The ABCs: T is for (Radical) Truth
The Truth will set you free...if you can find it.
In many spiritual traditions, there is a practice in which a selected scriptural passage becomes the theme for the week. At Radical Spirituality, we do the same thing, but in a radical way.
Each Sunday, I offer The ABC’s of Radical Spirituality, a single, simple word distilled from the common principles of all the world’s faith and wisdom teachings that serves as the exploration for the week. They are the roots of Radical Spirituality. And because I am that person, the words are in alphabetical order. We start with A and go to Z.
It’s a simple practice to get to the roots of what matters on our spiritual path. The best part is that you will get out of it what you put into it. If you just keep the word on a sticky-note on your computer, it will still work it’s magic. But to dig deeper, delve in, dive in, and see what you find.
T is for (Radical) Truth
The deepest spiritual truths are always unutterable – Mahatma Gandhi
I once had a truth-seeker friend who claimed that the sole purpose of his life was to discover the Truth with a capital T. Fearing that to be a tall order, I asked him what would happen if he never found it.
“I will consider my life a total waste,” he said bluntly. He meant it.
I felt deep compassion for him, worried that he might come to the end of his life and feel it was worthless because he hadn’t found the Truth. Then again, I realized that one way or another, he would find the Truth for himself to avoid that anguish. Many of us do.
Truth is a big word in spirituality and every tradition makes claims to the Truth with a capital T. Some claim God is Truth. Others say Oneness, Jesus, the Dao, Brahman, or Emptiness. Any of those may be the Ultimate Truth, all of them might be, or none of them. They may all be words pointing to a Truth that is even deeper. Many teachings say that real spiritual Truth cannot really be named.
That said, there are truths. There are many, many truths, and all of the spiritual traditions have valid truths. Even in life, there is your truth, my truth, and the something-in-between truth. But are any of them the Truth? The one and only Truth? Is there such a thing?
The Latin root of Truth is ver, as in veracity, very, verdict, verify. In other words, something we hold to be true. But, just as in a court of law, where most of those words are used, the Truth is hard to come by. There are facts and there are other facts, and the Truth probably lies buried somewhere in all of them. What the listener hears and believes to be true becomes the truth.
At its root, Truth is something YOU have faith or trust in, based on your experience or belief. It’s totally subjective. That’s how your truth (or Jesus’ or the Buddha’s) becomes the Truth with a capital T. So, while various spiritual traditions have their versions of truth, it’s only Truth if you believe it, either through faith or your experience.
Or is it?
This week, we explore Truth. What do you believe to be true based on your faith, trust or experience? What is Truth to you?
A lot of harm has come in all eras from people attached to one view of spiritual “truth.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn
Deeper Roots
The deeper radical understanding of Truth comes from the meaning of ver – fidelity, loyalty, steadfast, faithfulness. In other words, Truth with a capital T, or Absolute Truth, is something that is loyal; it is steadfast. It doesn’t waver or change, and it’s not dependent upon context. And neither does your trust in it.
But most truths are dependent upon a set of circumstances or context, or a doctrine that comes from a particular person, culture or time period. They are what we call relative truths: they are relative to the situation. Absolute Truth doesn’t depend on a given set of circumstances. It is objectively true no matter what. And it doesn’t change. For example, there are no round squares. If we believe a square to be 4 equal sides with 90-degree angles, then under no circumstances could a square be round.
The clincher in this example is the word “believe.” We have been told it is true that four lines with 90-degree angles is a square, and round has no angles, but those are just concepts in our heads. Someone told us and we believe it. If we didn’t call a square a square, or a circle round, would it still be true? Is it even possible to have truth that isn’t dependent upon context?
Philosophers say there is no way we can ever know Absolute Truth because it is always dependent upon perception. We can only know through our concepts, contexts, beliefs, and ideas. On the other hand, that’s claiming an absolute truth! So, is there Absolute Truth? Especially a spiritual one?
This debate has gone on for centuries. Wars have been fought (and are still fought) over versions of spiritual Truth. But is it possible that there is something even deeper that is truly Truth?
Though they describe it different ways, mystics from all traditions say there is a Truth that goes beyond the mind. Moralists say that there is a universal moral Truth to which the whole universe is subject. And many would say that if we could just agree on Truth, we would all live happily ever after.
I am not certain that there is such thing as Truth (Absolute, capital T), let alone one we can all agree on. But as an Interfaith/Interspiritual minister, I hold that there are certain underlying truths that are common to all faiths (and even science). Things like acceptance, harmony, and benevolence are universal principles for how we can all get along more peacefully. If we all worked a bit harder at those ideals, the world might be a better place. They may not be Truth or Absolute Truth, but from my perspective, they seem to be truer than the alternatives.
At least, I believe that’s true.
Reflection Questions
What does Truth mean to you?
What do you hold to be true?
How does what you hold true affect how you see the world?
How does what other people hold true affect you?
Suggested Practice
For the week, examine your truths. Where do they come from? How does your experience support or challenge them? What happens when your truths are questioned?
The fact that astronomies change while the stars abide is a true analogy of every realm of human life and thought, religion not least of all. No existent theology can be a final formulation of spiritual truth. ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick
How true....