This chapter is the English translation of Gujarati Book Title - Sadhak and Sathi Author - Shri Atmanandji (Dr. Soneji) CHAPTER - 22 TRUTHFULNESS (SATYA-NISHTHA) BACKGROUND: Truth is what is genuinely true. One who has full faith in this truth, one who accepts it, is a truthful person and his best feeling is truthfulness. GENERAL NATURE OF TRUTH: The conventional meaning of truth is well-known to the society. An object visioned or known at a specific time, in a specific manner, under specific circumstances is true at that time, in that manner and under those circumstances. To illustrate, "India won independence on 15th August in 1947. My average yearly income is eighty-five hundred Rupees or (fifty dollars). The idol of Bahubali Swami, in the village Shravanabelgola situated in the Karnataka State is fifty-seven feet in height." These are conventional truths or factual information. Now, the practice of truth in the day-to-day events of one's life or in all other matters is the cherished goal of an aspirant. One who is successful in this type of practice is conventionally recognized as a truthful person in society. This is all about conventional truth. ATTAINMENT OF ABSOLUTE TRUTH: Let us now turn to absolute truth, which dominates in the true spiritual progress (Sadhana). However, it is based on conventional truth. The ultimate aim of spiritual Sadhana is realization of one's true self. This true self is revealed in direct proportion to destruction of the amount of bondage to Karmas, and this in turn, is achieved by removing the two main causes of bondage to Karma: (a) lack of self-knowledge and (b) lack of self-control. Let us now examine, how this could be accomplished. The way to self-purification is self-knowledge, and the way to self-knowledge, is through contemplation of the self. In order to be able to practice self-contemplation, the non-self contemplation should be curtailed. It is difficult to turn the flow of our thoughts inwards to our Soul (Atma), while we remain engrossed in the outward objects of the world and believe them to be true. One should therefore have the clear conviction that only one's own pure Soul is truth and immortal all other objects in the world are destructible and momentary. The latter are thus unreal when looked at from the salvation point of view. The aspirant (Sadhaka), who knows, believes and adores this fact, verily realizes the absolute Truth in stages. Thus the reward of the practice of truthfulness is self-knowledge and self-realization. Persons desirous of attaining to absolute Truth should consider, to their advantage, that perfect truth is attained to by developing a sense of relative vision. This is because all objects in the universe are multifaceted in their basic nature. It is essential therefore, to develop multi-faceted vision of any object. To illustrate, describing an elephant as like a wall, a wooden pestle, a pillar, a rope, or winnowing basket is true, from the points of view of its back, trunk, foot, tail and ear respectively. However, if we mistake the part as to be the whole, our knowledge regarding the elephant remains partial, imperfect and therefore defective. This principle applies to all other forms of knowledge also. If we want to accomplish perfect and authentic knowledge about any object or topic we should think over it from several points of view. One should apply at any particular time, a viewpoint by adopting which purity of the self gets enhanced while other points of view should be made subsidiary to it. In the absence of the application of such well-planned multi-faceted knowledge, only unilateral and imperfect knowledge would be accomplished, which is naturally defective. It is therefore necessary that those Sadhakas who desire to follow in essence the path of eternal bliss and perfect knowledge, should adopt the principle of multiplicity view (Anekanta-vada) or understanding the objects in various facets and obtain comprehensive knowledge by combining all viewpoints. Learned Acharyas have propounded that the essence of an object is its true nature and further, it is only when we understand this essential nature that our knowledge of that object becomes true. We all, therefore, should strive to realize the self through attainment of truth. GLORY OF TRUTH: 1. There is no enlightenment in life like knowledge; no austerity like truth; no sorrow like attachment to worldly objects; and no happiness like renunciation. 2. Truth is only truth; it is eternal and unified, However, it seems to be diversified only because of one's imagination and the lack of genuine knowledge and true faith. 3. True religion always comprises truthfulness. Untruth can never become a religion (Dharma). Dharma gets concealed and covered up in all those instances, where untrue presumptions prevail. 4. He, who really conceives Truth, and acts up to it by mind, speech and body, beholds the Divine. Through Truth, once can attain clairvoyance or even omniscience and get liberation. 5. Truth by itself is illumination. Being self-luminous in nature, it cannot be hidden, like a shining lamp. Truth is therefore beyond all concealment. 6. He, whose way of life is well-established in truthfulness, for him truth is not a matter of prescription or prohibition but a way of life. 7. Let the truth be woven in life, so that one may experience peace, and fearlessness. Truthfulness also usually bestows upon the person, wide-spread respect, trust worthiness and veneration. One can be successful in achieving self-control, austerity and other spiritual practices by truth. People with due discrimination, never give up Truth even at the cost of their lives. LIVING EXAMPLES OF TRUTHFULNESS: [1] Pal Chowdhary was a social leader and businessman in Bengal who lived in the nineteenth century. He was famed for his great honesty and several philanthropic works. He was the follower of Lord Shri Krishna Once he bargained a sale of salt to a man who left a certain amount as a deposit with him. The man did not return in time to buy the salt because of some difficulty and did not even come for his deposit. Meanwhile, due to not enough supply of the salt, the price of salt shot up very high. After some time Pal Chowdhary sold the salt purchased by that man and credited the amount of the profit of that quantity of salt in the account of that person and handed over the amount to him when he eventually returned. Another was a transaction of rice with an Englishman. The transaction was just oral and the quantity was also not fixed. The price of rice tripled after the transaction. Pal Chowdhary called the man to take the delivery of rice from his storage. When a few bags of rice had been loaded, that Englishman said, "Brother, this is enough for me. My steamer will sink if I take excessive advantage of the truthfulness of a pious religious man like you." These examples show that Pal Chowdhary had devoted his whole life to truthfulness and keeping his word. [2] In the nineteenth century, Calcutta University was a a famous university for advanced degree and students from all parts of the country, came to receive their education. One of the rules for admission to this university was that the student must have reached the minimum age of sixteen years at the time of admission. A new student who was only fourteen years old, wrote sixteen years his age in the admission form as all the other students were doing. He did not know the rule. During his first year, at the University he came to know about the rule and realized his mistake. He felt deeply sorry for his false statement, approached the principal of his college and made a confession. He was told that now the mistake could not be corrected. He approached the Registrar of the University and received the same reply. What was to be done now? How to get his mistake corrected? As a punishment for giving false statement, he discontinued his University education for two years! This student was Shree Ashvinikumar Dutt, who turned out later as a great educationalist in the state of Bengal. [3] It was the year 1814, when landlords were very powerful in Bengal. In a small village of Hoogli district, there was a landlord named Ramanand Rai. He was a liar, proud, unjust, and utterly selfish. He had monopolized power in his own hands and would act only at his own will. Once he had a conflict with an ordinary man. The landlord decided to assert his power and therefore raised a false allegation against him and he needed somebody as a witness. A person named Khudiram lived in this village. He was a truthful and he loved justice. The landlord thought this man would give evidence in his favor. He approached him and said, "I hope you will come to the court and give evidence in my favor." Khudiram replied, "I always state what is true." The landlord said, "No, you have to state in the court, just what I say." Khudiram did not agree. This enraged the landlord so much that he decided to take revenge on him. He snatched away his vast land within six months and auctioned his house. Ultimately, Khudiram was forced to leave his native village and had to settle down in a village called Kamarapuker. Khudiram stuck to truth and had to give up land, house, wealth, prestige, and native place. He became pious, religious, devoted to God, and led a very simple life then. This Khudiram was the father of the famous saint Shree Ramakrishna Paramhans.