Truth

     
                                         
                                                             

An affirmation – Truth has different levels and hence not easily understood.

               On one hand, a verse from Taittiriya Upanishad says,

              " Matru Devo Bhava, Pitru Devo Bhava

               Acharya Devo Bhava, Attiti Devo Bhava.."

               It means Regard mother, father, teacher and guest as God.

On the other hand, Saint Goswami Tulsidasji tells Meerabai to give up all relations. Giving advice to Meerabai, who was in a dilemma, and replying to her question, Tulsi advised her in a verse which meant:

"...Abandon those who cannot understand you and who do not worship Rama or Shyama, even though they are your dearest relatives. Prahlada abandoned his father; Vibhishana left his brother Ravana; Bharata deserted his mother; Bali forsook even his Guru; the women of Vraja, disowned their husbands to get to their Krishna. Their lives were all the happier for having done so. The relation with God and the love of God are the only elements that are true and eternal; all other relationships are unreal and temporary…"

One might wonder at this apparent contradiction. A layman might get confused and wonder what the right thing to do is. So drastically different the two messages are. Then what is the truth?

Master says, " there are two things; one is gross truth (स्थूल ) - something which can be seen and comprehended by limited human eyes. The other is subtle truth (सूक्ष्म )- which is not visible through naked eyes, but that doesn’t deem it from being so.” 

Let me make it simple by giving a simile-

If you were to ask me, what exactly I’m doing right now. I would say,” right now, I’m sitting on my chair, typing on the computer.”

Now, nothing can be more honest than the above sentence. But in the same breath if I was to say, " Right now I’m also going round and round in circles...” how many of you would believe me?

Whether you believe or not but that’s the fact. I am rotating at this moment. How is that possible? Well, I can scientifically prove it.

The Earth is never still! Got the idea, a school student knows this.....

Earth's rotation: the rotation of the solid Earth around its own axis. 
Earth spins steadily – and moves at a constant rate in orbit around the sun – we as an earthly passengers move right along with it.

we are rotating along with Earth

The circumference of the Earth at the equator is 25,000 miles. The Earth rotates in about 24 hours. Therefore, if you were to hang above the surface of the Earth at the equator without moving, you would see 25,000 miles pass by in 24 hours, at a speed of 25000/24 or just over 1000 miles per hour. 

Earth is also moving around the Sun at about 67,000 miles per hour.
[the above figures taken from the net]

This was a simple example to prove that something which can't be seen by physical eyes (except by astronomer) or grasped easily, is still the 'Truth'.

Human life is to progress

Let's go back to the main affirmation, by presenting the view of Swami Vivekananda, a great soul of our times.  He who spread Vedanta in the west says:

“ this world is good as far as it is a means to perfect ourselves, and as soon as it has ceased to do that it is evil, nothing but evil. So wife, children, husband, money, dollars or learning are good, as long as they help us forward; but as soon as they have ceased to do that they are nothing but evil”.

In the Manas it is given rather vehemently : Perish that property, house, happiness, friend, mother, father, or brother, who does not gladly help one turn towards Lord Rama. 

   जरउ सो संपति सदन  सुखु सुह्रद मातु पितु  भाइ I 

             सनमुख होत जो राम पद  करै न सहस सहाइ II
                                                               (AYODHYA-KANDA,185)

Here Rama also means the one ultimate Truth.

The Vedas deem the highest Truth as progression; evolution and this Human life is the best place (and only place) for achieving this. Everything else becomes subservient to this highest truth, although they are right at their own level. Sometimes to see the subtle truth we need a minuscule view, something that our normal eyesight might miss.

or like Master says: to understand the scriptures ( शास्त्रा ) we need to sit at somebodies feet.