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{1} "Truth is God." – Gandhi
There are many ways to define the Truth. Some of us find Truth in science, some in spirituality, some in mythology, some in day-to-day life, and many of us in combinations of some or all of these. Gandhi believed that the primary purpose of an individual’s life was to experience and to attempt to become one with the Truth. He knew that there were as many ways to do so as there were leaves on a tree, and that they were all rooted in the same Truth.
As a Hindu, Gandhi subscribed to the "belief that all life (not only human beings but all sentient beings) is one, i.e., all life coming from One universal source, call ir Allah, God or Parameshwara …." (Hindu Dharma; Ahmedabad; 1958; page 35) Yet he also recognized that "it is impossible for us to realize perfect truth so long as we are imprisoned in this mortal frame."
One of my favorite Gandhi quotes says, "To see the universal and all-pervading Spirit of Truth face to face, one must be able to love the meanest of creation as oneself. And a man who aspires after that cannot afford to keep out of any field of life. That is why my devotion to Truth has drawn me into the field of politics; and I can say without the slightest hesitation, and yet in all humility, that those who say that religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion means."
{2} "The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love." – William Sloane Coffin
Rev. Coffin (1924 - 2006) had a curious career. He served in the CIA, before becoming a social activist. His ministry was based on a form of Liberation Theology. In the early 1960s, he worked with the Kennedy administration in the creation of the Peace Corps. He became a leading critic of the war in Vietnam, and worked along with Howard Zinn and Martin Luther King, Jr. He was known for his sense of humor; one of my favorite sayings is his: "Remember, young people, even if you win the rat race, you are still a rat."
It’s interesting to think of how on the Democratic Underground, many people invested time and energy into a search for Truth about what is known as the Plame scandal. There are, of course, many other examples of people looking for the Truth in the world of lies, fear, and violence that we call the Bush administration.
In 2008, it will be very important that people continue to work towards bringing the Truth to the forefront of the elections. No individual politician, including those running for the democratic nomination for president, represent the full Truth. And neither do any of us who are involved in the campaigning or debates about the various candidates. We all see things in our own way. But the world is too dangerous, and the elections too important, for us to accept the attempts by some to inject lies and fear into the discussion.
The prophet Bob Marley spoke about the political rat race:
"…..Don't involve Rasta in your say say;
Rasta don't work for no C.I.A.
Rat race, rat race, rat race! Rat race, I'm sayin':
When you think is peace and safety:
A sudden destruction.
Collective security for surety, ye-ah!
Don't forget your history;
Know your destiny:
In the abundance of water,
The fool is thirsty.
Rat race, rat race, rat race!
Rat race!
Oh, it's a disgrace
To see the human-race
In a rat race, rat race!
You got the horse race;
You got the dog race;
You got the human-race;
But this is a rat race, rat race!"
{3} "My way of joking is to tell the truth. It’s the funniest joke in the world." – George Bernard Shaw; 1907
It’s good to have a sense of humor. And it’s good to sing. One of my favorite songs is by Johnny Cash, and it is called "What Is Truth":
The old man turned off the radio
Said, "Where did all of the old songs go
Kids sure play funny music these days
They play it in the strangest ways"
Said, "it looks to me like they've all gone wild
It was peaceful back when I was a child"
Well, man, could it be that the girls and boys
Are trying to be heard above your noise?
And the lonely voice of youth cries "What is truth?"
A little boy of three sittin' on the floor
Looks up and says, "Daddy, what is war?"
"son, that's when people fight and die"
The little boy of three says "Daddy, why?"
A young man of seventeen in Sunday school
Being taught the golden rule
And by the time another year has gone around
It may be his turn to lay his life down
Can you blame the voice of youth for asking
"What is truth?"
A young man sittin' on the witness stand
The man with the book says "Raise your hand"
"Repeat after me, I solemnly swear"
The man looked down at his long hair
And although the young man solemnly swore
Nobody seems to hear anymore
And it didn't really matter if the truth was there
It was the cut of his clothes and the length of his hair
And the lonely voice of youth cries
"What is truth?"
The young girl dancing to the latest beat
Has found new ways to move her feet
The young man speaking in the city square
Is trying to tell somebody that he cares
Yeah, the ones that you're calling wild
Are going to be the leaders in a little while
This old world's wakin' to a new born day
And I solemnly swear that it'll be their way
You better help the voice of youth find
"What is truth/"
{4} "Be ye lamps unto yourselves.
Be your own reliance.
Hold to the truth within yourselves
as to the only lamp." – Buddha
I would like to thank those who continue to work towards making this country a better place than it has been, especially in the past seven years. We are in a tough struggle. And in difficult times, it is important to remember that a victory is not limited to something in the future. It’s how we experience the here and now.
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