The Meaning of Truth

Gandhi's article on Truth (the Meaning of Truth) affected me deeply, in that it finally had a true meaning to my life. Ironically, I have spent the last two years on a spiritual journey, trying to discover my one true path. I have read several books on the subject, and have spent hours in meditation, trying to right myself. However, within a small number of sentences, Gandhi managed to compile all the information I needed to make everything adhere. He has become the glue for my spiritual journey.

"Devotion to this Truth is the sole justification for our existence" (Gandhi, 1). I kept reading that line over and over. I want it on a tee-shirt. It made so much sense to me. I wanted to read on, but I was stuck on that one line. My sole justification to my existence is truth. Then I paused, just what truth was I supposed to devote to? How would I know what that truth was? I read on, hoping that Gandhi would explain this too. "There should be truth in thought, truth in speech, and truth in action. To the man who has realized this truth in its fullness, nothing else remains to be known, because all knowledge is necessary included in it. What is not included in it is not truth, and so not true knowledge; and there can be no inward peace without true knowledge" (Gandhi, 2). I thought long on this quote as well, and came to one conclusion: there is nothing but truth. It is the emotional disruptions of life which cause deception. If there were no emotional flare-ups and distractions, we could see the truth.

I say this with certainty. It seems that the fatal flaw within humans is emotion. Gandhi was not devoid of emotion, quite the opposite. However, he knew that emotional outbursts and actions fueled by emotions were not the path to truth. It is the path to that which is not true. Emotions tend to blind a person to the truth, and give them credence to misrepresent the situation within the scope of their mind. "But without Truth it is impossible to observe any principles or rules in life." (Gandhi, 2). It is commonly known that emotions can overtake a person and skew their perception, and this reaction to the world blinds people to the truth.

However, what is truth? As Gandhi goes onto explain that truth is different for every person. "But that need not worry the seeker; where there is honest effort, it will be realized that what appear to be different truths are like the countless and apparently different leaves of the same tree. Does not God himself appear to different individuals in different aspects? Yet we know that He is one. But Truth is the right designation of God. Hence there is nothing wrong in every man following Truth according to his lights" (Gandhi, 2). Truth is what is true to us, not what is true for the general. In fact, it is our duty to find the truth that suits us, as there is not one singular truth, but many truths.

If I am able to remove the binds that I have wrapped myself in, and release myself to the world, without speculation and prejudices, such as Darwin and Gandhi did, then I will find my truth. It is my expectance to find my truth. This is the true meaning of life. It is not a fancy car, a wealthy good looking husband, and a dazzling career; at least, it is not for me. It may be for another, but not me. My truth is grander than that and it is not something I can easily put into words. I feel the truth within, guiding me. When I stray on the path that I should not traverse, my truth nudges me gently back to the path I am meant to follow. The small oddities and coincidences that most would ignore or dismiss, I listen for, as they are the signs the universe is giving me to let me know how I am going. To me, this is what Gandhi was speaking on; the ability to integrate yourself into your environment to the point where you are a part of it, instead of separate. In today's society, we think of ourselves as in control of everything around us: we try to predict weather, we try to prevent diseases, we cage and kill animals because they are 'just dumb animals', we even try to enslave each other in a multitude of ways. People attempt to control everything outside of them, yet give no thoughts to the simple fact that what occurs on the outside is a result of the lack of peace on the inside. We believe that we are exclusive to nature and the environment, as if it was a game we were given to play. However, we are just as much a part of nature as the animals and the weather we try to tame.

We are animals.

The ability to integrate within the environment can lead to a better understand of not only ourselves but the beautiful planet we were given. Yet, we must be at peace with our self before we can be at peace with all that is without. Gandhi held fast to this belief, and so do I. In fact, just today some of my golfers found a very unusual caterpillar on the course. It was ugly, and horned, and resembled something that would have crawled across the screen of a horror movie, rather than in nature. They brought it to me, telling me that we needed to spray the course, because we had these ferocious, man eating monsters. I took one look at the poor creature tied up in a mesh bag, and immediately wanted to release it. The ladies prohibited me. It would bite me. It would poison me. It could kill me.

I could kill me. It really isn't that hard.

I persisted. I watched with fascination as the caterpillar tried to scratch its way out of the bag, and instantly I knew the frustration. Quickly I handed the bug to a co-worker who asked me if I wanted to release it. Yes. Yes, please release it to the wild. Even if it is dangerous, it didn't deserve to be bound. It deserved to be free, even though I secretly wanted to hold it and watch it.

This is my truth. I am bound to service for nature as Gandhi was bound to service for people. I see the beauty in even the most horrible beasts, including my new friend, the Hickory Horned Devil.

Gandhi, Mahatma. The Meaning of Truth. http://www.mkgandhi.org/truth/article3.htm