Veritas: The Nature of Truth

It's funny how the word 'truth' gets bandied around as if it makes what came before it fact for all people. It's funny how people also hide behind their 'truth' and use it as an excuse for their actions or for why they have not evolved. 'I have found truth, I'm done!!' It's funny how people use their truth as a tool to judge, discriminate and hold prejudices against people, most often without proof or personal experience of any kind. Ok, so funny may not be the right word here, but you get what I mean... This has started my own search for the meaning of truth and an understanding of how it works and why it is so important to us as individuals and society as a whole.

For me, Truth is a dynamic concept, changing depending on circumstance, experience and position. It is what it is based entirely upon the individual's own perceptions and experiences. True, the ideas of the individual can be formed based upon the ideas of the whole, as with religion or cultural ideals, but it is ultimately the responsibility of the individual to perpetuate certain truths.

People use truth, or truths, as a basis for their life philosophies which affect their actions and interactions with others. It is part of my personal truth to honour the Earth and keep it clean, not out of any belief in a mother Goddess or the spiritual nature of the land on which I walk, but as a need to help keep it habitable for future generations. This in turn guides my actions - I am always picking up rubbish in the playground at school. I do this for the Earth first and foremost, the idea of being an example to the students is secondary in my mind. But the philosophy of looking after the planet guides what I do in my daily practice.

Truth can also give you meaning and direction. I had none before I discovered my truth relating to the spiritual nature of my life. My belief in Reincarnation and Karma has helped me to understand why I am here, what I did to create these circumstances (in this life and past ones) and a road map for correction. I do not want to repeat past patterns, and understanding where they came from and the lessons involved helps me to break these and work toward being a better person.

But this still does not address the issue at hand - what is the nature of truth? We know it is changeable, being affected by the perspective of the individual, but there is way more to it.

Truth is a very wide concept, covering both negative and positive aspects of society. Truth can:
- hurt as well as heal
- be hidden or flaunted, and every variation between
- be used to control or set free
- be manipulated or spoken freely
- willingly changed or stubbornly adhered to
- used to a person's advantage or disadvantage
- lived and experienced or ignored

I am sure there are many more variations to the above characteristics, but one thing remains certain for me - honesty is always the best policy. I have recently entered into a very adult relationship where we both speak our truth in every circumstance. We have agreed not to take it personally, but accept that the other might think differently and work within these limitations. There have been many times in recent weeks where I have spoken a truth (diplomatically, of course!) I would once have hidden for fear of hurting the other person, and how refreshing is it! To be able to explain to the person exactly where your head is at (or your heart!), to be completely honest and know that the other person will accept it. There have been times (and probably more to come) where my truth has been challenged (both from him and within myself - mostly because when I speak a truth it seems completely ridiculous and I immediately find another that makes more sense!), but it has been done in a respectful manner. I return this favour to him when I feel I need to challenge his truth. Either way, the main idea remains the same - It is not personal, it's just how I feel at this time. We both understand and respect the changeable nature of truth and work within these limitations as well.

I feel it is important to have a healthy respect for truth and an understanding of how it works. Knowing this can help you to be more respectful of other people while still honouring your own truth. It is also important to understand that another person's truth is not a personal attack on you, but an entirely individual way of looking at things. If it goes against your own truth, discuss it as adults or leave the relationship - one should never actively try to make another's truth fit their own. Here's hoping more people have this same healthy respect......

Thoughts about Karma and Reincarnation

Someone wrote a post on Facebook the other day about karma, I can't remember who it was. It said basically that karma may not ever arrive to a person who has done wrong by you as they may never have actually done anything wrong.

It got me thinking that life is truly all about perception. One person's idea of 'bad' is different to another's. In a situation where there is an argument of some kind, inevitably both parties feel as if they have been wronged and wait for karma to exact revenge or rectify the situation in some way. But the truth may be that neither is in the wrong or that both are and karma should be 'dealing' with them both!

If this is the case, then who decides what karma does? Who decides who should receive punishment or reward? What if both have done wrong and are deserving of punishment? What is the truth about a situation is that it was you who did the wrong and the other person was in the right, would you accept your 'punishment'? Would you forgive them and let them off the proverbial hook?

Maybe their is no right and wrong really, just choices and consequences... if you make a mistake and own up to it and learn from it, then fine, all is well with the world. But if you make a mistake and don't own up to it or learn from it then you are doomed to make the same mistake/s over and over again. Or is this what karma is all about, living negatively until you realise your lessons and learn them? Is this what karma actually is? There is no external force or deity or angel or guide or ascended master deciding who gets punished or rewarded like St Peter at the Gate, it's all based upon your own choices and actions? If you stuff up, realise, apologise and learn, your reward is simply that you don't have to go through that situation again, you have learnt and can move on to the next lesson. If you don't learn then it'll keep happening until you do, thus creating what people would term negative karma.

So then, if you keep blaming others for what happens to you, then your karma is to always be affected by the actions of others until you realise your own power in the situation. It's more of a 'law of attraction' thing then really, isn't it? Some people have just termed this karma and personified it to the point that it gets blamed for everything, people began to use it as an excuse to get out of their own personal growth. "I don't have to deal with this situation directly, as karma will teach them!" Kinda gives people a 'get out of gaol free' card in relation to their personal growth I think......

So, I guess to the point of this whole blog - the need for me to finally come to terms with K/karma. This has definitely been a long time coming. I have had many conversations about this subject and still not discovered my truth. But here it is - to me karma is:

1. not an indiscriminate force or being punishing and rewarding for behaviours,
2. not a separate entity, with it's own code of conduct and laws, but a part of the law of attraction, if not completely bound up in it. 


3. not an excuse to get out of dealing with situations you need to personally, for your own growth and maturation. 
4. entirely based upon the morals and values of the individual.

this got me thinking about reincarnation and stuff, who is in charge of the big issues? After consideration, I have conclude that karma is:

1. inseparable from the soul/spirit.
2. not in charge of reincarnation
3. based upon our own ability to learn from our mistakes and forgive others.

But this brings me to another interesting point. Who decides what you do in each life, the lessons you will need to learn and who you will need to meet etc etc? 

Well, my simple truth is - YOU DO! You choose which family you will be born in to, what lessons you will learn from which sacrifices and losses you'll experience, what your life purpose will be and so on and so on...... And even who your children will be!! (Well, this you decide together. As for your grandchildren, there is also a level of discussion about this, but I feel that the ultimate choice lies within the soul themselves as they have to be born to your child in order to be your grandchild and whether they want to do that is up to them!!) Before you are reincarnated you make this 'soul contract' based upon your own needs as a soul in order to evolve. This is what drives circumstances, events and situations in your life, this innate need to experience in order to grow and evolve, not some separate entity doling out punishment and reward indiscriminately! It is entirely up to you whether you honour your own contract and fulfill your life purpose. You can opt out at any time, and this is what people who live negatively have chosen to do - they have decided it is all in fact too hard and they can never overcome their current situation. There is no judgement here, as I have done the same on occasion. Besides, it is their life to live and their choices are their own. As are mine. 

So I guess what I am saying really (and please, don't hang me for this!) is that there is no such thing as karma. It is merely your willingness to learn your 'contracted' lessons and evolve past your current circumstances. You have chosen these circumstances for yourself, now are you going to whinge and lay blame or are you going to take responsibility for your life and move on with love????