A Matter of Truth

I doth confer .... Peace Ross

"Popularity is NOT the desire of the spiritual person….truth-telling is. There is nothing, "more loving" than telling the truth even when it hurts, because in the end there is nothing of greater benefit. None of those who speak of "love and light" without even so much as defining their words, can come to grips with this." Truth: Most Dreaded and Useful

There is only one thing which the modern person fears more than death, and that is the idea there is such a thing as truth. Death to most people may be a great and terrible unknown, but it is nothing compared to the awesome and totally threatening implications of TRUTH ITSELF. All of the world’s problems, every injustice, war, misery, disease, lingering fear and pain, have but one single cause, and that is the widespread denial of Truth. Every single solution for the world’s ills, for war, corruption, social inequality, religious intolerance and the nature of true progress in general, stems from one single source - the implementation of Truth. It is not from fear or pain that human beings run away, it is from their cause that they flee. They run as cowards and fools from the truth alone, for there is no greater enemy to society, tradition, consumerism, insanity or self destruction, than the Reality it encompasses. It is from this most dreaded and despised foe, the reality of truth, that people seek to escape. There is no greater source of panic, anxiety and anguish for the modern mind, than what is TRULY SO. It is for the reasons listed above that the average person will literally DO ANYTHING and SAY ANYTHING, in an attempt to avoid the Truth. They will deny the existence of the most obvious, even if this contradicts not only their daily experience, but the experience of that very moment. People well claim total ignorance while in full and complete knowledge, not necessarily because they enjoy lying, but because they are horrified to admit something that they wished were not so. For the most part they do this not for the sake of avoiding any single aspect of truth or fact, but to utterly avoid TRUTH ITSELF, as the guiding principle of the Universe. To even suggest that it is such a thing as TRUTH which guides reality rather than human whim or desire, is to evoke considerable anger, fear and indignation from a human being. Given this, the human mind has even fashioned God in it’s own image, imagining that only THEIR personal nation, religion, and culture have any real meaning, implying that their wars are righteous, and that all the stars in the night sky exist only for their personal amusement. The human being will even go so far as to say that nothing can, or ever has existed without our say so, and that if a tree falls in a forest unheard, then that must surely mean it did not make a sound. Such points as the following are almost ALWAYS brought forward when the average person reacts to the discussion of truth, proving the complete insanity of the modern condition: 1) there is no truth, (and therefore no such thing as a lie, either) 2) there is truth, but it is, "relative" or "subjective", as in, "my truth" and "your truth" 3) there is truth, but it can NEVER be known by human beings 4) the truth is constantly changing, so there's no point in trying to understand it 5) the truth needs human observers to exist … what we don't observe doesn't exist or doesn't matter 6) truth is defined as whatever the majority believes, (if everyone believes the Earth is flat, then that makes it flat….there is no such thing as evidence, reasoning or logic) 7) the truth is whatever we want to make up at any given time, with no explanation needed, (this is our right as, "centers of the universe") Truth: That which exists regardless of opinion or viewpoint, Natural Law(s), fact. The truth is composed of facts, and these are collectively known as “reality”. Even after being given this definition of Truth, the average person will either insist that truth is personal, relative or subjective, or they will claim that although it exists, it can never really be known. The test of our wisdom is not in our ability to acquire knowledge, but what to do with that knowledge after it is acquired. It is here that humanity fails, not because we cannot conceive of the best course of action, but because we are unwilling to accept new conclusions and standards then those which history has already given us. In simple psychological terms, this is known as mass denial. The purpose of the denial of Truth is simple, THE AVOIDANCE OF RESPONSIBILITY. To acknowledge there is such a thing as Truth is to also be forced to acknowledge that the universe, like life, is not random. A non-random universe has direction, and even what may be called "goals" or "purposes", not the least of which is known as, “evolution”. To acknowledge Truth is to realize that life itself, (and even our own individual lives, now and hereafter) have meaning and purpose of a specific nature. Since a Universe based on Truth is conditional and specific, that means we as human beings are NOT at liberty to make up whatever we want to about life. With Truth in place, imagination, desire and whim are no longer the center of the Universe, implying that everything society now stands for is utterly false. Society tells us that human beings and their desires, are far more important than the content of a hundred billion galaxies and everything in