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How to know whether a statement is true? || Acharya Prashant, on Swami Vivekananda (2017)
Acharya Prashant
1.6K views
9 years ago
Truth
Nothingness
Facts
Inner Peace
Non-conformity
Innocence
Detachment
Vivekananda
Description

Acharya Prashant explains that truth can and must be stated in a thousand different ways because it is fundamentally nothingness and has no agenda of its own. Since the world is in a constant state of flux, the expression of truth must change according to the situation; therefore, one expression of truth can never be identical to another and may even appear to contradict it. He describes truth as a clean mirror that simply reflects the situation without adding or subtracting anything. Unlike facts, which are finite fragments observable through the senses and have opposites, truth contains its own opposites and cannot be contained within the limits of language. He further clarifies that there is no single statement of truth, but rather statements that arise from the truth. Any statement, even one that seems nonsensical or meaningless, is a statement of truth if it originates from a center of inner peace, simplicity, and innocence. The validity of a statement depends entirely on its source rather than its literal content. Acharya Prashant advises against trying to decide or judge what the truth is, as truth is not an individual's business. Instead, one should focus on living honestly and ruthlessly in facts, which prevents one from living in fancies and imaginations. By purely observing the facts of one's life, the truth naturally takes care of the individual.