Ghelong Thubten Rinchen

The well-known New Age literature is different, although its origins are to be found in Western society and in its criticism towards its own historic religions.

Despite this instinctive rejection, inevitable circumstances force people to take into consideration different perspectives. This effort puts established creeds and beliefs under pressure and creates aggressiveness or discouragement.

If through our work we aim at establishing a well-defined Hermeneutics and we consider as a priority a few but important Holy Scriptures, then we may contribute to reducing somwhat the greatest misinterpretations. This reading aims at proposing the idea of two existing truths.

This is the idea of Lama Tsong Khapa (1353-1419), the founder of the Ghelupa School, whose teachers today follow His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama.

The hermeneutic studies of this world Teacher on Lord Buddha’s sermons and on the main works of the Indian Pundits (the founders of the four main schools of philosophy) can still be valid today.

From those examples, we can draw a more general approach, which can be universally accepted. The main criteria, which we will choose in a critical way, could be used to interpret the Hebrew Bible, the Veda, the Koran and the Gospels. In general, a scientific approach to a problem asks for the clear explanation of the assumptions. Without assumptions in fact no research is possible. Assumptions should be universally accepted (like in the physical sciences). For example, we assume that the direct followers of the Teacher wrote the work of the Teacher in a correct way, without mistakes or omissions; we all know that the founders of the big religions did not write anything themselves.

The four Gospels or the Buddhist Dharmapala precept are considered as the original speeches of Jesus and Sakyamuni. In addition to this, we could try to verify with our analysis that there is no contradiction that can nullify a predicate, a sentence of the main sermons. Once we have established and accepted all this, we could consider the oldest and most authoritative sutra, the one on the “Four Noble Truths” (Damma Chakra Pavattana Sutra).i

The “Four Noble Truths” are in contradiction to one another. We will now debate this through rigorous analysis.

If suffering is a Truth (or a Reality) and the cause of suffering is a Truth (or a Reality), how can it be possible to be free from suffering, as it is promised in the third Truth (or Reality)? The fact is that “implicitly” the Nirvana, that is to say, the end of suffering, is supposed to be the only “real” Truth (or Reality). This “implicit assumption” must be openly declared.

So now it becomes clearer that the other three Truths (or Realities) are relative and interpretative in their nature and not definite. As a consequence, suffering, the cause of suffering, and the path that leads to freedom (which is the fourth Truth) are truths to be interpreted and not to be taken in a literal way.

If we do not distinguish clearly the meaning of these two truths, it is impossible to understand the meaning of Lord Buddha.

A relative, interpretative Truth, is a compassionate Truth because it is directed towards those people (the direct followers) who think that suffering and the cause of suffering are intrinsic truths, objective existing human conditions, that is to say, nature. Lord Buddha says that it is not like that.

If we remove the thirst for a separate Ego, a separate intrinsic personal Existence, the end of suffering is seen as a “freedom”, that is to say as the ultimate definite Truth (or the Reality of each Human Being).

In this analysis of the “Four Noble Truths”, we have introduced a new concept, a new idea, the idea that a relative Truth is a Compassionate, temporary Truth. This was well understood by the first followers of Lord Buddha and perhaps even by the apostles of Jesus, in front of whom these teachers spoke.

This hermeneutic interpretation of the most important Buddhist Scripture still needs to be proven. A scientific approach “always” asks for a “recurring” reason, capable of making the thesis “consistent”, a thesis that has to be definitively validated. This proof was found in another sermon by Lord Buddha, and precisely in the Dharmapala. In the “inspired words” (Vedana) of this sermon, one reads:

“All things are not made, are not finished, they are peace from the beginning, they are natural Nirvana”

There is no way one can doubt the definite, ultimate truth of this sermon.

In reality this thought negates all ordinary evidence. This Truth is the exact opposite of all sensible appearance. “Appearance” is now the new idea that sheds light on the truth of suffering and on the truth of the cause of suffering.

Cause, effect, suffering, pleasure are « appearances » which are inexistent, as they seem to exist. The path to freedom (the Fourth Truth) is now well understood.

Ethics, the living style of the Religious person, is the training that cuts all appearance at its root, the thirst for a separate existence, a Solipsistic Ego, which does not exist as it appears to be.

Now let’s turn our attention to the commentaries of the Holy Scriptures.

What could the teachers who have made comments on the Holy Scriptures, century after century, the Fathers of the Church, the Pundit founders of the four Buddhist schools, what could they understand in such different cultural contexts?

They unintentionally created an epistemology to justify their own point of view, rather than allowing an objective non-dogmatic hermeneutic of holy sermons. These authors seem to have lost the profound meaning of Holy Scripture, the original one. In fact, if we force some of God's interpretative words, there is a risk that the resulting commentary will not be faithful to the ultimate definite, although hidden meaning of these holy words.

Let’s for example consider this other sermon from Lord Buddha:

“All things can be disintegrated, made up, produced”!!

The Pundits of the « Realistic » schools and the Pundits of the « Idealist » schools have both forced this “literary” definitive truth. This is how two opposite interpretations were generated that would justify their own a-priori, philosophical positions.

The Idealist Pundits said: Lord Buddha preached in this way because nothing exists in itself (from its side), only the Mind exists, all things, all identities are a complete imaginative construction of human thinking.

The Realistic Pundits said: Lord Buddha preached in this way because for sure a non-composed element (a-tom) exists because otherwise every pronounced word would not mean anything.

As a matter of fact, if there is nothing, which can be disintegrated, then it does not make any sense to talk about things and production. Lama Tsong Khapa says that the preaching of Lord Buddha is a Truth, which cannot be interpreted, it is a literal, definitive judgment. Nothing more, nothing less can be added, it is not possible to make any comment.

The ultimate and definite meaning is the rejection of both points of view: the realistic and the idealistic one. The correct meaning is in the middle, that is to say, the negation of both extreme positions: materialism and idealism. Only the negation of both is accepted, no affirmative judgment can be made.

The analysis of such an important Holy Scripture can be applicable to other important Holy Scriptures. Let us consider the Holy Gospel of Saint John, the chapter on Nicodemus, John 3. Jesus says that what he is going to say is a definite Truth. We should not make any comment on these words but on the contrary contemplate them until their teaching comes down, word by word, from the mind to the heart, until understanding comes on its own and inspires us.

Ghelong Thubten Rinchen (Dr. Prof. Edmondo Turci) is Responsible for Teaching at the Centre for the Maitri Studies in Turin, Italy.

Notes:
i. The First Noble Truth : The Existence of Impermanence, Dukkha
The Second Noble Truth : The Arising of Suffering Because of Craving, Samudaya
The Third Noble Truth : The Cessation of Suffering, Nirodha
The Fourth Noble Truth : The Middle Way, or The Noble Eightfold Path, Magga
 

Next article: Seminar on Hermeneutics: Interpreting Scriptures in Pluralist Contexts:
Reflections on the Convergence of Creation Stories in Hindu, Jewish, Christian and Islamic Faiths - John Ponnusamy  

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