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Truth is eternal and imperishable. It is formless, without description, and exists for its own sake. Truth is interpreted in form of reality, while reality itself is a mere description. Reality is individual’s interpretation of truth. Reality is transient and ephemeral. Reality is driven by reason and selfishness. Truth is beyond time and space, so it cannot be driven, but it is the truth that drives everything else. Truth cannot be reached, but only an approximation of truth can be made. A single truth can have many realities. Sages and philosophers have spent their time searching for the truth. However in the end, they have only reached mere interpretations in form of reality, as they thought truth is or (perhaps) should be. Philosophies, sciences and religions have developed and developed into complex forms, trying to grasp the truth. However all the various systems and streams are mere realities, not the truth.
When truth is upheld, reality shines in form of reason, justice and peace. Society is a mere reflection of how that society at that particular time interpretes the truth, which it speaks as its reality. Based on such interpretations, the different societies at different points of time have developed their systems of knowledge, justice, religion, eduction, social relation etc.
Over period of time, various people have tried to grapple with the truth, and have reached better conclusions than the prior interpretations of truth. Such congeries of realities have been spoken over time in various shades of fact, belief, etc. Some societies have forced people to follow such facts and beliefs. These very realities have been overturned over the passage of time by succeeding societies and people.
The basis of human life is thus to grapple with the truth. To come to understand truth is difficult, in some ways impossible. Human intelligence has only tried to come to terms with small portion of such truth. What we know, that we know keeps getting upturned over period of time with advances in science and technology. Even religion and belief systems has to a great extent come to terms with it. Religion and belief systems no longer try to compete with the realm of science and technology, but exists in its hallowed but secluded place in a material reality, while at the same time trying to influence the various spheres of lives of the people. Religion has thus become largely pragmatic, perhaps it is the people behind the religion who have become practical. Despite all its pragmatism and developments and advancements, neither science nor religion nor any philosophy has been able to reach the truth.
Truth is thus in the form of an universal abstract intelligence, which is there to be understood and re-understood and interpreted and re-interpreted. The moment someone claims to have reached the truth, the absolute truth, then all havoc breaks look. To claim that someone has reached the truth (or the absolute truth), is a recipe for disaster. For someone claiming something to be an ‘absolute’ truth, there are so many truths spread around.
So can we never reach the truth? – perhaps yes, truth is in someways unreachable. We can only grapple with truth and give a small, selfish and localised interpretation. We cannot reach the absolute, the universal truth. We can at best grapple with it in form of realities facing us, problems pressing us and work to troubleshoot the issues to bring some comfort to our lives and society around us.