Bird Droppings August 7, 2010
TRUTH a myth or reality

“Your search among books, word upon word, may lead you to the depths of knowledge, but it is not the way to receive the reflection of your true self. When you have thrown off your ideas as to mind and body, the original truth will fully appear. Zen is simply the expression of truth; therefore longing and striving are not the true attitudes of Zen.” Dogen, “The Practice of Meditation”

It is always good to start deep and work back to shallow when thinking and pondering. Knowledge is not necessarily truth I have found and searching for knowledge in Zen is not then an expression of truth. If you have to search for it maybe it is not there. Zen is a way of questions and then more questions. So many educators along the way have found this method of learning to be most successful.

“That in the beginning when the world was young there were a great many thoughts but no such thing as truth. Man made the truths himself and each truth was a composite of a great many vague thoughts. All about in the world were truths and they were all beautiful.” Sherwood Anderson

“One universe made up all that is; and one principle of being, and one law, the reason shared by all thinking creatures, and one truth.” Marcus Aurelius

Several weeks ago I was asked about absolute truth. I argued that there was no absolute truth and that culture and society dictate truth. In his time Aurelius was in the supreme civilization of the day and time and to date according to many historians, The Roman Empire, this was truth to him and to them.

“It is a pleasure to stand upon the shore, and to see ships tossed upon the sea: a pleasure to stand in the window of a castle, and to see a battle and the adventures thereof below: but no pleasure is comparable to standing upon the vantage ground of truth… and to see the errors, and wanderings, and mists, and tempests, in the vale below.” Francis Bacon

“It is unfortunate, considering that enthusiasm moves the world, that so few enthusiasts can be trusted to speak the truth.” Arthur James Balfour

As I sit reading this quote I am drawn to our concept of politics, basically you say what people want to hear. While I cannot argue the tremendous boost to morale a visit by the President, Senator, Congressman and or any other high ranking official makes I am sure contained within half truths secrecy and deceptions was an under lying political agenda. Local politicians own land and serve on committees that determine land use and it takes another county to stop a very controversial use of that land. Even our newest high school was held up by politics and greed over land sales. Interesting how truth varies county to county especially when politicians and former politicians own the land.

“Nothing is poorer than a truth expressed as it was thought. Committed to writing in such cases, it is not even a bad photograph. Truth wants to be startled abruptly, at one stroke, from her self-immersion, whether by uproar, music or cries for help.” Walter Benjamin

“Truth can never be told so as to be understood, and not be believed.” William Blake

Defining and clarifying truth as I read is not so simple.

“Truth lies within ourselves: it takes no rise from outward things, whatever you may believe. There is an inmost center in us all, where truth abides in fullness and to Know rather consists in opening out a way whence the imprisoned splendor may escape than in effecting entry for light supposed to be without.” Robert Browning

We search for truth yet hold it within. We seem to be trying to find something outside of ourselves perhaps denying its existence so as to not open the door. Truth is a part of us.

“The pursuit of truth will set you free; even if you never catch up with it.” Clarence Darrow

“There is no such source of error as the pursuit of truth.” Samuel Butler

We always hear of pursuing truth searching for truth seeking truth and back to Zen “When you throw off your original ideas as to mind and body the original truth will appear.” Funny how truth was there all the time.

“Time is precious, but truth is more precious than time.” Benjamin Disraeli

“All these constructions and the laws connecting them can be arrived at by the principle of looking for the mathematically simplest concepts and the link between them. Whoever undertakes to set himself up as judge in the field of truth and knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the Gods.” Albert Einstein

Finding truth is an individual thing and it exists within a certain context and within that context truth is what you determine it to be. In trying to apply your truth to another’s truth it often creates conflict.

“Truth is beautiful, without doubt; but so are lies.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

As usual Emerson’s thoughts cut to the chase. It is all in what someone wants to hear; sort of a stage and we are actors playing out a play. If it is happy people want happy, sad and then they frown. As I was sorting through the debris, the lines and adlibs to find where the story began is often difficult.

“Say not, I have found the truth, but rather, I have found a truth.” Kahlil Gibran

I read this and as often just as I was asked about absolute truth perhaps this idea is closer to reality a truth rather than the truth.

“The dissident does not operate in the realm of genuine power at all. He is not seeking power. He has no desire for office and does not gather votes. He does not attempt to charm the public; he offers nothing and promises nothing. He can offer, if anything, only his own skin — and he offers it solely because he has no other way of affirming the truth he stands for. His actions simply articulate his dignity as a citizen, regardless of the cost.” Vaclav Havel

“Respect for the truth comes close to being the basis for all morality.” Frank Herbert

It has been many years since I first read Dune, Herbert’s science fiction novel and then a series of books. Truth is only one aspect and then it is respect for truth. Havel indicates standing up for truth is paramount to humanity. As I read this morning I see paradoxes within how we all see truth.

“Learn to see things as they really are, not as we imagine they are.” Vernon Howard

Rose colored glasses some will call it. We live in a society where half-truths and mistruths and no truths prevail. Advertising and politics present concepts in part but it is only that part that will seal a product or idea that we see. Drilling in the wilderness of Alaska will provide 3% of our oil needs for a few months versus several people who make Billions of dollars in profit, versus wiping out breeding grounds for caribou and destroying a wilderness area we cannot repair. I recall not too many months back a New York City former mayor coming on record that we need more drilling off the Florida coast for oil and Florida politicians saying we have a tourist industry and do not need oil spills. It has been a few months since I stepped over oil pipelines along the Florida Atlantic coast going to the beach. Beyond that what about alternative energy sources we have barely even scratched the surface of because funds for research come and go. This game of deception has been played out through history.

“Truth, after all, wears a different face to everybody, and it would be too tedious to wait till all were agreed.” James Russell Lowell

“The more abstract the truth you want to teach, the more thoroughly you must seduce the senses to accept it.” Friedrich Nietzsche

We live in a world of deception marketing is designed to arrange the pieces to present the picture that this is truth and in so many situations we buy it literally and more often than not give it as a present to someone else all wrapped up.

“You’ll never get mixed up if you simply tell the truth. Then you don’t have to remember what you have said, and you never forget what you have said.” Sam Rayburn

“As a matter of truth, he was the most sympathetic of men, but his emotions of depth and sincerity were tempered with control. Silence meant to the Lakota what it meant to Disraeli when he said ‘Silence is the mother of truth,’ for the silent man was ever to be trusted, while the man ever ready with speech was never taken seriously.” Chief Luther Standing Bear, Teton Sioux

“It does not require many words to speak the truth” Chief Joseph, Nez Perce –

I have been writing for some time wandering thinking and as I get to this last statement it is so true. When we have to explain and elaborate then the truth is lost. When it takes many words maybe it is not true. A new week ahead, a new month, a new year perhaps we will find in then the truth. Please keep all in harms way on your mind and in your heart.
namaste
bird

PS – ‎As I was reading this morning this short Native American Prayer was in front of me and I have seen it read it many times over but today it stuck with me.

“Honor the sacred.
Honor the Earth, our Mother.
Honor the Elders.
Honor all with whom we
share the Earth: Four-leggeds, two-leggeds,
…winged ones,
Swimmers, crawlers,
plant and rock people.
Walk in balance and beauty.”

Native American Elder