Every flower in the rose plants in our garden is on a drooping stem! Is the wight of the flower causing the stem to droop! The bud is on a straight stem and by the time it opens to be flower it bends in one direction at least mildly!
Our opinions also have an inclination towards what we perceive as the truth!
Truth is not always the deciding factor to influence our opinions.
There is the inherent truth and the projected truth.
There is a debate in public space about unemployment numbers in India. The government quotes a number which is far less than what the independent sources quote. A difference of almost fifty percent.
Even the news papers question the number put out by the government ! The international agencies and others who hold on to higher number might also be not sharing the whole truth.
It is here we are not able to find the inherent truth and feel driven by the projected "truth"!
The political space in India is occupied by untruth or half truth or distorted truth. The political orientation becomes the model for others for justification of concealing the truth.
When truth is not at the centre, there is sanction for deceit, distortion and decline of morality.
A retired justice of the Supreme court, whom I know personally once told me that the judgements of the Supreme Court also might not represent the full truth. Th court decides on the merit of the arguments brought to its attention. So there is a risk to justice when it is not founded on truth.
Jesus of Nazareth made a statement, 'I am the truth..' ! Mahatma Gandhi said, God is truth.
There is a new dimension about truth, which the statement of Jesus brings to our attention: Is my whole being the truth, not just what I say or do alone!
When the light within is truth, then all of our being lives and relates this truth.
I had a glimpse of this truthfulness when a father confessed about his habitual abuse of his son under the influence of alcohol. He relates soberly when he is not under the influence of alcohol. Truth is a casualty when we live our lives under some extraneous influences. Religious intolerance, party ideology, caste prejudice, personal success, pursuit to dominate others etc. are such extraneous influences which dull our conscience and cause us to live with distorted truth!
Living the truth in Love and speaking the truth in love make truth endearing to others around us! That is how truth becomes a light to lead others to truth without judgement, accusation or humiliation!
The weight of truth is the integrity it offers to our lives!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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