Sunday, July 27, 2008
the bridge between kindness and truth
So what then is truth?
Truth is illusive, it lives in a nether world of competing truths. It can't be defined in a way that all human participants in this world can accept.
Truth has many facets for my truth may not be your truth and yet we believe our truths. In all societies truth is what you and your peers believe to be true.
Truth has been debated throughout the ages by philosophers and mathematicians who have come up with far too many different theories about what actual truth is. Truth can be manipulated through facts presented and hidden. Truth can be revealed slowly over the course of a lifetime but truth is never absolutely true.
Truth, in fact, can never be completely determined only closed in upon.
For each individual discovers their own truth, but no one really knows what it is.
In all its many masks truth remains as confusing as language.
So what about kindness?
Kindness is the finest of deeds.
Kindness is that act of providing for another without expectation for compensation. Kindness is treating another human being as you would like to be treated. Kindness, in a human being, is the ability to recognize that one act can diffuse a volatile situation, one act can bring unexpected joy to another, one kind act can change the final outcome. To indulge in an act of kindness, truth is not necessary.
When truth can't be defined or acted upon my philosophy is that kindness should prevail. When we see harm occurring to other human beings we should avoid trying to determine what is true and what is not true. Even if we may be materially affected. Instead we should make every effort to alleviate the suffering, to stop the carnage. We should not participate in creating more harm to stop harm.
So let kindness run roughshod over truth for we will never know the real truth.
There are individuals and groups all over the world practicing random acts of kindness.
Try it.
PS The note on the scarecrow says; "Minds are like parachutes, they only function when they are open."
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THE FOUR GATES OF TRUTH
(1) Is it truthful?
(2) Is it necessary to say?
(3) Is it an appropriate time?
(4) Can it be said in a kind way?
This is a guideline for using "right speech" since speaking is one of the primary forms of communication. I find these 4 questions/reflects very helpful
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