The foregoing Dharma explanation gives us an account of the reality of all things, or phenomena. Furthermore, that process which begins by recognizing truth and goes all the way to the attainment of reality is merely a subjective view, or insight, about Reality. There are two different types of recognition:

(1) The first type is recognition through general knowledge. This makes truth easier for us to understand. General knowledge is common or popular knowledge about the world for everybody. The view of ordinary people holds that a white horse is a white horse, not a black horse; and a black horse is a black horse not a white horse; also, water is water, not fire, and fire is fire, not water. In short, this is this, not that; and that is that, not this. The Yoga Sastra says, "This is this; it is not that. Yes is yes; it is not no." This is a kind of relative truth; and this is the truth which is generally called real in the world.

(2) The second type is the recognition through thinking or experience. Thinking leads us to philosophy, from which truth arises, which, in turn, distinguishes clearly what is right from what is wrong. In one ancient Chinese book, The Analects, Confucius says, "After thinking ceases, one gains stability; after stability, silence arrives; after silence, peace comes about; after peace, consideration; after consideration, comes attainment." This, then, is the result of the effort of thinking. Lao-Tzu said, "The Tao that can be talked about is not the real Tao. The Name that can be spoken is not its true name." This kind of Truth cannot be understood by ordinary people, nor can it be comprehended by common sense. Even the knowledge and experience of science -- for example, the knowledge of heavenly bodies known to astronomy -- cannot be understood by ordinary people either. Furthermore, most other areas of science also cannot be understood by average people. The knowledge of science is called the wisdom of comparison in Buddhism.

The realization of truth through experience is of two kinds. The first kind is to attain the reality of wisdom after purifying oneself of the obstacles of defilement, such as ignorance, negative thoughts, greed and hatred. Ordinary people, in their daily lives, always have those kinds of defilements. When you have such obstacles, your wisdom will be hidden; and your mind is not bright. If your mind is not bright, then you cannot recognize the truth; you just give rise to confusion and create karma. Therefore, everyone should come to understand the suffering of human life and the causes of suffering; and one should also understand the way of happiness, which can lead to liberation and freedom from suffering. When you attain the truth that changes defilement into wisdom, you will then be delivered by wisdom. In the light of this reality, then, we can understand that wisdom is the foundation of the Dharma of the Three Vehicles.

The second kind is to attain the reality of wisdom after purifying oneself of the obstacles which arise from seeing the things of the world as real. This is the truth of the great Bodhi. Eliminate all kinds of defilement and, thus, attain the Three Vehicles of Bodhi. This means that the Bodhi Mind has its foundation in the feelings of sentient beings. Thus, just eliminating all ignorance and every kind of obstacle which arises from seeing all things as real is to establish the Bodhi Mind on the foundation of wisdom. This relates to what I have spoken about heretofore -- that is, the nature of things or the nature of all things, both of which constitute the phenomena and substance of the universe. If one has not arrived at the Buddha stage, he cannot understand the totality of the substance of the universe. Therefore, you must terminate all ignorance and, thus, become omniscient. To understand the Absolute Truth is just the great Bodhi Mind of the Buddha. Thus, the establishment of a Distinctive doctrine on the foundation of Supreme Wisdom is the Mahayana Dharma.