Knowledge of Truth

It all started twenty years back as I was galloping along in my life, earning money and being concerned with only materialistic comforts and wealth. Then, questions started troubling my mind, in which direction should I lead my life? After all, every new phase in life requires a change. Where should I go, either towards religion, luxury or the various intoxicants of life? Why should I seek any other direction and drift away from the current ecstasies that life was offering me? How does one go about having a sound mind and body? Who am I? Where have I come from? Question after question kept pouring into my mind, from where the research commenced. Slowly, step by step, I started to climb up the tree of life, in search of knowledge of truth, where one discovers one’s true intentions, and now, writing articles for you, to opine what this knowledge is all about.rnOn reading the various articles in my book, you may realize how much research one requires to acquire knowledge that reveals truth, defined and identified your way and also whether truth is subjective or objective, relative or absolute. Success in finding the answers to most of my questions, led me to write these articles. Since they connect many thoughts on the path to realization, I could not combine all under one title. Right or wrong, these have settled as Truth in my mind, and will remain so until I learn to transcend further into this subject.rnSpiritualism, spirituality or spiritual practices have their own connotations with different meanings for different people. It may connect to religion, science, philosophy, psychology, and personal development. It may also depend on the intensity of your needs and beliefs in evolving spirituality. What is important here is what you consider as true; dedicating yourself blindly to lofty spiritual ideals, through million dollars enriched spiritual gurus, with the quest for reaching heaven, money and love; or awakening to your own realization of truth and its values.rnTraditionally, as we see now, many religions have regarded spirituality as their own authority and an integral part of their practices. Spirituality is to develop an individual's inner life with a larger reality into a more comprehensive self. Religion is imbibed with various beliefs and superstitions bending towards any one supernatural God. On the other hand, we notice that scientists, physicists and neuroscientists today consider science and spirituality to be complimentary, not contradictory, to the extent that they are even trying to learn more about how the brain functions during reported spiritual experiences.rnAs Daniel Patrick Moynihan said, "Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but they are not entitled to their own facts." I truly feel and believe that some spiritual practice is essential for personal well being. Today, as we all know, unless we understand and manage our own thoughts and emotions, we cannot be balanced, calm and happy. This science or knowledge of obtaining the truth, how to manage the churning of our thought processes, is the content in most of my articles, to the best of my learning and experience. It is this realization of knowing the truth within your inner self that is to me, the Enlightenment I wish to seek in my life, rather than devote my time to praying, chanting or believing in some mystical consciousness.rnIn the section of Enlightenment in Wikipedia, I read this part given according to Mandukya Upanishads, "Enlightenment is a state of freedom from the ignorance that causes suffering. There is no necessity to attain mere belief in God, but it is necessary to have profound knowledge of the truth which lies behind the concept of the word God. The idea is not to know God as a different being but to know, one's own real self and its essential nature, which is the self of all. The preachings of religion make a person dependent on priests, temples, idols, blind faith and dogma, and dependence on these is a habit of the lower mind. Such crutches may be useful at a certain stage for some people, but they do not lead one to ultimate truth. A dependent mind is not free, and without freedom, enlightenment is impossible. Religious dogmas are full of beliefs and myths that do not satisfy the human intellect and that bind believers to a narrow view of life and human potential. Such preachings instill more fear than love in the hearts of masses”.rnTherefore, as you may notice, my endeavor throughout my various articles has been to seek the ultimate truth hidden in all of us, irrespective of the source or belief, as long as I can understand the meaning of how to self realize, without having to follow any blind faith in fantasies of religion or otherwise. Such a journey will awaken the truth in me about realities of life in totality, where there is no paradox, dualities, illusions or egoism. rnWhat you might notice in yourself as I have, is that when you know the truth, it shall set you free from bondage in life. Your behavior will change for the better; your mind will no longer be dependent on auto suggestions from the past or nervous emotions; your mind would be under your control with clarity, necessary for right behavior, leading you towards the natural flowering of your personality. This knowledge of being true to yourself is going to change the way you are, your mannerisms, your personality and probably your life.