Exploring the Relative Nature of Truth: Beyond Sight and Sound

There is a proverb in Nepali, 'Dekhneka aankha phute, sunneka sahi' (Eyes of the beholder burst, ears are correct), which implies that what is seen is truer than what is heard. When relying on evidence for someone's verbal statement or hearsay, it is documented mentioning time, context, and place. Written or oral exams are conducted to test student learning. Events from the past are written down with time, context, and place to avoid forgetting them. In law, such documentation is considered irrefutable truth.

We claim something is true by saying we saw or heard it ourselves. Such matters sometimes increase animosity. We insist on whether something is true or not. Self-realized souls say that even birth and death are not the ultimate truth. Birth and death pertain to the body, not the soul. It is said that birth is the soul changing into new clothes, and death is discarding the old ones.

It is also the saying of self-realized souls, 'Brahma Satya Jagat Mithya' (Brahman is real, the world is illusory), meaning that what existed before in this world, what exists now, and what will remain in the future is the truth. Therefore, it is said that the nature of Brahman, or the soul, 'I' is true, while 'the body, or the world' is not true.

These are concepts difficult for us ordinary people to grasp. Instead of saying whether this is the only truth or not, let's look at some examples understandable to everyone, which we experience in our daily lives.

• Different or Multiple Truths

In reality, are the things we see ourselves always true? In the morning, the rising sun appeared like a red roti (flatbread). It could be seen with the naked eye. There was no sensation of heat. Some time later, at 12 PM, the sun cannot be looked at. It is not red at that time. A sensation of heat is felt. Where did the morning's truth go? The sun that was red, not hot, and visible to the eye was true in the morning, but not in the afternoon. Which state here is true and which is false?

Similarly, it is not cold in January/February (Poush-Magh) in all countries. When it is very cold in the Northern Hemisphere (Nepal), the Southern Hemisphere (Australia) experiences scorching heat. The seasons are naturally opposite. The truth that it is cold in Nepal during January/February becomes false in Australia. Likewise, direction is not the same for everyone. Suppose our house and our neighbor's house are adjacent. For a third person, both our houses are in the same direction. But for the neighbor whose house is attached to ours, both our houses are in opposite directions.

Let's take the example of water. Water is essential for every living being. Life cannot be sustained without water. But staying in ice, which is made of water, for too long can cause death by freezing. Drowning occurs from staying in deep water. If one cannot get water to drink, the body dies. All these contexts are true. But here, the quantity and form of water caused a fundamental difference in the truth.

Let's take another example. A person's name on their citizenship certificate was Anita. Friends called her Ane', parents called her Anu', and children called her Anna'. Many relatives and neighbors knew all these names. Which name is actually his/hers? All names or addresses are true for him/her.

Similarly, let's look at the address terms in our relationships. One person can be many things, such as father, grandfather, grandson, maternal uncle, etc. In reality, he is what he is, which is the only truth. Everything else is an external facade.

Truth Assumed Based on Evidence

Similarly, truth is identified based on characteristics different from what is seen or heard. A person who was speaking or walking a moment ago is declared deceased. The body looks no different. Even when alive, a person might not speak or move. One is not declared dead just because they are not speaking or moving.

To distinguish between the dead and the living, criteria such as whether the body is warm or not, and whether breathing is occurring, are used. Experts then declare death after further testing through technology. The body remains the same, but the existence of 'that' within the body ceases. This is not based on seeing, hearing, or guessing. It is based on evidence and symptoms.

Indirect Truth

There is another profound subject: how to understand things like love, hatred, worry, happiness, anger, etc.? They are neither seen nor heard, nor can concrete proof be shown. But these emotions manifest as laughter, crying, happiness, unhappiness, affection, and hatred in beings. How does one know if parents or someone else loves them? Similarly, how did I love others? Parents performed the acts of putting to sleep, waking up, feeding, and cleaning, but when and how did they give love?

Here, love is not based on what is seen, heard, or proven. The physical behavior manifested from an abstract feeling arising somewhere inside was taken as the basis. This attempt to see physical proof for something non-physical, or indirect, was made. But what is in the heart of the lover cannot be seen. What if there is no love in the heart, and it is only shown outwardly? Is the basis taken for truth correct or incorrect here?

Truth of Association (Context)

If we ask what 3 plus 2 equals, someone might say five, and someone else might say thirty-two. Both answers can be true. Similarly, if different signs like addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division are placed between three and two, the results vary greatly. The signs placed between the numbers can represent the situation or association (context). Similarly, zero in a number is sometimes said to mean nothing. But if zero is placed before or after these two digits, what is the resulting value? Thus, association changes the truth.

Truth Assumed Without Reality

We are under the illusion of seeing some things even though we haven't seen them. We see the light of the sun. We call that light the sun. It is said that the sun is a mass of light. If a burning torch is swung, it forms a circular ring. In reality, the flame of that torch is not circular. Perhaps the round sun also appears round due to the light spreading from the center.

The color of the sky and the sea is similar. The sky where we are is not blue. Nor is the water of the sea blue. But we say the sea and the sky are blue. The sky contains us and the entire world. We sleep, sit, and stand in this sky. But the moment we say 'sky,' we look upwards. Is this true?

Truth Shown by Perception

All the examples above are from the external world. Let's look at our own body within this. We see the body. We do not see the mind, emotions, or consciousness within the body. Even though we don't see them, we cannot say they don't exist. The mind moves, feelings arise, and we are aware due to consciousness. We all experience this. The breath we take comes and goes on its own. But we have the illusion that we control it. If we controlled it, how would the breath continue during deep sleep? Even when aware of breathing while awake, we do not see the energy that takes in the breath. If the body lacked the power to take in energy, we could not breathe even if we were in a pool of air. Sometimes, artificial oxygen supply is provided, but the person still cannot breathe. Therefore, we accept the truth of 'I exist' because of the feeling of the energy that constitutes our existence.

In conclusion, truth is not just what is seen, heard, understood, or believed. Nor is it always the same for everyone. This is why quarrels occur between individuals, societies, nations, and the world. Things that are born or created change.

In reality, truth is not absolute but relative. In reality, created natural phenomena are not absolutely true. Truth is affected by factors such as time, context, place, society, thought, situation, knowledge, and ignorance.

Regardless of what, where, or how much exists elsewhere, only the capacity or energy of the Creator of creation remains the truth.

(The author is a trainer at the Institute of Life Science)