This past week I’ve been enjoying a beautiful celebration of the Divine Mother in her many aspects at our local Haidakhandi Universal Ashram.
It’s called Spring Navratri.
The first three days are dedicated to mother Durga, the goddess of destruction andrestoration who clears away obstacles and obscurations. The second three days are for mother Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and beauty who fills that cleared space with pure sattvic energy of truth and peace. And the last three days are dedicated to mother Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and the arts who spreads these truths through her works in the world.
Each day, after we make offerings to the sacred fire (agni) and sing hymns to Ma, our local pundits (scholars) share a discourse with us on the many qualities of Ma and the universal truths that run through all of existence. One of the stories was about…
The difference between the truth and the facts.
A Brahmin meditating in the woods was faced with a hard decision when a wild boar, screaming in pain from being struck by an arrow, ran by him. He felt the pain of the animal and prayed to Saraswati who endowed him with this wisdom:
“The truth is that which benefits all beings and causes
no harm or loss of life.”
Then the hunter who had shot the arrow came by and asked him if he had seen the boar he had shot. The fact was that he had seen the boar and could’ve helped the hunter finish his kill by telling him. But he decided to say “No, I have not seen the boar” in order to protect and preserve his life.
So What’s the Truth Today?
After hearing this simple teaching about truth I started to think about how we have lost sight of this distinction in the modern world. All the ancient spiritual teachings guide us to care for the wellbeing of the world and to live in a way that benefits all beings. Yet, the modern world is run on principles of competition and aggression that allow some to profit greatly while others suffer. And it’s all supported by “facts”
Fact: Monsanto owns patents for all of their GMO seeds and therefore has the right to sue farmers for unlawfully saving GMO seeds for patent-infringement.
Truth: GMO crops devastate the eco-system they are grown in and contaminate nearby crops. Farmers may not even know that the seeds they are saving have these GMO traits because it was contamination, rather than choice, that caused it. Lawsuits against the few farmers that are struggling to make a living and committed to growing non-GMO crops hurts everyone (except Monsanto) and degrades the quality of our food supply even further.
When cases like this go to court where they ask for “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth” they are really just looking for “the facts, all the facts and nothing but the facts.” Unfortunately, they are not considering what benefits all beings and looking instead to the artificial “rights” established by a system of ownership and privilege.
The same is the case for so many issues we are facing in this Industrial Growth Society where we accept off shore drilling and nuclear power because it is “legal” and then witness the devastation of so many life forms in the wake of the Gulf Shore spill and the Fukushima disaster. And where neuro-toxins and carcinogenic ingredients are included in almost all of the processed foods marketed to children because they are “Generally Regarded As Safe” by the FDA while our youth struggles with outrageous rates of ADHD, autism and life threatening diseases that children should never have.
I believe that it’s time for us to remember and revive the ancient teachings that were given to us to help us preserve and protect life. It is time for us to value truth above the facts once again…in our own lives, in the choices we make, in how we spend our money and time and what we create for our children.
You’re invited to schedule a Personal Strategy Session with me to receive loving guidance and practical support for your personal transformation and holistic wellbeing. Jo delAmor, Personal Transformation Coach.
