Grammatical Analysis
Sammuti-sacca: [nt.] Conventional Truth; Conceptual Truth. Formed by sammuti (consent, agreement, convention) + sacca (truth).
Orthodox Definition
Sammuti-sacca refers to things that are “true” only because human beings collectively agree upon their definitions through language and conceptual grouping.
Concepts like “man,” “woman,” “tree,” “chariot,” “country,” and “self” are conventional truths. They do not exist in the ultimate sense; they are just mental labels projected onto a collection of ultimate realities (the aggregates). However, conventional truth is not “false” or “a lie.” If someone asks, “Is that a dog?” the correct conventional answer is “Yes,” even though ultimately it is just a fluctuating mass of mind and matter.
The Buddha used conventional truth in the Sutta Piṭaka to teach ethics and practical matters. The commentaries stress that a skilled teacher must know when to use conventional truth and when to use ultimate truth, without confusing the two.
Textual References
- Sutta: Poṭṭhapāda Sutta (DN 9) – The Buddha states: “These are merely worldly names, worldly expressions, worldly conventions, which the Tathāgata uses without clinging to them.”
- Para-canonical: Milindapañha – The chariot simile perfectly illustrating the difference between a conventional name and its ultimate components.
- Commentary: Sumaṅgalavilāsinī – Providing the formal definitions separating conventional and ultimate truth.