between. It falsely claims that our own emotional gratification reigns supreme in the cosmic scope of things, while all that matters is whatever we wish to believe. That’s why there is such popularity in the belief that, "there is no Truth", or that there is only, "my truth" and "your truth" which is basically saying the same thing as "there is no truth". If truth is relative to each individual person, then how can two people with diametrically opposed view sit in the very same room together, without annihilating one another with their minds? Obviously there something more to truth than whatever we wish to believe upon waking up in the morning. Modern social structures can’t EVER afford to acknowledge that life has inherent meaning, one that does not need human approval or restructuring, without simultaneously admitting that long cherished norms are based upon nothing but arbitrariness. For if it did acknowledge truth then consumerism would become practicality, religious faith would become clarity, tradition would be replaced by innovation, national boundaries would dissolve, patriotism would be seen as misguided loyalty, logic would replace randomness, clear reasoning would transcend gossip and blind following, peace would replace war, and wisdom would arise where there had once been only ignorance. To the question of, "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound"? the answer is simple…yes, of course it still makes a sound. The natural laws of physics do not hang on the thread of human whim in order to find their fruition. The very question reeks of a center-of-the-universe sentimentality, presupposing that nothing at all can occur without our perception or permission. For the vast majority of people who believe this folly, there is a simple way of regaining basic sanity, and that is through HONESTLY answering the following question. Many will probably find they lack the personal power to do so, and yet it MUST be done… The question is this; "How did the universe function before there were ever human beings around to have opinions about it?"

Using modern thinking, if a tree needs a humans‘ perception to make a sound when it falls, then surely there were no sounds at all prior to the time when Homo Sapiens walked the Earth. Similarly, there must surely have been no light either, because if there was no one around to see the sun shine, did it still make a light? Of course it did. Furthermore, plants and animals grew, river sediments accumulated, cells divided, rocks were ground to sand on beaches, birds flew, storms dumped snow on mountain peaks and plains alike and water still flowed downhill. In other words all the natural laws which ran the universe did so regardless of being observed, and irrespective of being the subject of human opinion. The very concept of a, "NATURAL LAW" implies a force or forces which operate at all places and times, without concern for anyone’s approval. If you want to understand TRUTH and natural law, just contemplate the fact of life and evolution on this world, prior to human perception. Species of plants and animals have come and gone for millions of years prior to humanity. Obviously, reality does not need our observation or permission to run rather effectively. Then there are those who seek to escape their responsibility for truth, by quoting such sayings as, "the three blind men and the elephant". The story begins by claiming that truth is relative to perception, as “demonstrated“ by the three holding on to different parts of the same animal. The one touching a tusk says, “elephants are smooth, strong, hard and sometimes brittle“. The second holding a leg replies, “you‘re right about the elephant being strong, but it is not brittle, smooth or hard“. The third fool holding the tail gets irate, saying, "You are both idiots, an elephant is obviously a tall but spindly creature, not brittle but always twisting and agile". People quote this saying as "evidence" that there either is no such thing as truth, or that the truth is subject to perception. Yet the example is so completely flawed, so utterly irrational, as to be ludicrous. First of all, the analogy only works if you assume that all people are not only blind, but also incredibly stupid. . Even a blind person should be able to tell that there is more to an elephant than trunk, leg or tail, just by using their ears. Furthermore, we DO have eyes that see, ESPECIALLY when they're open. Secondly, the analogy assumes that the elephant is somehow changed just because it was misperceived in three separate ways. But the fact remains that the elephant, in its’ entirety and sophistication, remained the same creature regardless of human views about it. The most logical conclusion here is NOT that each blind man, "had his own truth" or that truth is somehow, "subject to perception", but that the truth was and is unchanged, regardless of what anyone likes to imagine. It is not that each blind man was, "right in his own way", but that ALL THREE WERE WRONG. You can no sooner do justice to the reality of an elephant by calling it, "trunk, tusk or leg", than you can an ocean by calling it a, "drop, wave or wet". Some will perhaps read this and say, that the three blind men are likened to what we still don’t know about the universe, and that our sciences are still in their infancy. Yes, of course our sciences are. But given this they will further seek to evade responsibility for the