Weekly Insights: Our Relationship To Truth...

The daily news cycle is a deep reflection of the dualities we hold as humans in what we consider to be "reality". One channel will say one thing, while the next one contradicts it all. Somewhere between the two perspectives is the actual truth. Politicians are exposed for lying daily, and our friends and family never hesitate to spread a good lie when it benefits them to do so. It can leave us wondering where the accountability is on the highest levels, as well as in our own tribes.

When we look at Indigenous cultures, the truth is not seen as something you say as a fact. It is a living practice that ties us together as one. As we live in right relationship with one another, addressing dishonesty as a way of breaking the balance and harmony that brings us together with trust and good intention, then we create a solid foundation for our relationships to grow. In modern spiritual philosophy from an Eastern perspective, the truth is seen as something you awaken to, realize, or uncover in reflection. It is the fruits we bear from the discoveries we unfold when in deep contemplation or over a period of time. The Buddhists have a belief in what is called the "Four Noble Truths". The truths reflect that there is suffering, there is a cause of that suffering, there is an end of that suffering, and there is a path that leads us out of that suffering. That path involves eight steps that include right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. By thinking, feeling, and behaving in a high frequency manner, Buddhists believe we can overcome a lot of our suffering here on the Earth. In Taoism, the truth is also observed as something undefinable that is aligned to who we are instead of what comes out of our speech. Even the Greeks understood the truth as an examination of what is revealed when we question our realities and strip away the false beliefs that we fed into in the past. It was the Greeks that once said that the truth will always be revealed - we just may not like what we see when it comes to light. Some story-telling traditions expose profound truths after the reader uncovers them through their interpretation of the story. It is fictitious, but there is a deeper moral lesson that is revealed under the guise of comedy or dramatization. Other spiritual teachings lecture about morality and honesty as a Godly virtue, and preach that lying is a moral fault and a violation of Divine Law.

Growing up, I was read stories or told about characters that weren't honest and payed a big price for it. Pinocchio wore his lies on his face by growing a longer nose every time he told a fib. The Body Who Cried Wolf was a compulsive liar who made up stories while the town scrambled to support him because they believed his words. After abusing their trust, when he actually needed help, no one was there for him. The lessons we learned about the truth from the childhood stories helped us understand that people lie to help them avoid uncomfortable truths that they are having problems facing. Suppressed emotions, the abandonment of personal needs, ignoring inner truths, numbing emotions, or living a false reality can all be factors of why people lie.

Shifting our realities toward truth begins with Me and spreads out to We. If we want more honesty in our lives, we have to live more honest lives ourselves. It sounds so simple, but when we accept difficult truths, choose to see things clearly, and are willing to let go of expectations and attachments, then we create the space for truth to move from within to without. When we intentionally break away from harmony, cause chaos and disorder, or act cruel on purpose, it is a form of dishonesty because we are not aligned to "right action" and our natural state of good intent. It is a violation of our higher selves, our soul essence, and our Divine nature. The truth brings up the messiest parts of life. It is sometimes carries hard lessons, abrupt endings, and profound transformation when revealed; but, the truth ultimately sets us free. All we have to do is be willing to look at, which means that we have to live in reality and not the illusions we create in the mind. We have to detach from the need to justify our faults, hide from who we really are, or look at things that make us feel uncomfortable. Living in truth is deciding to walk away from the maya (illusion) in order to starve ignorance and feed reality. Which wolf are you feeding - the good wolf or the bad wolf?