Visionary Heart Alchemy

Part 2- The Two Truths as antidote

Understanding the Principle of the Two Truths helps pacify these problems. Intellectual understanding alone will not completely prevent dogmatic fixation, because the root of dogmatic fixation is the identity fixation that results from lack of direct recognition of Absolute Truth. Thus only that direct realization will prevent all dogmatic fixation. However, the more deeply we understand the Principle of Two Truths, the weaker and less pervasive the tendency towards dogmatic fixation becomes.

Even intellectual understanding of the Principle of the Two Truths increases our capacity to revise the relative truths we hold. Even though the habit of dogmatic fixation will continue to happen to some degree at an unconscious level until complete realization of the Principle of Two Truths has occurred, consciously recalling the principle will dissolve some to that fixation. It will provide opportunity to see when life pushes up against the limits of your relative truths and inspire revision. It will create space for revelation. It will engender open mindedness and the ability to see from multiple view points which will in turn inspire creative responsiveness. Intellectual understanding of the Principle of the Two Truths brings to light the otherwise unconscious habit of dogmatic fixation allowing you the opportunity to make a new choice.

Also, intellectual understanding of the Principle of the Two Truths increases tolerance. Once you realize that all of your concepts are limited and partial simply by virtue of them being concepts, it becomes harder to remain or become intolerant of someone else’s concepts except in so far as they become demonstrably dysfunctional. One can have deep understanding of the Principle of the Two Truths and still be intolerant of genocide or blowing up buildings full of people. Deep understanding of the Principle of the Two Truths will inspire compassion for those that do such things because they know the result from very entrenched dogmatic fixation are unbearably painful to hold but that in no way prevents one from disapproving of the behavior that results. It will also prevent generalizing the disapproval. I disapprove of Muslims, Serbians, and American (and anyone else who does them) performing acts of terrorism. I don’t disapprove of Muslims, Serbians and Americans in general.

The Principle of the Two Truths is an antidote dogmatic fixation and dogmatic fixation is one the great obstacles to the aims of alchemy. It can be called the antithesis of alchemy. The only way to fully realize the Principle of The Two Truths is by complete and direct realization of Absolute Truth. A partial realization of Absolute Truth could lead to the negation of the validity of relative truth; however, complete realization encompasses the functionality of relative truth. Thus, as I have said in a previous post, one of many ways to define the goal of Alchemy is the realization of the Principle of Two Truths and to that end the realization of Absolute Truth.

I have placed great emphasis on the Principles of the Two Truths in these early posts to the Global Alchemy Blog Matrix both because, as I said in the beginning of this post, even an intellectual understanding of it can prevent some serious errors in understanding, and because it both a result of Alchemy and central to the process for achieving that result. As such it reflected repeatedly throughout the structure of Visionary Heart Alchemy and I will be making constant reference to it.

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