Truth is an essential ingredient of moral character and ethical behaviour. In personal relationships, truth fosters trust and credibility. On a larger scale, a commitment to truth promotes social harmony, as misunderstandings and conflicts often arise from wrong information. In legal systems, truth is the key to justice.
In nearly every sphere of life, knowing the truth is crucial for accurately evaluating our options and making the correct decisions. For self-improvement too we need to face and accept the truth about ourselves and our situation in order to bring about the necessary changes in the self.
There was a time when truth was the foundation of society. Satyug, or the Age of Truth, is the first of four epochs in the cycle of time. It was the golden age when people lived in harmony with natural and spiritual laws. Virtue and righteousness were the norm. There was no crime or violence, and consequently courts, prisons, and armies did not exist in Satyug.
In the following three epochs, called Tretayug, Dwaparyug, and Kaliyug, humans gradually drifted away from truth and virtue. As they interacted with the material world, they were influenced by it. Their spiritual awareness weakened, and a time came when they lost it altogether. Forgetting that they are souls, or immortal beings of light who are innately peaceful and loving, they started identifying with their mortal bodies and relating to others on that basis. Ignorant of the fundamental truth of their spiritual identity, they fell prey to vices such as ego, greed, lust, and anger. Over time, this spiritual decline accelerated, bringing us to where we are today.
Earlier, it was natural – not naïve – to take someone at their word. The Ramcharitmanas, an epic poem from the 16th century, extols the integrity of rulers in Tretayug, saying that it was their tradition to keep their word, even at the cost of their life. Today, a spoken word has no legal value unless it has been recorded in some manner and authenticated.
There are some communities around the world whose languages do not have a written script, and their knowledge, culture, and traditions are passed down orally through storytelling and songs. They still honour verbal agreements, with witnesses invited and specific rituals performed to ensure compliance. The trustworthiness of the individuals involved no doubt matters in this.
But in supposedly advanced societies, it is different – written agreements often do not have the credibility that a spoken word carried in an earlier age. Even formal deals are worthless unless they have been secured with legal safeguards.
Just as weak eyes need glasses to see properly and frail knees require the support of a walker, when souls lose the power of truth, elaborate legal systems have to be created to uphold it. Numerous rules, procedures, and laws now govern nearly every aspect of our lives and almost all spheres of human activity. To enforce these laws, each country has a vast law and order machinery, including the police, investigative agencies, prosecuting authorities, and the judiciary. But when souls are in breach of spiritual laws, they fail to abide by temporal ones too. It is no wonder, then, that more than 40 million cases are pending in Indian courts.
Away from the field of law, where truth is sought to be defended and justice served by official mechanisms, public discourse, which shapes policy decisions and societal norms, has been corrupted by misinformation and disinformation, which often overshadow the truth. Conflicting sets of ‘facts’ are held as true by different groups of people simply because they resonate with their emotions and prejudices, even if such ‘facts’ are bereft of evidence and logical reasoning. Social media and digital platforms have exacerbated this phenomenon by amplifying false and misleading information. Social media users are more likely to share fake news than real news. The proliferation of misinformation negatively impacts public perceptions and behaviour, polarising society and fuelling discord.
Why is this happening? When individuals are far removed from spiritual truths and values, their commitment to any kind of truth is likely to be weak. If our thinking is distorted by fear, hatred, or mistrust, then narratives that conform to our perspective will look more appealing than the inconvenient truth. Many people now simply ignore or reject the truth if it contradicts their viewpoint and hinders their agenda.
From this post-truth age, we can return to the Age of Truth only when we start living the truth. The first step is to recognise that we are all souls, children of the Supreme Soul, and part of one spiritual family. Accepting this fact and reflecting on it begins to awaken the latent original qualities of the soul: peace, love, purity, and truth. As we experience these qualities more by practising soul consciousness and seeing others as brother souls, we realise that all that brings us true fulfilment, such as lasting peace and pure love, can be found by looking within. Living by our innate virtues brings emotional stability and happiness. And when we connect, through remembrance, with the Supreme Father, who is the eternal and infinite source of these qualities, the soul feels cleansed, empowered, and blessed. Truth then becomes our natural choice, as we find that it is the easiest way to lasting peace and happiness.
B.K. Brij Mohan is Additional Secretary General of Brahma Kumaris.