Editorial
The aim of human life is the discovery of truth. Without the Knowledge of truth, life is full of darkness, confusion and frustration. Those who have the shining lamp of truth always live in light, peace and harmony. For them. there is no darkness, confusion or frustration in the world. Actually, whatever we experience outside appears first within ourselves. If we discover the light of truth, we will not grope in the darkness of ignorance, which is the root cause of all miseries and sufferings. Has the sun ever met darkness? No. The sun doesn't know what darkness is.
Whatever is experienced by the five senses is not truth. For they are finite, while truth is infinite. Even the most elevated thoughts cannot reach the ultimate truth. Whenever a man tries to confine truth within thoughts or ideas, it ceases to be the absolute truth. As Isaac Newton said, "To myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay, all undiscovered before me." So, the question is, ''What is truth?"
Truth is one without a second. It is indescribable, beyond all thoughts and ideas. Where there are thoughts and ideas there cannot be absolute truth, because thoughts are many and changeable. When the mind becomes still, giving up all thoughts, then and only then can truth be realized, seen and experienced.
Truth is not a belief. Belief is sometimes blind, but truth is always a practical, divine vision. In order to receive this divine vision, we have first to break the chain of blind faith. And those who are extremely keen to know the truth have no time to merely believe in ideas, or to speculate on the truth. Can a blind man see while he is still blind? Can a ship that is still anchored at shore travel across the sea?
Truth is not a doctrine or dogma. It is a direct experience. This experience is here to be discovered - not in scriptures, but within ourselves. Knowledge acquired from words is sometimes more dangerous than ignorance, because in ignorance all one knows is that pain exists; one can strive straight away to remove it through realization of truth. But book learning or intellectual knowledge feeds man's ego and keeps him in illusion and delusion. Scriptures are written to inspire man to know the truth within and to be free from scriptures.
Ego is more dangerous than ignorance. In fact, intellectual knowledge is in reality just a thick layer of ignorance, so thick that it deceives us into thinking it is knowledge.
"Truth is strength, whereas falsehood is weakness. In order to stand, falsehood has to borrow the legs of truth. Without the help of truth it cannot live- even for a moment. And yet we are so foolish that we seek the shelter of that which always depends upon others. It is as if one beggar were to ask for money from another beggar.
There are two things in life to be found, truth and love. He who finds truth automatically finds love. And he who enters into the temple of love finds himself standing before the truth. Love is the light on the path of truth, and truth is the fulfillment of the journey of Love.
If one thinks he is on the path of truth and does not find love being manifested within himself, then he should know that he is on the path of delusion or illusion. Likewise remember that if, on the path of love, truth is not felt to be growing closer and closer, then what is being practiced in the name of love is merely emotional illusion.
As diamonds are hidden in the earth, so also truth is hidden within ourselves.
He who realizes truth rises above the narrow boundaries of religions and becomes a truly religious person. Truth has no sect, truth has no religion, truth itself is the religion. Sects are all dependent on one thing or another. Truth needs no support, for it supports all. "Truth has no education. Neither does love. Is the love which is taught externally really love? Can the truth which is learned externally really be truth; Truth and love are both internal things. "Therefore they ought to be sought not outside, but within ourselves. "The love that depends on external things cannot be permanent.
The question is how to look within. Sometimes, when a man forgets his way in the dense forest, he needs the guidance of someone to show him the way out. Likewise we desperately need the help of the Perfect Master to guide us on the path of truth and to bring us out of this dense forest of illusion, delusion, confusion and frustration.
It is said that falsehood is always seen sitting on the throne, whereas truth is seen hanging from the cross. In our opinion this is not complete truth, because falsehood is always hanging from the cross while sitting on the throne, whereas truth is always sitting on the throne while hanging from the cross.
Man wants to eat the fruit but at the same time he wants to cut down the tree which bears the fruit. He wants always to be happy and to enjoy his life, but he does not want to realize the truth and live in the truth. Real happiness and enjoyment comes only when a person unites his mind with the truth and divinity that lies within himself.
There is a vast difference between realization of truth and imagination of mind. Through the imagination we may have subconscious dreams or visions, but such experiences do not mean that we are in union with truth. The real experience of truth is communion with the eternal, primordial and supreme energy which sustains our life. If you are in contact with that primordial energy, your whole life will be transformed into supreme joy and bliss.
As the Lord has given us five senses to experience the material world, so also he has given man four internal ways to experience truth, and Guru Maharaj ji reveals them directly to those sincere seekers of truth.
But unfortunately most people of the world do not understand this simple fact and miss the opportunity of receiving his true Knowledge which leads man to perfection. Many great souls came in the past but people did not recognize their glory. But now once again the almighty Lord has incarnated in human form to reveal to us the fundamental truth within ourselves. So let us not repeat the same mistake over and over again, and let its take the full advantage of his supreme Knowledge.
Mahatma Gurucharnanand
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