Five sciences

Actual Reality (chos nyid)

• According to the Greater Vehicle or Mahāyāna Buddhism, actual reality (Tib. chos nyid, Skt. dharmatā) is a synonym for emptiness (śūnyatā) or ultimate truth (paramārthasatya). In Atiyoga literature, the actual reality or ultimate truth of phenomena is contrasted with the apparent reality of phenomena (chos can, Skt. dharmin). The word dharma in the sense of “knowable phenomena” or “things” is considered to be neutral in terms of these empty and apparent aspects. For an elaborate discussion of these distinctions, see Maitreya's Analysis of Phenomena and Reality (Dharmadharmatāvibhāga, T. 4022-3), and from the rNying-ma perspective, NSTB, pp. 215, 319, and 330. GD (from the Glossary to Tibetan Elemental Divination Paintings)