Editing Two truths doctrine (section)

==Background==
{{Main|Pre-sectarian Buddhism}}
{{Further|Buddhist paths to liberation}}

The teaching of [[Gautama Buddha|Śākyamuni Buddha]] may be viewed as an [[Noble Eightfold Path|eightfold path]] ({{IAST|''mārga''}}) of [[Buddhist paths to liberation|release]] from [[Duḥkha|the causes of suffering]] (''duḥkha''). The [[Four Noble Truths|First Noble Truth]] equates life-experiences with pain and suffering. The Buddha's language was simple and colloquial. Naturally, various statements of the Buddha at times appear contradictory to each other. Later Buddhist teachers were faced with the problem of resolving these contradictions.

The 3rd-century [[History of Buddhism in India|Indian Buddhist]] monk and philosopher [[Nagarjuna|Nāgārjuna]] and other [[Buddhist philosophy|Buddhist philosophers]] after him introduced an exegetical technique of distinguishing between two levels of truth, the conventional and the ultimate.{{sfn|Matilal|2002|pp=203-208}}

A similar method is reflected in the Brahmanical exegesis of the [[Vedas|Vedic scriptures]], which combine the [[Brahmanism|ritualistic injunctions of the Brahmanas]] and speculative philosophical questions of the [[Upanishads]] as one whole "revealed" body of work, thereby contrasting the {{IAST|''jñāna kāņḍa''}} with {{IAST|''karmakāņḍa''}}.{{sfn|Matilal|2002|pp=203-208}}