If you believe that the truth is the truth, you are right — but you are also wrong. This is because in many instances the truth is entirely dependent on viewpoint.
In Return of the Jedi, Luke confronts Obi-Wan’s Force ghost about claiming that Darth Vader murdered his father, rather than telling him Vader WAS his father.
Obi-Wan: “Your father was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was true, from a certain point of view.”
Luke: “A certain point of view?”
Obi-Wan: “Luke, you’re going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.”
That last line is the perfect explanation of this. Point of view will influence truths we cling to.
Let’s look at a modern example: Climate change. One the one side, the argument is that this is a man-made problem we need to address before we destroy the planet. On the other side, the argument is that this is not a real problem, and that we can’t destroy the planet through our actions. The absolute truth falls somewhere in the middle, which I am not going to get into here because that will derail this entire topic.
One idea. Three brands of truth.
Why recognizing the truth of truth matters
The number of arguments we can get into on any given topic are pretty broad. Even well researched, scientifically accepted and well-proven notions can be approached from different truths.
- My Truth: The Earth is Round.
- Your Truth: The Earth is Flat.
- The Absolute: The Earth is an oblate ellipsoid (a spherethat’s swollen at the equator and squashed at the poles).
Obi-Wan’s words ring pretty true right there. One notion, three truths.
Part of why I am bringing this up is because in this example we KNOW the absolute. There are many, many other “truths” in this world where we know my brand and your brand, but the absolute is still a mystery.
Examples of this include the existence of a God or Gods, other religious beliefs, morality, good versus evil, right versus wrong, and on and on. All matters of great debate, in some cases with way more than two truths, but either a vague or unknown absolute.
That doesn’t mean that there is no absolute. What it does mean, however, is that because we do not know it, this will be open for debate constantly.
Mindfulness is not concerned with the truth
Often we are told that we need to get to the truth of the matter. It’s important to know the truth. However, since in many cases the absolute is a mystery, this quest can be somewhat fruitless. As such, it can be frustrating, and ultimately a waste of time.
Note — I am not disregarding the importance of getting to the truth when it comes to certain specific events, like murders and robberies and cheaters getting their comeuppance. But when it comes to you and I consciously creating reality, mindfulness is not about finding the truth.
Mindfulness is becoming more aware of what you are thinking, how and what you are feeling, and the actions you take from there. Our perceptions, which is what our thoughts and feelings bring to us, are going to be colored by our life experiences, education, social circumstances, personal beliefs, and numerous other factors.
How a white man in the northeast of the United States comes by his experience is going to be very different from how a black woman in Botswana comes by hers. The truths both know and cling to will probably be quite disparate in many regards.
How you think and what and how you feel are going to be products of this. Hence why mindfulness is not concerned with the truth. Mindfulness is only concerned with becoming more aware, rather than being subconsciously carried along by the currents of life.
Conscious reality creation
When you are mindful of your thoughts, feelings, and actions, you can make use of these to consciously create your reality. As Einstein postulated,
“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.”
If that is so, then we are capable of creating our own reality. Whether you believe in conscious reality creation, or the Law of Attraction, or not, you are still empowered to make choices and decisions that will make up your life.
You are only a victim of circumstance if you choose to be. By the same token, if you cling too hard to certain truths, in particular those with an unknown absolute, you could easily miss out on the best possible life options. Whatever you might desire to experience, the truth you hold onto might just be keeping you from it…or even something better.
Yes, this might be a bitter pill to swallow. However, recognizing this and focusing more on being kind, empathetic, and joyful can create not just a better reality for you, but for everyone. Fixation on finding the “truth” can really hold you back.
How many medical and scientific advancements do you think might be held back by the quest for the truth of God? Do you observe how many wars are fought over opposing truths? How many people sacrifice living a full and satisfying life in the name of seeking out, defending, or opposing some truth or other?
Knowing that truth comes in three brands, mine, yours, and the absolute, you can decide for yourself when focusing on it is worthwhile, and when it may not be. You are empowered to be mindful and aware of this. When you are, you can better choose the directions you desire to take your life.
Can you see for yourself that “truth” has three distinct perspectives?
Originally published at http://titaniumdon.com on April 24, 2019.