After summarizing some of the explanations of Noble Speech （āryavyavahāra, 聖語） in the traditional sūtras and Abhidharma treatises, this paper considers how Candrakīrti sets up the Two Truths through his discussion of Noble Truth （聖諦） and Noble Speech in the Yuktiṣaṣṭikāvṛtti.
Noble Speech in traditional Buddhism is closely related to True Speech （satyavāc, 実語） and means linguistic expressions related to people’s cognitive acts and objects, etc. For Candrakīrti, although all vyavahāras are contaminated and belong to worldly things, some of them can also be called “noble” as is the case with “Noble Speech.” Based on this very reason which does not contradict traditional Buddhist understandings, Candrakīrti regards both the Four Noble Truths and the Two Truths, which are expressed as linguistic expressions in accordance with worldly people’s minds, as conventional truths. In addition, the Four Noble Truths are defined as “truths preached by the saints” or “truths for worldly people becoming saints,” but not “truths for the saints.” The standard for distinguishing the Two Truths is the different appearances of the Truths of Cessation and the other three Noble Truths to worldly people, i.e., unconditioned, non-arisen, not deceiving, or otherwise.