truth by concluding that, "truth is still evolving as our understanding of it evolves", or that, "we will never fully understand truth, therefore we don’t need to take reality seriously, since that concept will change radically with each passing decade". Truth does not evolve as our understanding of it improves. The truth remains the same regardless of our understanding. Secondly, just because we don’t yet know EVERYTHING about reality, does not mean that we KNOW NOTHING. It is for those known basics THAT WE DO KNOW, for which humanity MUST hold itself accountable. We ALL know certain facts about the truth, such as people need to breathe and sleep, that love is more healthful for the body than fear, we know that the heart beats and the lungs take in oxygen, that apples are better to eat than driveway gravel or arsenic, and that gradations of feeling and intelligence exist. These basics and countless others, are part and parcel of our daily existence. We know that water runs downhill, that the natural laws of resonance, vibration, spectrum, harmonics, dissonance, gravity/attraction, the proofs of geometry, polarity, the principles of circuit and energy flow, and a huge host of other basics, form the basis of repeated experiment and consistent technology. We know that pollution is damaging to life, that the Earth is not flat and that we orbit a stellar body known as a SUN. We ARE accountable for these and many other obvious facts, which compose reality. There are none so blind as those who will not see this. We see such thinking as the three blind men analogy, applied in every single aspect of the modern world. In international relations, what is assumed to count most is not the truth, (facts) but who can put the most convincing "spin" or "interpretation" on any given incident. In everyday conversation we find that it is not facts that are most often quoted in honest debate, nor logic given to support conclusion made, but rather, who can tell the most convincing lies and project their self image most forcefully. On the religious scene we see that every faith says, "our God is the only God", and/or that, "our scriptures are the highest among all" while at the same time taking great pains to avoid factual discussion, or logical analysis of their own beliefs. It is not that every nation, person and religion has, "their own truth" (as if all these different and often contradictory "truths" could possibly exist simultaneously). What little truth there is contained in the modern world is only had in small part by each person, nation and belief, and it is this, "thread of truth" as it is called, which forms the only REAL common ground between all beliefs, nations and persons. It is not that each largely erroneous belief system is in turn, "right in it’s own way" but like the three blind men, they are ALL in the vast majority, mostly WRONG. If the human race is to survive all the largely false and arbitrary notions of the modern world, then it MUST begin using truth as the foundation for all debate and wise action. The same may be said of every individual, so that they might actually mature into wise, intelligent and progressive beings. The truth is the very essence of further human evolution, and spiritual progress of all kinds. Without it we can only flounder in wishful thinking or sheer delusion. With truth as our foremost guide in life however, we then can address reality on its’ own terms. In truth we can create relationships and a society where enlightenment is the rule, rather than the exception.

Truth Alone is the Only Worthy Guide

The entire materialistic society to which we belong, is subconsciously suicidal. It does not represent Truth and is therefore not worthy of our lifelong devotion. Suicide in one form or another is the modern trend, and this is also true of almost all of the individuals who compose it. If you are ever in doubt about this, just consider the hopelessness and self-defeatism that is rampant in the public today. The reason for our self destruction is clear. Society is simply dead wrong in its goals and values. The feelings of "wrongness" which we experience at every stage of life in the modern world, are not a measure of our "unworthiness" or lack of intelligence. They are a measure of the wrongness and lackingness of society itself. Social norms have failed to elevate the human condition, and are at this moment in fact, the primary obstacle to further human evolution. It is common knowledge that humanity long ago, began making wrong and artificial decisions, with regard to the purpose of life. The true purpose of life is spiritual progress, not material acquisition without limits. We all know this at the cellular or "gut" level. The truth of social unnaturalness is felt at the level of the body, in every strained social interaction, and in our very souls. We simply do not have the time left as a species on this living planet, to continue on in a mode of denial, about the destructiveness of our way of living. Lifestyle is the only REAL indication of spiritual practice, as words are indeed cheap. The most impressive sounding speeches or eloquent poems will not save us from our own self-destruction. We are committing suicide because of the pain of wrong living. Our wrong living stems from a basic misconception about what life is really about. It is not about unlimited or random self indulgence at the cost of all else. Life, and the evolutionary