THE ULTIMATE PERFECTION OF TRUTH
(THE TRUTHFULNESS PĀRAMĪ)

This is a form of perfected conduct, or perfection, practiced in the path the Bodhisattva within the Ten Pāramitās of the Theravāda tradition. A Bodhisattva, in the common sense of the term, is one who aspires to cultivate until complete awakening, that is, the attainment of Buddhahood.

In the suttas, the Buddha says: “As I speak, so I act; as I act, so I speak.” When I first heard this, it seemed so simple. When I later encountered the Perfection of Truth, I merely skimmed over it, not thinking it was especially important. At that time, I thought that observing the precept against false speech is the practice of the Perfection of Truth. But as time goes on, I increasingly see how vital truthfulness or perfection truly is. It’s not only as moral virtue, but also as wisdom itself, and even as a gateway leading to Nirvana.

In the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, the importance of the ‘truthful mind’ is also emphasized: “A direct mind is the field of practice.” A direct mind is upright, objective, perceiving things exactly as they are, without adding or subtracting, without judging or criticizing, without bias toward any dharma. In the short discourse “The Discourse on Attachment Ending,” the Buddha teaches: “It is truly unworthy to show partiality toward any dharma, if any.”

“Đạo tràng: tràng or trường” is an open, expansive space. “Đạo” carries many meanings: a path, ultimate truth, and the noble nature of mind, emptiness, yet inwardly concealing transcendent wisdom. The saying “A direct mind is the field of practice” points to this: the truthful mind itself is a path to the ultimate. Abiding in the mind of Truthfulness is awakening. In its practical sense, a field of practice is a place of purity, dignity, support of the arising of wisdom; and it’s also a place of spirituality. Buddhist scripture usually says “the Buddhas stay in the field of practice and realize the Righteous and Utmost Enlightenment.” It is necessary for us to understand this meaning so that we do not become careless or dismissive, inadvertently turning the field of practice into a place of dispute and conflict, waged with the “weapons of the tongue” as once recounted in the canon of the conflict at Kosambī between two disciple groups of two masters.

The path of practice through the Truthfulness Pāramī unfolds from the simple to the profound. At the beginning, we remember to keep the lay precept against false speech. We return to this because it might sound so easy for us that we all know it. But yet we often forget it and err. Even when we later repent or apologize, our careless words are hard to undo; the worldly mind remembers them for a long time, my friends. The first step, then, is truthful speech:

-              Commonly, speaking is in accord with the facts.  When one knows, one says “I know”; when one does not know, one says “I don’t know.” When one clearly sees or hears, one says “I see” or “I hear”; when one does not see or hear, one says “I don’t see or hear.” Yet if speaking would cause another to suffer, then one remains silent. This is the holy and noble silence.

-        Speech delivered in the right time, to the right person, and about the right matter.

-        Speech delivered in gentle, wise, compassionate, and gracious tone to foster harmony and understanding, not separation.

-        Though words are mostly important in speaking, actually a pure and truthful mind can give rise to beneficial speech and wholesome actions.

This is simply honest speech, without violating the precept against false one. At the early practice, we must be mindful to preserve it. It looks simple, but sometimes we err without realizing it, my friends.  We are usually subjective, always thinking we are right, but the other is wrong. That is the self. It is stubborn, justifies itself, and blames others. In the suttas, the Buddha calls this the “hard-to-admonish person.” The “easy-to-admonish person”, by contrast, is the amendable person who recognizes his faults, repents, joyfully corrects himself, and progresses easily.

How could we see that we’ve been mistaken?

When our words or actions cause others sorrow, or bring confusion and dissatisfaction to a community, others might withdraw in silence. We remain unaware and self-centered. When they speak about it clearly, we keep justifying ourselves, stubbornly clinging to our own reasoning and dismissing the communal perspective as wrong. This is the “hard-to-guide person”.  It is attachment to his views, his self, and ignorance. “Ignorance is affirmation”. To assert is to cling. Whatever one clings to, that is still being attached.

All the faults mentioned above are minor falsehood speech that naturally generate the following unfortunate consequences:

-        Good people gradually keep their distance.

-        The malevolent people, who enjoy backbiting, slandering, lie telling, or speaking duplicitously, are drawn close because they share a taste for unwholesome and harming gossips.

-        No one trusts liars.

-       Households fall into disturbance and restlessness; children and grandchildren fail to show respect to parents and elders.

