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The 'truth'


Galileo Galilei once said: "All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." The statement itself seems contradictory to me on one side and also reasonable on the other. Apart from the 'understanding' part, my question is, do we really have to know about the truth at all times? And why? Sometimes, it would be better if we are unaware of the truth.
And why should it be discovered? Apart from practical purposes, what do we get in terms of psychological benefit? Enlightenment? About what? And how do we know that what we believe to be the truth is the truth? What is the ultimate truth for some may be the ultimate lie for others.
And how do we 'discover' a truth? By what means? Through meditation or following a guru in terms of spirituality? Through seeking and questioning in terms of practicality? How?

Comments

  1. The Lonely SaintOctober 25, 2011 at 5:06 PM

    I read in one of Jiddu Krishnamurthy's lectures that we try to discover the "truth" because human mind cannot comprehend the randomness that is nature. I think Galileo was talking about facts rather than truths. And by a fact I mean something which can be proven beyond doubt. Ex: Relativity, subatomic particles etc.
    I've observed that the things that I usually try to prove to be true are my "opinions" more than anything else. In that case, the proof is usually useless.

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  2. WhoAmI?October 29, 2011 at 10:33 AM

    ... why know the absolute truth? Because, otherwise what happens is the misery, destruction, suppression of flowering of natural beings you see/suffer all around ... The ultimate absolute truth might just be as simple as 'all beings are absolutely born-free' ... to realize That is Enlightenment, Awakening ... and to discover & exercise the Power within to live, love & flower through ones own life, by ones own means & will is to attain Bliss
    ... its certainly beyond the logical intellect or psyche or any meditation technique or religious practice or spiritual guru ... all these, and whatever else, may just be instrument to inquire & explore ... one has to & will transcend the instruments when one really arrives at the Truth ...

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  3. WhoAmI?October 29, 2011 at 10:40 AM

    'That' can't be proved ... can't be imparted ... can't be taught by others for one's sake ... it has to be realized & lived by each for his own sake ... If one is already living the absolutely free life one was born with, one may not care about whatever is That rest of the world is bothered about, except one may have to become aware of the ultimate value of it to protect That for one's own sake !

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