processes upon which it is based has its own governing rules, and these are known as "natural laws". If we will not follow natural laws then we will all die, to put it bluntly. All the "love and light" slogans in the world will not change this outcome, if we do not change our values and the lifestyle which reflects them. What is most called for today among all other spiritual qualities, is honesty. Our culture is immersed in a state of media-induced mass denial which borders on hysteria. Many of those involved in spiritual discussions are similarly denying our daily reality. In other words we are collectively denying the insanity of our participation, in a spirit-less materialistic lifestyle. Let’s examine some of the beliefs of this "consumerism" we are immersed in: 1) The true purpose of "education" is not personal empowerment. The true purpose of education for our children, is very simply to program them for efficient workplace functioning. It also exists as a form of social indoctrination, one that directs itself to defeat all rebellion and unprofitable individualism. This programming starts at a very early age, when the 3-5 year old is subjected to "pre-school", so as to "get ahead". By "getting ahead" we mean of course that we are training our progeny to be ruthless competitors, in a money-grabbing world. We are in essence programming our own children to be the "gladiators of materialism" ... to fight for their social notoriety in the corporate arena, while a hysterical public cheers on. Education therefore exists for the primary purpose of making more money, not individual enlightenment. It exists to suppress creativity, and to enhance the blind following of senseless rules and regulations without question. Public school curriculums work to undermine the natural freedom and intelligence of the human body-mind, so that the hours shown on the face of a clock become more important than the urges of life itself. In such a place joy is stamped out, and play is replaced by painful, meaningless, artificial disciplines. The school system itself also exists for the purpose of babysitting today's youth, which then enables the adult wage slave system to continue without distraction. 2) We are impressed by the belief that God will somehow, someday, take care of our problems as encapsulated by the phrase, "let go, let God". This belief is taken to an extreme, and used as an excuse to not exercise personal responsibility. The mind is not developed, and is viewed instead as merely a passive vessel, into which "Divine influence" is poured, as defined by mainstream religious doctrines, (which includes New Age beliefs as well). "We must be sheep" we are told, rather than intelligent, autonomous beings. In this line of thinking, it is popular to assume that no matter what happens to ourselves or our world society, "It is all part of the Divine Plan". For this reason we are excused from any personal responsibility for personal or world events, since God is assumed to be pulling all the strings of life, and we are merely "His" mindless puppets. The primary error in this belief is that autonomous human intelligence is exactly what is central to this "Divine Plan". It is our natural function to exercise the wisdom and intelligence of right decision-making, in order to learn the needed lessons of existence as souls in bodies. Thus, whether we live or die is a matter of our own self-imposed fitness for survival as a species, and not because of Divine proclamation. 3) That government is now privately owned, and serves special, (money) interests only. If you want to understand the essence behind ANY modern political event, all you need to remember is one single word ... MONEY. For this reason government has become wholly corrupt. Democrasy is no longer practiced, which implies that there is no such thing as the honestly expressed will of the people. In fact, there is no such thing as the will of the people at all for the most part, in the modern age. The public will is determined by media influence, and this is made possible by the years of childhood conditioning in the so-called "educational" system. Propaganda has replaced reality as the measure of "common sense". This is why public opinion is no longer a trustworthy measure of reality, and neither is the media that controls it. 4) It is evident that Orthodox religion has lost its fundamental, spiritual meaning. It has instead become a socio-political vehicle for fear, suppression and mass mind control. Essential spiritual lessons have been dogmatically replaced by a concern for empty ritual, (such as the various Christmas and Easter traditions, whose origins are not even of Christian root). Truth has been lost by an insistence on the blind adherence to formality, social expectation and obligation, as well as hollow speech-making. Modern political and religious speeches bear an uncanny and increasing resemblance to one another. 