We hear it often.
In fact, it is one of the most well-known statements from the New Testament’s Gospels (John 8:32):
The Truth Will Set You Free
Now, the Truth always reveals Itself.
It is in Its nature.
But I’m afraid that Its eventual front stage appearance alone is not enough for you to be liberated.
You Also Have To Be Ready To Receive Such Truth
Ready, that is, to:
(a) listen to It; and
(b) understand exactly what It means for you, in your particular circumstance.
Now, this applies to all kinds of relative “truths” in the various areas and events of your life, but it especially applies – and this is also what Christ Jesus refers to in his aforementioned Gospel of John quote – to the One and Only Absolute Truth.
But more on the latter in a while…
So, starting from the level of your everyday life in this world, in order for you to effectively deal with any situation you find challenging, difficult, tricky, you must prepare yourself to listen to the one relevant truth, the realization of which will point you to the direction of the proper action – if any – which you must take.
Now, it is clear that such truth will vary from case to case.
But there will always be a common denominator, namely:
The Way You Prepare Yourself
To Receive The Truth
This is the key, here, dear Friend.
Only when you are fully ready for It, the Truth will come, bright and shining, without needing you to further fine-tune or polish it.
Now, then, your readiness for Truth must be cultivated on three levels:
Physical,
Mental
And Emotional
On the physical level, your readiness to receive the truth that is applicable in each case depends upon you ensuring that:
- your five senses are acutely functioning,
- you are not too tired,
- you are sufficiently (neither suboptimally nor excessively) nourished,
- you feel reasonably vibrant, meaning that your energy tank is full, and
- you are not sick, nor you suffer from any kind of physical pain that could hamper your well-being and cloud your intellectual capacity
How To Achieve This?
The advice here is certainly not of a groundbreaking or radical nature.
Proper nutrition is of the first and foremost importance.
Then, exercising.
On one hand, the body should be kept mobile on a continuous basis.
Moreover, engaging in intense and strenuous work-out sessions at regular intervals helps on the vibrancy as well as on the mental clarity front (more on the latter in a second).
Finally, it is good if you also help your body to learn to take, and deal with, some reasonable amount of hardship, before resorting to the use of pharmaceutical drugs or paying a visit to a doctor.
Please, don’t misunderstand me here: I’m not advocating that you should never ingest any medical substances or that you should perennially keep any medical doctor at a safe distance from you.
I am just inviting you to consider exercising some moderation in this respect, especially considering this present era of widespread fear (often verging towards panic or paranoia) across the globe.
Next Truth Readiness Level Is…
The Mental One
Here you have to ensure clarity of perception and judgment.
Your mind must be uncluttered by any unnecessary thoughts.
A firm, penetrating insight is also a must.
Finally, multitasking should be avoided at all costs.
How To Achieve This?
On realizing the shift from the ill-advised “Holy Grail” of our distorted times, multitasking, to its healthier and truly more productive alternative, single-tasking, have a look here.
As for cultivating a firm and penetrating insight, you need to be willing to devote your patience and time to introspect and objectively examine your thoughts and actions.
It is undoubtedly a matter of constant practice, as is the ability to unclutter your mind from all unnecessary, often toxic, thoughts.
On the latter, the key is to realise you are not your thoughts and that, so long as they cannot be applied to solve a practical problem you’re dealing with, you’d better not engage with them in any fashion, but just observe them and then let them go.
A mind that is brought to an order in this fashion provides, then, also a fertile ground for consistent clarity of perception and for a balanced and unprejudiced judgment.
Finally…
We Have The Emotional Truth Readiness Level
Here, the most important thing to be cautious about is to not have any expectations about what the (occasional) truth shall be.
You see, specific expectations generate a certain feeling of anticipation within you, and this in its turn produces all kinds of anxious and stressful emotions, which throw you off balance on this level.
So… don’t expect to find any specific truth; instead, allow such truth to find you.
Again, it’s not your job to detect it; your job is to prepare yourself as much as possible to receive it naturally, like a ripened fruit, once it is in place.
How To Achieve This?
By learning how to deal with expectations (have a look here) and by staying attuned to the present moment.
The key, here, also lies in your thinking: as mentioned a few lines above, you must be wary of allowing yourself to be carried away by your thoughts to bad trips of emotional turmoil and constantly spiraling and paralyzing doubts and fears.
If You Apply Yourself Appropriately
On All Three Truth Readiness Levels
The “Real Truth” –
The Specific One You Need In Each Case –
Will Find You In The End
I will conclude this post, as promised, by returning to the topic of the Absolute, the One and Only, Truth.
This is the Truth that Christ Jesus was pointing to, and It is the one to set you free – and enable you to enter a state of permanent readiness – for good.
Realizing the One and Only Truth is to realize who you truly are.
Yet…
To Realize Who You Truly Are
You Must First Realize Who – Or What – You Are Not
And to realize who you are not, you must be committed to bringing inner order and complete understanding – it’s the same thing – to the most fundamental layers of your being.
This is more of an art rather than a science; this being said, certain key principles always apply, no matter which specific way you choose to go about this self-exploration journey of yours.
Now, Truth be told…
Until next time, I hope you realize you are ready to be free!