Two Types of Truth

1999-4-1 10:46:00

Here's another interesting quote from A Course in Miracles:
"Salvation is the recognition that truth is true, and nothing else is true. This you have heard before, but you may not accept both parts of it. Without the first, the second has no meaning. But without the second, is the first no longer true. Truth cannot have an opposite. This cannot be too often said and thought about. For if what is not true is true as well as what is true, then part of truth is false. And truth has lost its meaning. Nothing but the truth is true, and what is false is false." ACIM Workbook Page 274

"Truth must be true throughout, if it be true. It cannot contradict itself, nor be in parts uncertain and in others sure." ACIM Workbook Page 287

Some people reflect upon truth and see truth as something that must be a big thing and absolute truth as a concept of momentous proportions, but such is not the case. Truth is just true whether it be the fact that a fly lands on your nose or that someday the whole earth will be burned with fire. If a giant true event happens, it is true and if a small event happens, it is equally true. Because one happening is more momentous than another does not make it a truer occurrence.

It seems that many want to ponder on the highest truths in the highest realms of existence, but that does about as much good as a child learning the ABC's to be given a book of Shakespeare's plays and be told to read and contemplate the meaning thereof. He cannot read so he cannot contemplate. Because he cannot yet read, his mind is blank as he thumbs through the writings because the words are just blurry symbols that tell him nothing.

Let me tell you just one thing to bring you back to earth. The higher worlds are called the formless worlds by the Masters. In these worlds there is no truth as we understand the term. For proof of this let me ask you to think of a truth that you understand and then explain this truth to me without painting the picture of something that has form in time and space. You cannot do it.

The child learns the basics first, how to talk, communicate, the alphabet, writing, reading, thinking and so on. Then if he matures and uses all the things he has learned to the highest of his ability he then learns to gain knowledge in ways that go beyond reading, through the power of the soul. Eventually, he may never have to read again for he may know though other methods.

So it is with us. We must start here where we are. Sure there is a lot of illusion in this world and there are others worlds a lot more permanent and more real in higher realms. When we go there this world will then seem like a dream, but then the time will come when we shall also progress out of an even the higher dream. Alas, that world was not the ultimate either. If we try and solve the equations of the higher realms instead of our basic lessons then we will neither know the mysteries of the higher or to be able to live successfully in the lower. What this leads to is the seeker becoming the dreamer within the dream rather than the knower waking from the dream.

The path out of the illusion is truth. We must not cover up truth wherever it may lie or whether it be big or small. Acknowledge all reality (or non-reality if you must call it that) for what it is. Do not add to or take away, cover up with deceit, or embellish with lies and you then become the truth and true paths of liberation then open before you. "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free," is perhaps the most profound statement ever uttered.

There are two types of truth that we can ponder.

First there are true facts. These are pixels of information about events or ideas.

Secondly there are true principles. A true principle is a lever that leads to many true facts.

For instance: 2+2=4 is a true fact. If you learn this alone you will know one thing that is true but it will be of little use to you. On the other hand, if you learn the principle that governs addition and subtraction, you can then obtain billions of true pieces of information about the numbers. For instance you will understand that 1+1=2, 1+2=3, 5+5=10 and so on. An infinite number of tiny pieces of data are now available.

We start our progression in truth by recognizing true facts and true data and passing it on in an uncorrupted state with no deceit. Then as our minds expand we are drawn more to true principles because we begin to realize that these truths are extremely valuable. The problem is that we cannot handle or even recognize true principles until we first have learned to deal truthfully with facts. When we see and relate true facts for what they are we become prepared to see the truth in principles as they are presented to our consciousness.

For the question of the day I'll take a statement made by Zia. She said that we can change a truth from the past so it is no longer true. Is this possible? Can we change the past? If not can we neutralize negativity from the past so it loses it power over us? How do we go about doing this?