Of Opposites, Truths, and Totality

A new post in the series - Satyam Shivam Sundaram

A series featuring inspiring words from various sources, words that speak of timeless truths, words that remind me of the deeper and hidden truth behind surface events and phenomena, words that shine light when all seems dark, words that are just what I need - for this moment and for all times to come.

Layered - Photo by Suhas Mehra

I ended the very first post of this first month of the year with a sentence - "How interesting that Truth can be seen and expressed in so many different ways." And quite interestingly, and really without any deliberate thought and planning on my part, this last post of January 2014 is also turning out to be about the same Truth. As part of my teaching work, I was just re-reading and reflecting upon the following lines and a new blog post took birth.

Each idea (or system of ideas) is true in its own time and place. But if it tries to be exclusive or to persist even when its time is over, then it ceases to be true.

***

 If any element of this totality is taken separately and affirmed as the sole truth, however central or comprehensive it may be, it necessarily becomes a falsehood, for then it denies all the rest of the total Truth. This is precisely what constitutes an indisputable dogma, and this is why it is the most dangerous type of falsehood, because each one affirms that it is the sole and exclusive truth. The absolute, infinite, eternal Truth is unthinkable for the mind which can only conceive that which is spatial and temporal, fragmentary and limited. Thus, on the mental plane, the absolute Truth is divided into innumerable fragmentary and contradictory truths which strive in their entirety to reproduce the original Truth as best they can — for each is a truth that attempts to affirm itself as the sole truth, to the exclusion of all the other truths, which, through their innumerable totality, express progressively in the becoming the Infinite, Eternal and Absolute Truth — that is how they deny the total Truth.

***

The truth is neither in separation nor in uniformity.
The truth is in unity manifesting through diversity.

 **

Intellectually, the Truth is the point where all the opposites meet and join to make a unity.

~ Collected Works of the Mother, volume 14, pp. 197-198

How about contemplating a bit more on these words, but this time with some some soul-touching world music which also expresses this Truth of Unity Manifesting through Diversity in its own unique way. Like this one with bansuri by Pandit Ronu Majumdar, electric guitar by Ry Cooder and trumpet by Jon Hassell.

Click here for the previous post in this series.