5) That 99% of all social motivations in this culture are based upon money. All the good things in life are assumed to be found on supermarket shelves, and nowhere else. The dollar is God, and God is to be worshiped day and night for the rest of our lives, as the basis for every consideration. Our self worth is defined in the eyes of society in terms of job titles, resumes and income brackets. There is nothing that most people today will not do for money. Any heinous act is committed against nature, the body, the mind, the family and truth, all for the sake of a paycheck. Profit is considered the ideal excuse to commit any atrocity against humanity, including the exploitation of world resources, environmental health, the enslavement of the poor, mass imprisonment of domestic and foreign populations, the destruction of foreign governments and the starvation and induced, mass infection of various populations world-wide. Profits are considered more important than health, happiness, peace, justice, cooperation, wisdom, love, family, truth, clarity, spirit, nature and God. 6) That all self-worth and image is based on outward validity. Our training in materialism includes the belief that we should always put up a grand show for onlookers, even when we are alone, because we carry around the thought of "what others might think" at all times. This belief implies that if we are not approved of by others, than that automatically means we must be wrong, regardless of facts to the contrary. One such belief is that we should “believe in our country” for instance, regardless of what that country does or really stands for. We are taught that we are always accountable for our actions to "the system", but that the system is never truly accountable to us for our blind, unquestioning support. We are raised to believe that the most important thing in life, (past making money) is the acceptance of ourselves by "the crowd", (society). It does not matter in the slightest (in this hysterical belief system) what that crowd stands for…this consideration is viewed as irrelevant. What matters in today’s world is not sanity but acceptance…not truth but the outward appearance of sincerity. This belief has progressed to such a point, that many people are no longer capable of discernment between what is true and what is false, because their entire lives have been lived to arbitrarily placate the status quo. They have been raised not only to tell lies for the sake of social acceptance, but to tell the very same lies that everyone else considers fashionable. To be "politically correct" is considered the act of the sane, well adjusted person, regardless of what that political scene may be supporting, including the bombing, poisoning or economic strangulation of other countries, for the sake of personal comfort. To fundamentally question society’s basic beliefs however, is considered insane or "ill-adjusted" regardless of the logic, facts or alternatives used. Any life focus which is not about making money or cut-throat competitiveness/selfishness is considered either naïve, crazy, irresponsible or simply outright prosecutable. 7) The view that social opinion is something we should sacrifice our own views for, regardless of what we have known or experienced. The reality is that the demonstrated precepts of society have nothing in common with so-called "family" values or spirituality of any kind, but only with material greed and egotistical, social approval. This fact is demonstrated by our grotesque degree of consumption at the cost of world resources, the degradation of foreign economies and people, and the poisoning of the environment itself. It is also manifest in the largest expenditure of money in the history of mankind, to support a so-called “defense” military budget, (in the United States). In reality this would be better referred to as an "offense budget". This world offensive involves the aggressive political destabilization of all other countries and corporations in the world, and the creation of puppet governments/dictators who will do our regional bidding. This offense budget also exists as a form of threatening intimidation, so as to coerce the peoples of the world to bow to U.S. corporate whims. Such coercion also extends itself to a hugely bloated "law enforcement" and "legal" system, which jails far more of its own citizens than any other country in the world. We now live in a police-state, whose real purpose is to protect the personal interests of the wealthy, and to intimidate, or beat down by force of arms if necessary, any organized resistance or free will, that is contrary to the established aims of the corporate world. 8) That image is far more important than reality. We spend more time and money on cosmetic chemicals, make-up and surgery than we do on health foods. We spend far more effort cultivating a "public personality" than an inner reality and genuineness. It is also common practice to value the packaging of a product more than its real effectiveness or content. Facial expression is more important to us than honesty. Propaganda is more common than actuality. Taste is considered more important than ingredients, (even if these are deadly). 9) All things natural, including one’s own body, are something to do battle with rather than understand. The natural is something to be controlled with an iron fist without end or mercy. Thus we spray pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other poisons on our food, and everything in nature. The natural is something to be surgically altered, implanted with electronics, irradiated, sterilized, paved over, genetically engineered, cut down and used up, as a "resource" for human whims of any kind and purpose. 