NATURE OF TRUTH

Truth is Truth, and Truth is Brahmān (Cosmic Self). It is infinity of the infinitude, uncontradicted, non-relative, non-separate and whole, real, self-determined, self-consistent, self-existent, absolute, and transcendental.  The nature of truth is its persistence through past-present-future, organically coherent whole, uncontradictory, independent of time-space-causation and validated by the centre of consciousness in the subjective domain. It transcends the threshold of time-space-causation. Transcendence, according to the sage philosopher Swami Krishnananda, is not physically higher for us. It is inclusivity of both the seer and the seen, not only an ascent from the level of the seer and the seen. Immanent is also transcendent. It is not physically something higher up; rather, it is a logical ascent. A thing becomes more real the more invisible it is, and the more unreal it is, the more tangible it gets. The smallest atom, which includes every self, contains the greatest generality of the universe.

It is neither this nor that. It is not subject to the perceptual cognition of the body-mind-intellect complex. It is beyond the perception of the senses and any material threshold. It is Sat-Chit-Anand (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss). Existence is the infinity of the infinitude, absolute, imperishable, and beyond comprehension of the finite creature. Nothing is absolute in the cosmic order except Absolute Existence, which is Non-Relative. The sage philosopher declares that the only true reality is the Cosmic Self, or One Absolute Existence. All forms of experience that are external can only be appearances if the Cosmic Self is the Truth. Because the Cosmic Self is the Self of everyone and not an outside entity that is secondary to the Self, it is not something that can be obtained like anything that exists in space. It isn't even the thing that is known because it is the only everlasting Subject of knowledge, and knowing itself is a phenomenon known as psychosis. Since the one who knows the Cosmic Self is unable to disentangle himself from it, there is no such thing as knowing the Cosmic Self.

The Sage Philosopher affirms that One Absolute Existence, or Cosmic Self, alone is the Truth. If Cosmic Self is the Truth, all outward forms of experience can only be an appearance. Cosmic Self is not an object to be attained as something that is in space, because it is the Self of all, and not an external entity second to the Self. It is not even the object of knowing, for it alone is the eternal subject of knowledge, and the process of knowing is a psychosis, which is a phenomenon. There is no such thing as knowing the Cosmic Self, because the knower of the Cosmic Self cannot separate himself from it. It is not an object of meditation, for meditation is thought, which involves dualistic functioning, and a dualistic being is not Cosmic Self. The Absolute is not reached by thinking of any kind. It is not the object of meditation because the practice of meditation involves cognition, and a dualistic being is not the Cosmic Self. The Absolute cannot be attained by any form of thought. The Cosmic Self is not something to be loved, worshipped, or dedicated to because all of these things imply relational categories that are part of the ever-changing world and cannot be the fundamental Cosmic Self. The Truth is never something that should be handled in any way. Despite millions of years of intense, objective endeavour, it remains unseen, unheard, unfathomable, and unknown in the space-time realm. The Cosmic Self is beyond all becomings, functions, and processes. It transcends name, form, action, feeling, sensation, will, cognition, and emotion. It is impossible for an individual to know who another individual is. We are unable to know what we are fundamentally not. Nothing that we know or have experienced goes beyond who we potentially or actually are. All beings are trapped in their own experiences and are only able to understand themselves. Since knowing and being are synonymous, it is impossible for us to know something without also being it. In the end, there is nothing that exists that our consciousness is not, and everything that is outside of us is only a reflection of it. Everything is what we are, and nothing else, and that is the truth.

