Realizing the Truth
If we want to realize the truth,
We must get to the bottom of the root.
All through life, in ignorance we cry,
We suffer on earth as we live and die.
How many people who live on earth even realize that the purpose of life is to ‘Realize the Truth’? We just live and we die. We believe that life is about being happy. We console ourselves that as long as we don't hurt others, we have achieved the object of living. We pray to a God and hope that by offering our Lord money and gifts, we will be forgiven for our sins and be liberated to heaven. We are not to be blamed. It is not our fault, because this is what we are taught. Unfortunately, we do not use the gift of our intellect to overcome our ignorance. We don't ask questions like, 'Who is God, where is God, what is God?' We don't go on a quest to realize the truth of what happens after death.
What do we do when we see somebody die? We just cry. But why? Because we are ignorant. Since we lived with ignorance, we became attached to the one who has departed, just as we get attached to our possessions and then become angry and miserable when our treasures are taken away from us. We have not contemplated the reality, that nothing comes with us and nothing will go with us.
Our instant reaction is, 'Of course, we know this. Who doesn't? Which fool doesn't know the truth that we will not take anything with us when we go?' Why then, do we human beings continue to earn and earn, only for others to burn what we earn? It is ignorance and though we know the fact, we don't realize the truth.
There is a difference between knowledge and realization. We know that we have a nose on our face, just as we know how to drive our car. But we don't realize we are the Divine Soul. We don't realize the true purpose of life. For that realization to happen, there is a 3-step process. First, we must listen or read about the truth. Once we know about it, then we contemplate the knowledge and become convinced of the reality. Still, it is knowledge. When we get a spark within, then the knowledge becomes realization. We don't just know that we have a Soul, we realize that we are the Divine Soul. We realize the truth about life, about death and about God. This realization will result in a transformation. When knowledge becomes realization, it is natural for us to change not just the way we think, but also the way we live.
Most of the world is so busy, lost in the world, that there is no time to go in quest of the truth. There is no time for silence. We are so busy doing things that don't matter that we don't have the time to do what matters. This is because of our ignorance. Somewhere, there must be a spark in us to seek the truth. Unless we start the journey of questioning and seeking, we will continue to live in the darkness of ignorance.
The light of truth will reveal so many things about life. The truth that nothing belongs to us will make us detached and dispassionate. The moment we realize that our mind is our enemy, we will activate our intellect and live with discrimination. Once we realize the truth about death, we will start living as the Divine Soul.
Realization is a rare gift and it is not everybody's blessing to come face to face with it. But that is our ultimate goal - to overcome ignorance, to realize the truth, and to be liberated from all suffering.
Most of us live life without understanding what it is all about. It is just like playing with the most sophisticated machine, understanding nothing about it. Therefore, the importance of a Spiritual Master who can make us understand what life is all about. We need a life coach, who can explain the Life Manual to us, so that we can make the best of the product called 'Life'. Otherwise, we may glance at some information, but practically, will not be able to manoeuvre through life and achieve our ultimate goal.
Because most of us don't have a life coach, we struggle through life. When things happen to us, we cry and look up at the sky. Nobody explained to us that this was not luck, it was our own Karma, coming back to us. If only we realize the truth, we will celebrate each suffering we experience knowing that we have redeemed our past Karma.
There are many things that we have to realize in life. We have to realize the truth about life and death, God and enlightenment, the Soul, Karma, and rebirth. Unless we realize the truth, we will continue to go round and round, as we suffer in the merry-go-round of life, only because of our ignorance. If we realize the truth, the merry-go-round of life will be full of laughter, bliss, peace, and joy. If only we overcome ignorance and realize the truth, we will overcome all suffering.
Realization is the key in learning how to live life. It helps us achieve our ultimate goal of liberation. If we don’t realize the truth, we return to earth again and again and suffer.
IN A NUTSHELL