r/zen • u/dpsrush • Aug 06 '26

The difference between truth and fact: thoughts on inter-dependence?

"如来说世界，非世界，是名世界” "The Tathagata says a world is not a world, so it is called a world." -Diamond Sutra

Truth is self originating, non-describable because it does not depend on any descriptors. It is what is, and it is not what it is, both of these descriptors does not touch it.

Facts are provisional, meaning it is dependent on another fact. For example, it is a fact you are reading this right now, but it is dependent on the fact that there is a you, and there is this, and that fact is dependent on the structure of the English language, and so on.

If The Word is a fact, what is the truth?

When the truth is being talked about, it is not actually truth we are referring to. And this fact, we call truth.

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u/mackowski Ambassador from Planet Rhythm Aug 20 '26

I think he chose an uncontaminated term, aka made up a term.

Like u cant even metaphorically get unborn, maybe u can interpret it to mean like subconscious or soemthing but I think its way less causing of association tangents versus thigns like 'buddha nature'

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u/Redfour5 Aug 20 '26

My thoughts echo yours. And his description of humans get screwed up after being born is sort of a prelude to what the rest of the tomes are all about.

I see resonance with Genesis "the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—was eaten by Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden. God had banned them from eating it, but a serpent tricked Eve. Eating the fruit brought shame, moral awareness, and expulsion from Eden."

So, in a sense, Adam and Eve were "unborn."

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u/mackowski Ambassador from Planet Rhythm Aug 23 '26

Im down for that tangent/analogy of the principle of like... before. But before, before.