 1. Outline:

In the cobwebs of cosmic order, everything is relational, limited, and transitory. Consciousness is being aware of the Absolute Existence, or Absolute Truth, or Ultimate Reality. Consciousness evolves through innumerable life processes through deep meditation on Self. It passes through waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and turiya (full of bliss), marked by levels of detachment, equanimity, and forbearance from sense perceived objects and gratifications. In the waking state, consciousness is referred to as Visva, in dreams as Taijasa, and in deep sleep as Prajna. Accordingly, on the cosmic plane, we have Isvara in profound sleep, Hiranyagarbha in dreams, and Virat in wakefulness. This is Prajna, the pure consciousness that is unassociated with everything outside of itself, and knows everything. This is the transcendent condition about waking and dreaming; it is the Karana-Avastha, the source of all waking and dreaming experiences, and the Karya-Avastha, the state upon which waking and dreaming are dependent. There is a Universal Causal Condition called Isvara that corresponds with this Prajna, or the causal condition of Anandamayatva of the Jiva (the living substance of a living being). According to the sage philosopher, Swami Krishnananda, the mind is completely unconscious during deep sleep, even though it seems somewhat conscious during dreams and more conscious during waking hours. When the mind is awake, it expands to enjoy the senses, yet it never stops being agitated, tense, anxious, and critical of everything. While dreaming is an internal cognitive state in which the mind is in control, the waking state is externally cognitive of the perceptual world. The mind withdraws into a state of profound ignorance when it is in deep sleep. There is no phenomenal thinking of the opposites of pleasure, pain, anxiety, grief, etc.; hence, this stage is blissful. The inner master is prajna, or consciousness. Subtle mental impressions disappear where thought does, leaving behind a mass of cognition. Swami Krishnananda asserts that during both waking and dreaming states, the mind projects itself into perception. The mind is a busy organ that eventually tyres of activity. When it becomes too tired, it stops working. A deep sleep called sushupti occurs when the mind completely stops working from fatigue. According to him, the mind is friendless, defenceless, invisible, unrecognised, and devoid of all things when it is in profound slumber. Rather than several cognitive psychoses, it seems as though there is a homogenous mass of all perceptions, where all the Samskaras, or Vasanas, commingle into a single mode or condition. Prajnah cetomukhah anandamayo anandabhuk: Everything is bliss. There is no satisfaction or pleasure derived from sense contact that compares to the happiness experienced during deep sleep. The sage philosopher discusses a deep sleep in which all senses and cognitions merge into one mind mode (Ekibhutah), in his commentary on the Mandukya Upanishad. It transforms into Prajnana-ghanah, a mass of consciousness that is not projected externally. There is no external consciousness because the mind is not altered. Because there are no mental psychoses, or vrittis, when we are asleep, we are unaware of the outside world. The mind cannot have awareness of the outside world, either in waking or dreaming, until it becomes an extrovert. However, there isn't any mental agitation of that kind in deep sleep. Turiya is full of bliss, characterised by superconsciousness rather than consciousness or unconsciousness.

 One way to realise the Truth is to move inward to meditate on the Self, the eternal and inseparable essence of the Cosmic Self. It is because Ātman is Self, or “I,” and Self is Ātman. Truth is to become conscious of the Self. It is not an external thing to be acquired. It is to elevate consciousness and become conscious of the Truth. It is simply to elevate the consciousness to realise that It is already That. The Self-consciousness of Truth is Whole in stages. It cannot be a fragmental one, but rather an evolution of consciousness consciously to realise the Truth in a wholistic manner based on detachment, equanimity, and forbearance. It is an inward movement from the subject-object continuum to the subjective realm through waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and turiya. It is not fragile and cannot be broken into smaller fragments. It confirms the existence of Absolute-Truth as a cohesive system with a variety of logically related, dissimilar phases and contents. The infinity of eternity filled with infinite consciousness, the Absolute Truth, is beyond the comprehension of a finite creature with the finitude of sense systems. As it is, truth is whole rather than fragmented. It suggests the presence of Absolute-Truth as a coherent system of distinct contents and phases. One way to define the Absolute is as the consciousness of its own infinite, infused with eternity, rather than an isolated content or object. Generally speaking, truth is understood to be complete and uncontradictory. And that truth is regarded as the consciousness of Ultimate Truth, as it is not transcended by any other truth. The truth of error is defined as that relative truth that, although it seems genuine, while existing as a form or process of sensual perceptual consciousness, is subject to contradiction and transcendence by other truths. But as life has shown, it is untrue that all untruths are created equal or exhibit the same level of gaps with Truth.

