Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Running behind Truth

Any thinking man, who at sometime in life, would start thinking about the real meaning of Truth. We all take it for granted that we fully understand the meaning of Truth. One day, this question struck me - what is the real meaning of Truth?

The dictionary defines Truth in many possible ways. Closest to what I had in mind is defined as "Conformity to fact or reality; correctness, accuracy". But, what is fact and reality? I'm a human; yes, that is a fact. I have eyes; yes, that's a fact too. Anything that you can verify physically can be taken as fact. Then, truth is to state the fact.

Going deeper, a truth states a fact, but a fact can be stated in many contradicting "truths"! If the truths contradict one another, then there has to be one truth and rest should be untrue. Or is it?

Consider this: Assume that a mountain looks like a human skull. But it also looks like a dog's ear from another angle. Well, both are facts. A mountain can look different from different angles. So, it is a truth that it looks like a human skull and it is a truth like a dog's ear. In order to satisfy these truths, you need to bring them to space domain and state the conditions of angle for them to be true.

Over a period of time, say a million years later, the mountain wears down due to nature's play. It is very likely that after a while it no longer looks like human skull or like dog's ear. So, does it mean that the previously stated truths are false? Hence, in order to satisfy those truths, now you will need to add a time dimension too.

Stop wondering. I think I made it reasonably clear that all these truths that we are talking about are relative; relative to space and time.

Is there an Absolute Truth? A Truth which is not bound by space and time? That which has no conditions? That which does not change from where you look at? That which does not change over time?

This Absolute Truth has to be something that was never created and would never be destroyed - something that is the Reference for the whole Universe.

There, certainly, is such an Absolute Truth. Can I define or describe it?

Not yet.

Note: I think I need to change the Title to something more meaningful like: "Running around in the Truth"!

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