Musings: What Has Happened To The Truth?

In the world in which we live today – full of spins, fake news and lies – do you wonder what happened to truth? There is power in truth! When I am lied to, I know intuitively that I am being lied to and shut off my listening. At the same time when I hear truth – it impacts me at a deep level and resonates within my spirit! My ears perk up and my listening gets focused and more attentive.

Jesus Christ said, “Then you will know truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32) Gandhi brought the might of the British Empire to its knees by the practice of “ahimsa” and “satyagraha.”

As defined in Wikipedia, “ahimsa” means “not to injure” and “compassion” and refers to a key virtue in Indian religions. The word is derived from the Sanskrit root hiṃs – to strike; hiṃsā is injury or harm. In this manner a-hiṃsā is the opposite of this, i.e. cause no injury, do no harm. Ahimsa is also referred to as nonviolence, and it applies to all living beings, including all animals. Ahimsa is a multidimensional concept, inspired by the premise that all living beings have the spark of the Divine spiritual energy; therefore, to hurt another being is to hurt oneself. Ahimsa has also been related to the notion that any violence has karmic consequences.

Satyagraha by Wikipedia is defined as:

Loosely translated as “insistence on truth” or “loyalty to the truth.” Satya translates as “truth”; agraha as “insistence” or “holding firmly to.”

So, holding onto truth or truth force is a particular form of nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term satyagraha was coined and developed by Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948). He deployed satyagraha in the Indian independence movement and also during his earlier struggles in South Africa for Indian rights. Satyagraha theory influenced Martin Luther King Jr.’s and James Bevel’s campaigns during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, and many other social justice and similar movements. Someone who practices satyagraha is a satyagrahi.

Now for our world. In the world we live in and in the leadership of many of our leaders, we see very few satyagrahis, whether that be in politics, religion, corporations, institutions of higher learning and organizations as a whole. The absence of ahimsa and satyagraha practice is doomed to lead the world on a downward spiral, to a place where it will eventually crash. What is our collective responsibility as citizens, brothers and sisters of our country and the world to reverse this trend?

First, I believe we must be true to ourselves. Many of us mortals (yours truly included) are guilty of lying even if the lies appear to be white lies. I do work very hard to always speak the truth but at times catch myself saying something that is not the exact truth. Over the years I have continued to work on developing a strong awareness of always speaking the truth. It is what can make me authentic. Authenticity is an important part of self-respect, confidence, peace and happiness. When we are not authentic – essentially living in a lie – this becomes a highly debilitating set of affairs that throws us into a guilt mentality, which I equate to living in a cage or a prison. It is always when we come back to truth that “we are set free,” and this then releases us from being captive into a state of euphoric freedom.

My sister Neyleen has been a tremendous amount of support and solace to me in the aftermath of my Mama’s passing in April. Her sensitiveness, love and wisdom have helped me in many a moment of grief over losing my Mama who was a rock in my life. Also, recently I was in the space of not sharing my truth in an important relationship and felt suffocated in my inability to be authentic. Neyleen inspired me by her sage advice to confront the truth and return to authenticity in spite of the risks. Here is what she wrote in an e-mail:

Being true to yourself means being completely honest with yourself and having the courage to communicate genuinely with others without fear of being judged poorly or rejected. We all fall prey to not speaking our truth when we fear what we have to say will make the other person uncomfortable, hurt their feelings, or that they may even abandon us. The way I feel about not speaking your truth is it comes back to haunt you in negative ways. You may feel depleted, tired, frustrated, lost, dissatisfied, angry, and maybe even under the weather. By expressing how you truly feel wholeheartedly and kindly, a more peaceful, dignified and respectful resolution can be reached. Thank you, Azim for the courage to share your powerful journey of being authentic. Each day presents new opportunities to be our true selves. I love you.
– Neyleen