2. Scriptures

The ancient scriptures vouch for truth at every level: learning, transmission, and inculcation to make it a way of life, right order, and conduct. The scriptures affirm that there is Oneness in diversity. Oneness is the Supreme Truth, Absolute Existence, Cosmic Self, and Ultimate Reality. That essence of Oneness aphoristically declares Rig Veda (Rigveda Samhita1.164.46) as

indram mitraṃ varuṇam agnim āhur atho divyaḥ sa suparṇo garutmān |

ekaṃ sad viprā bahudhā vadanty agniṃ yamam mātariśvānam āhuḥ ||

They have styled (him, the Sun), Indra, Mitra, Varuṇa, Agni, and he is the celestial, well-winged Garutmat, for learned priests call one by many names as they speak of Agni, Yama, Mātariśvan. There is one Reality about which vibrant people, in various ways, speak. Reality is one, Truth is one, and Existence is one, but paths may be different.

This nondual essence is called Brahmān, Paramatātmā, or Bhagavān by learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth, according to the Srimad Bhagavatam (1.2.11). The Absolute Truth is independent, aware, and devoid of relativity's illusion. The knower and the known are distinct entities in the relative world, but they are one and the same in the Absolute Truth. There is no qualitative distinction between the subject and the object of the Absolute Truth. As a result, Bhagavān, Paramatātmā, and Brahmān are all qualitatively the same. The Upaniṣhad scholars recognise the same material as impersonal Brahmān, the Hiraṇyagarbhas or yogīs as localised Paramātmā, and the devotees as Bhagavān.

The Brihadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad states that at first this universe was nothing more than water (liquid offerings associated with sacrifices). Satya, or truth, was created by that water. Brahman is Satya. Prajāpati is a product of Brahmān, and the gods are Prajāpati. Those gods contemplate Satya. Three syllables make up this name, "Satya": "Sa" is the first syllable, "Tī" is the second, and "Ya" is the third. The facts are stated in the first and last syllables. There are lies in the midst. The truth encloses this deception on all sides. (Therefore, the evidence seems to favour the truth.) A knowing person, like the one above, is never harmed by lies.

Similarly, the Taittirya Upanishad declares that the ultimate truth is Brahmān. There must exist Brahmān, who, by nature, is eternally pure, conscious and free, omniscient and omnipotent. The etymology of the word ‘Brahmān’ points indeed to what is eternally pure and so on, in accordance with the meaning of the root ‘bṛṃh’. It says Brahmān is attained by the removal of ajñāna, or ignorance. At the highest level, the seed consciousness “sat” is the root of everything else. That is the highest reality, paramarthika satya. Here, the mind turns back along with speech. To the wise man, neither heaven nor hell nor earth exist. He knows that there is but one truth, and that is here and now. He sees the glory of his own Supreme Self and nothing else.

3. Remarks

Life is a composite continuum of varying degrees, levels, and phases of consciousness, of different processes of thought, duties, and devotion. It seeks to become aware of the Ultimate Reality, Truth, and Existence through processes that lead to the realisation of a continuum of truth at different degrees. Swami Krishnananda emphasised that when a condition of experience assumes the position of being the one immediately above that which is directly experienced in awareness, it appears to be real and complete. When it is the subject of an instant experience, it exposes its unsatisfactory nature. Unrealized goals may appear to offer contentment and perfection, but when they are truly attained, they only serve as markers for further unrealised goals. This demonstrates that life is not the end objective, destination, or stage of an attempt, but rather only a phase, a stage, and a means. From the perspective of its own fleeting existence, no stage of life is unreal, but every lower stage seems unreal in a higher stage. We must acknowledge that there are degrees of reality, even though each stage has distinct values and is genuine in its own right. The higher encompasses and surpasses the lower; it is the lower that is fulfilled by the higher, and the higher has a greater sense of fulfilment than the lower. The purpose of existence is to directly experience the ultimate state of reality, also known as the Ultimate Reality, when all desires are fulfilled. It consists of links in an extended network that realises Sat-Chit-Anand (existence-consciousness-bliss) to varying degrees. It is a set of circumstances that are characterised by humility, patience, equanimity, detachment, unambiguity, transparency, becomings, and happenings that always reach beyond themselves and allude to something farther, bigger, and as of yet unattainable in the cosmic order. Thus, life is an ever-growing organisation of awareness that never stops, never feels content, and constantly aspires to completion in a state of existence that is only vaguely hinted at in the person's current experience.

- Asutosh Satpathy