Logic Truth

 

                                                 International Fellowship Program on

Nonviolence and Peace

IFPNP-2

Study Material - 1

                                            Logic of Truth
 

 

I.               Brain Storming: What is Truth?

 

Chinedu     : Truth in my opinion would refer to anything that constitutes a fact of reality.

 Benjamin   : Truth is the way of embracing self-discipline and others around you

 Najwa         : The Essence

 Mythili        : Deepest understanding of oneself at the highest level of consciousness

 Uma M       : Truth is a reality or something in existence

Akshaya      : Truth is eternal and based on facts of life, can’t be changed as per one’s own whims and perception; Truth is being honest to oneself and other 

Malephoto: Truth is that which exists and cannot be denied or hidden, it is the inner most feeling and reality 

Mohan        : Truth is being honest 

Raheeq       : Truth is to be myself without any mask 

Uchehera   : Truth is the act of saying what is right or saying that which right,  not saying that which lies (is wrong)

 Shuaib        : Truth is conformity to fact and reality

 Shamal       : Truth is within ; life is the central principle for the concept of truth

  

II.             The logic of Truth

a. For Gandhi, Truth (Satya) is God (goal) and nonviolence – ahimsa is the religions (means)

                i.   Satya hi Ishwar hai (Truth alone is God)

       b.     The word ‘satya’ is derived from the root word ‘sat’

       c. ‘Sat’ means, ‘that which exists’, ‘Real’, ‘Eternal’, ‘Universe’, 

          the sum of All,  Righteous,       Order, Rta – Rhythm                             

       d.      The Universe exists,It is the largest Existence, hence It is ‘sat’.

        e.      The function of sat is called satya or Truth.

                 i.      The function of that which ‘exists’ is satya or Truth

 

                 ii.      It means, the function of the Universe, and all It encompasses, the earth, the sun and galaxy … is the  Truth.

                  iii.      The existence and its function together is satya the Truth. It is the Largest Reality, Largest Existence, Largest Truth.

For example, Earth exists, and therefore Earth is sat. Earth is not static, but a dynamic experience.This dynamic experience has a rta (order), compliance to the norm of nature. Its function (rotation, revolution, gravitation) is in absolute obedience to the law of Nature.  Earth never violates.  It does not function approximately, of irregularly.   That nonviolation makes earth exists.  If earth is real, the sat, it exists because of nonviolence

       

                   f. And  this Truth has a pattern

                i.      Functional:This Reality, Truth, is not static, but a dynamic reality. The earth, the universe is a functional reality.

                   ii.      Orderly:There is an order in the function of earth, sun, solar system, galaxy… the function of all of them is orderly.

                       iii.      Law:If there is an order, then that order must be governed by a law.

                iv.      Adherence to Law: The order is possible only when that law is followed non-violatively by all members.

                   v.     
Each and every member of the universe (earth, moon, sun, galaxy…) meticulous adhere to the law.  None of them violate, or  fail

                      vi.      We call it compliance to the law, adherence to the law, obedience to the law or non-violation of the law.

                        vii.      All these together form the function or the satya or the Truth.

 The Law, the compliance (obedience) to the Law and the consequent order (rta / rhythm), all put together is called the Truth or Satya.

                           g.       (Dr. Siby K J’s addition)

                         i.      The Law which Gandhi was talking not a mundane law. In the case of mundane law we normally have in mind the legislature, executive and judiciary. He was taking about a higher law that governs the universe

                              ii.   It is the law of the Creation,

                              iii.  It is the Law of Nature, Law of the Being,

                               iv.   It is the Law of the Truth

                               v.    For Gandhi, this Law is the Truth.

                            vi.    He said “that this universe of sentient being is governed by a law. If you can think of a Law without its giver I would say that Law is the Lawgiver, that is God.”  He and his Laws are one. The Law is God… He is Truth, Love and Law…”

                               vii. When we make laws not consistent with universal laws we are acting against the laws of nature.

h.      Life is Truth 

                                  i.      Life ‘exists’; life is real, therefore, life is ‘sat’

                                  ii.      According to Gandhi, Life is the closest manifestation of the Truth or God

              iii.      As the saying goes, ‘as is the macrocosm so is the microcosm’ (yathapindetathabrahmande).  The Universe is the macrocosm; life (and in particular, individual life) is the microcosm

                                   iv.      For us humans, ‘life’ is the closest manifestation of God. In other words:

                                    v.      Life is the central principle

                                    vi.      ‘To live’ is our purpose

                                     vii.      Society is the way we can make life possible

                                     viii.      Positive values make social life possible. 

                      

                     i.         Hence, for humans, all the above put together becomes the ‘Truth’

   

Compiled by D John Chelladurai, Prof. and Head, Dept. of Gandhian Studies, Mahatma Gandhi Mission University, Aurangabad, MS, India – 431003