10) That symptoms are a more important consideration than cause. The addressing of causes and therefore cures, are deemed "unprofitable". This is why cancer, AIDS, and a host of other diseases will never be cured, so long as materialistic values are in place. The result of medical “remedies” will remain far more horrible than what they are supposedly aiming to alleviate. This is also why our food, water and air will continue to be both inadvertently and intentionally poisoned, so that the public will remain in a perpetual state of disease, discomfort and delusion. Today’s "health care" industry views disease as a given, "normal" standard, and health as an exception or unknown. Mental health has more to do with popping another Prozac, Valium, Riddelin or other mood altering drug, than with self knowledge and meditation. Physical health means obediently groveling before a doctor who knows less practical information about health, than any forest-dwelling, tribal shaman. Without honesty, (the acceptance of truth) the following inevitably takes place: 1) government becomes organized crime 2) spirituality/religion becomes hypocritical shallowness 3) social relations become insincere play-acting 4) charity and social institutions become exploitation 5) politics become the efficient and convincing telling of lies 6) mass media becomes propaganda 7) international relations become bitter posturing and war 8) traditions become the repetition of empty ritual 9) knowledge becomes a weapon used for the control of others 10) progress is defined as the destruction of nature and man alike 11) sincerity is seen as weakness 12) goodness is seen as naivete 13) democracy becomes an excuse for going to war 14) industry becomes a nature destroying profit-margin 15) sex becomes the perversion of life energy 16) higher education becomes a means for making more money, not gaining more wisdom 17) medicine becomes a business that preys upon death and sickness 18) science becomes a grant-money machine, not the quest for truth 19) material objects lose their utility and become a reflection of egotism 20) the mind engages in trivial pursuit and madness, rather than exercising genius 21) nature becomes a stockpile of "natural resources" 22) communication becomes mindless babbling and posturing 23) love is fashioned into ownership, (pets are "things", marriage is a contract of possession, children are extensions of ones' ego) 24) education becomes conditioning for the workplace 25) work is made into meaningless, competitive drudgery, (far beyond practical need) 25) all things become a money-making enterprise In essence, without truth as our guiding principle, life becomes so miserable that most activities become an escape. Sound familiar? Mass denial and mass insanity go hand in hand. The more insane the world gets, the more denial we will see everywhere, from back alleys and corporate board rooms, to the highest of government offices. There will be no reprieve from the ills of our world, until truth becomes the standard for human thought and action. Until then, ALL OTHER FORMS OF SOCIAL REFORM ARE DOOMED TO FAIL. Like it or not, human beings are going to have to make a habit of telling, thinking and living the truth, or die en masse and in untold misery. That's just the way it is, so deal with it or suffer endlessly! The best way to correct this current crisis of mass insanity, which is unparalleled in any time throughout history, is to THOROUGHLY AND COMPLETELY QUESTION EVERYTHING SOCIETY TAKES FOR GRANTED. It's too bad that this will make you "unpopular"…what is worse, belonging to the crowd who is completely insane and suicidal, or being alone/with a few who are intelligent and wisely dedicated? I leave that decision to you, and to all of humanity. Make it soon, or suffer the consequences seen everywhere on this world. Anyone who tells you that they are spiritual or wise, and at the same time implies that honesty is not ESSENTIAL to spiritual practice, (such as in the telling of pretty fabrications to keep people "happy") is a hypocritical liar. CONCLUSION There is nothing in society worth defending, maintaining or supporting. All areas of social thinking have become deluded, and are a reflection of both mass denial and mass insanity, in the most literal and wide-spread sense of those terms. Given this fact, the only sane course of action remaining is to remove oneself ideologically and socially from the status quo. Self sufficiency in all areas of life must become our real "standard of living". It is unwise to believe anything you’ve been told about reality from the education, media, government, advertising or orthodox religious networks, as these teachings are either naïve, delusional or intentionally dis-empowering. Our society is composed of lies based upon lies, whose basic, fundamental intention originates from a desire for greedy social power, money, artificiality, egotism, control and mass suppression. Those who continue to believe in the suppositions of society, will forever suffer, while bringing ultimate destruction upon themselves and their children. True spiritual practice is not possible while simultaneously believing in, and living out, the lies of the modern age. To survive materialism with both health and sanity, it is necessary to rise above the common falsehoods and corruption which permeate every facet of modern living. For these reasons, we need far more than just love or nice words to lead intelligent, spiritual lives. We need also to exercise uncompromising clarity about how we are living our lives, and what kind of society we are supporting with our every daily decision. Matthew Webb