Truth is Courage
Anurag Gangal
August 26, 2008
Holding on to one´s conviction or belief under any circumstances is courage. One may compromise on matters of routine details in life as a social being. Beyond that, every one of us must hold on to truth or fundamental principles and convictions.
Fundamentals:
An example of two persons fighting for larger share of bread or a fluffy pineapple cake may be seen here. They must not fight for who gets how much. This is an aspect of minor detail. One may compromise on this issue.
If there is already a policy of equitable distribution in vogue in this context, then it must be adhered to at any cost in favour of equal sharing of cake by the two involved people.
This is how courage to hold on to truth is important to resolve even our daily routine matters of practical life. It is not a question of a philosophy emerging from the mind of an arm chair thinker. This is a reality of life.
How Much of Truth:
Truth, as such, is what one can see with one´s eyes and feel with one´s sensibilities. Yet the capacity to see truth differs from person to person. It all depends on everybody´s training to see truth and sticking to it. This is again not possible without courage and specially courage of conviction.
That is why truth for Plato is virtue and justice while for Mahatma Gandhi, "Truth is God and God is Truth". The route to truth is thus from daily life to God. Sometimes one sees it and at times one does not see it. But truth is there whether one sees it or even if one does not perceive it.
Yes true it is that it needs hard work, training, insight and self awareness to see truth and act accordingly. Challenges have to be faced with fervour and fearlessness. Courage cannot be there when fear engulfs. Better minds and sages have often said that one must look fear in the face and it will run away from you out of fear!
Journey:
Truth is a journey from birth to timelessness or everlasting courage. Come what may, truth has no fear for it stands on its own feet. Its courage is not borrowed from someone else. Stumbling in the quest for truth and groping for light in darkness is an inherent part of the voyage towards courage and truth. The venture and attempt towards truth must go on. As Shakespeare said, "The world is a stage, the show must go on."
Knowledge:
Truth is, therefore knowledge too. Though truth is not merely load upon loads of information. All that keeps changing around us is also a reality yet all this is not truth until it is deeply ingrained into diverse tests of fire in life. When this process leads to facing various challenges of life courageously, then one is able to see truth only partially. Ultimately truth emerges as unchanging knowledge. That is truth and that is courage.
Fundamentals:
An example of two persons fighting for larger share of bread or a fluffy pineapple cake may be seen here. They must not fight for who gets how much. This is an aspect of minor detail. One may compromise on this issue.
If there is already a policy of equitable distribution in vogue in this context, then it must be adhered to at any cost in favour of equal sharing of cake by the two involved people.
This is how courage to hold on to truth is important to resolve even our daily routine matters of practical life. It is not a question of a philosophy emerging from the mind of an arm chair thinker. This is a reality of life.
How Much of Truth:
Truth, as such, is what one can see with one´s eyes and feel with one´s sensibilities. Yet the capacity to see truth differs from person to person. It all depends on everybody´s training to see truth and sticking to it. This is again not possible without courage and specially courage of conviction.
That is why truth for Plato is virtue and justice while for Mahatma Gandhi, "Truth is God and God is Truth". The route to truth is thus from daily life to God. Sometimes one sees it and at times one does not see it. But truth is there whether one sees it or even if one does not perceive it.
Yes true it is that it needs hard work, training, insight and self awareness to see truth and act accordingly. Challenges have to be faced with fervour and fearlessness. Courage cannot be there when fear engulfs. Better minds and sages have often said that one must look fear in the face and it will run away from you out of fear!
Journey:
Truth is a journey from birth to timelessness or everlasting courage. Come what may, truth has no fear for it stands on its own feet. Its courage is not borrowed from someone else. Stumbling in the quest for truth and groping for light in darkness is an inherent part of the voyage towards courage and truth. The venture and attempt towards truth must go on. As Shakespeare said, "The world is a stage, the show must go on."
Knowledge:
Truth is, therefore knowledge too. Though truth is not merely load upon loads of information. All that keeps changing around us is also a reality yet all this is not truth until it is deeply ingrained into diverse tests of fire in life. When this process leads to facing various challenges of life courageously, then one is able to see truth only partially. Ultimately truth emerges as unchanging knowledge. That is truth and that is courage.
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