 minutes before the start.)
*Course Package includes both soundfiles of each class (to catch-up or re-listen), the powerpoint slides, and selected reading material.
“Those who know the divisions of the two truths are not obscured regarding the Conqueror’s word. Without exception they amass the collections, just going to full perfection.”
– Jnanagarbha
“According to the Buddhist view, there are two types of reality: conventional, relative reality and ultimate reality. Both are equally real and valid within their own scope. A proper understanding of reality requires comprehension of both these aspects. If you focus one-sidedly on ultimate reality while completely rejecting conventional reality, you will fall into an abyss of nihilism. If, on the other hand, you focus exclusively on conventional reality while completely rejecting ultimate reality, you will fall into the extreme of eternalism.”
– HH the Dalai Lama