Beyond the minor fault said above, in the moral rules of the Noble, there is an even graver transgression: major false speech.

Generally, major false speech is claiming to have attained what one has not yet realized. In this sense, it might apply to monastics. One who has not got awakening, yet through words or actions causes others to mistakenly believe one has, in seeking their respect, praise, or offerings. If others mistakenly believe that one has attained a fruit of awakening, reached a level of concentration, or possessed supernatural power, but one has not, and one knows of this misunderstanding yet remains intentionally silent, not clarifying the truth, with the expectation of earning respect, veneration, or a great number of disciples, this too is committing the offense of major false speech.

Moreover, in today society, there is another situation: one who is not ordained yet allows others to believe that one is, seeking material gain or other benefits, this too constitutes major false speech.

Why did the Buddha and the Patriarchs regard those matters as so serious? They pertain to the Three Jewels. When an ordained person commits such an offense, it becomes grave. It diminishes the noble value of the Sangha Jewel and weakens others’ faith in the Buddha Jewel and the Dharma Jewel as well.

Following are the consequences of major false speech:

-        One remains in ignorance, arrogance, tightly bound by the self, self-love, self-conceit and self-craving.

-        One stays in falseness and hypocrisy.

-        Mental unease and lacking self-confidence when entering a large fourfold assembly.

-        While living in ignorance, one remains attached to the five sensual indulgences: wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep.

-        The wise will step far away,

-        The deluded, lacking wisdom, will rush after it.

-        Causing others to revile the Three Jewels, to lose faith in them.

Now we step further to “Truthfulness Pāramī” which comes from its roots “sacca pāramī”. “Sacca” is truth; and “Pāramī”, to reach the far shore or attain perfection. Often, the emphasis of Truthfulness is placed on truthful speech; yet the true meaning of this practice runs deeper and higher. It embraces both our intention and action. In other words, our mind and life conduct must express clarity, peace, and wisdom of one who is mindful.

One who is awake fully sees through life’s truths and lives in harmony with their laws. Thus, his mind is at ease, gentle, and rises above the surging waves of gain and loss in human existence. Those are these truths: impermanence, suffering, non-self, interdependence of causes and effects, emptiness as life nature, illusoriness, thus-as-it-is---unmoved, and equality.

Thus, simply practicing this single method of Truthfulness Pāramī is adequately to carry us to the far shore beyond suffering. For along that very path of cultivation, all the other Pāramīs are naturally practiced as well. Only then can Truthfulness Pāramī be fulfilled in its completeness.

The Ten Pāramīs are also known as the Ten Perfections or the Ten Crossings. The term “độ” literally means a ‘ferry, a boat, a vessel” that carries people across a river. The Ten Perfections serve as the ten skillful means for guiding beings safely to reach the far shore, the place of safety, liberation from suffering, awakening, and final release. They are:

1. The Perfection of Generosity (Dāna Pāramī)
2. The Perfection of Moral Conduct (Sīla Pāramī)
3. The Perfection of Renunciation (Nekkhamma Pāramī)
4. The Perfection of Wisdom (Paññā Pāramī)
5. The Perfection of Effort (Viriya Pāramī)
6. The Perfection of Truth (Sacca Pāramī)
7. The Perfection of Patience (Khanti Pāramī)
8. The Perfection of Determination (Adhiṭṭhāna Pāramī)
9. The Perfection of Loving-Kindness (Mettā Pāramī)
10. The Perfection of Equanimity (Upekkhā Pāramī)

When the path of practice reaches the highest perfection (pāramī), all these means must arise from a completely pure mind that is free from defilements and attachment to self. The practice of even a single pāramī, thus, is in itself complete, encompassing all the other perfections. Therefore, the Ten Pāramīs can also be understood as the Ten Essential Virtues of the Enlightened.

So, choose the” boat” that will carry you across the river of this life, and simply set sail. Only by setting out is there ever a reaching of the shore of peace; and one day, we will exclaim with joy:

Gate! Gate! Pāragate! Pārasamgate! Bodhi, svāha! Reached! Reached! Reached the other shore! We’ve all reached the other shore! Awakened! Greatly Harmonious!

Bhikkhuni Thích Nữ Triệt Như

Sunyata Monastery, November 16, 2021

English version by Ngọc Huyền

Link to Vietnamese article: https://tanhkhong.org/a2868/triet-nhu-snhp037-chan-that-ba-la-mat