As personalities living in the worlds of duality, it is not possible to jump directly to Absolute Truth. Rather our approach to Absolute Truth is made by ascending the Ladder of Relative Truth. And we begin our ascent the moment we sincerely seek to understand the truth about our real Self, its Source and the true nature of reality.

First let us describe what we mean by relative truth. We could say that relative truth is a portion of Absolute Truth. Absolute Truth is unchangeable. It can not be improved or lessened by anything. But a relative truth can be expanded upon, increased and change therefore it is not absolute. An example of relative truth from the material world would be gravity. In the material world gravity is a fixed law, a truth no one can deny. All people and material things are bound by this law. Yet this truth is relative not absolute, because by applying higher laws such as the Laws of Aerodynamics man has learned to build airplanes, fly them, and temporarily rise above the pull of  gravity. Or by using other laws of physics, rocket science has allowed man to escape the confines of earth transcending the relative truth of earth’s gravity. So gravity is but a relative truth within the material three dimensional universe.

Similarly the law of Karma, the law of cause and effect, is a truth found in all the worlds of existence – the material, psychical and noetical worlds. All enlightened teachers from all cultures and times taught the truth of this law. Christ spoke of it as: You reap what you sow. Yet Christ was able to neutralize the effects of this exact law with the higher law of forgiveness. As he approached the afflicted he would say “Your sins are forgiven you”, and remove the body/mind/emotional aliments that resulted from sinful actions (i.e. he removed the negative effects and imbalances that are the consequences of transgressing the Divine Laws). In a lesser degree this is what a confessor in a church or a good psychotherapist does with those who confess their wrong doings. As personalities, we are not able to forgive sin as completely as Christ did. However, we can and should forgive all transgressions against us for everyone’s sake. But what does “forgiveness” really mean? And what is the difference between forgiving a transgression and forgiving the transgressor? Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, condoning wrongs or putting up with abuse. Forgiveness does not require us to go on ignoring the hurtful actions of others and pretending things are other than they really are. See Tutu on Forgiveness

Even if those who are transgressing against us feel fully justified and unrepentant in their actions, we can still accept the lesson contained in the experience, forgive the transgression, be courageous and apply the Fifth Promise of the Researchers of Truth: I promise to myself, to love and serve my fellow human beings from the depths of my heart and Soul, no matter what their behavior is to me. The sincere application of the Fifth Promise is our best response as it will unlock the chain binding us to wounds so that healing may occur, freeing us to make another step up the ladder of relative truth.

And what we consider relative truths of one dimension can be completely obliterated by the relative truths of higher dimensions. For example, space as measurable distance is a relative truth associated with the three dimensional material plane. However in the fourth dimensional psychical planes, the truth of measurable space as known on earth is completely gone and replaced with the concept of place. On the psychical planes of existence, many unique localities and things can occupy the same place without being mixed up. It is similar to the way on earth how programs that are broadcast from many television stations exist all around us simultaneously without mixing up. For example, if you tune your television to the frequency of channel 4 you will become aware of that program only. Change the tuning of your television to channel 6 and for you, channel 4 stopped existing and you are only aware of the existence of the program broadcast on channel 6. In this example no physical movement occurred, just a tuning from one frequency to another. Similarly “traveling” from one psychical place to another can be accomplished by attuning, and coordinating yourself to the vibration of the frequencies of the place you want to be.

In the fifth dimensional noetical planes, the concept of time as measured on Earth completely disappears. In the noetical planes of existence there is a sense of passing events but not time as we designate it on earth. In the noetical worlds 100 earth years might seem as a single day. The truth of measurable time and space is only relative and not absolute.

So we make our ascent up the ladder of relative truth from exactly the place we find ourselves right now. And the only method needed to make our way up the ladder of relative truth is the method of Comparison. Absolute Truth is God, Love and the unchanging highest principles, fully understood only by At-One-Ment in the Noetic State – the world of the Pure Ideas as Plato called it. Relative truth belongs to the worlds of duality. The only way to understand relative truth is by using the method of comparison within the worlds of duality. In these dualistic worlds, we must compare two points, two conditions, two teachings, two people, or two events in order to come to a solid understanding of the relative truth of them. We learn by comparison and we teach by comparison.

Comparison is the means used by the “Invisible Helpers” in the psycho-noetical planes of existence to help people see things better and create in them a desire to come out of their self-imposed conditional hells. Nothing can prevent a person from leaving their conditional hell if they have the un-conflicted desire and firm decision to come out. However, in the multilayered psycho-noetical worlds of gradated light, the relative truth is that one person’s hell is another person's paradise and what is a paradise to one person is a hell to another.

It is helpful to notice that ascending the ladder of relative truth has four clearly perceptible phases.

SEEKING TRUTH
The first phase begins with seeking the truth. Seek and you will find. We are all free to seek and find the truth of anything, such as: The truth of why we suffer, the truth of who we are and what we are, where we have come from, where we are going and our purpose in life.  These are important questions not just for the Researchers of Truth but also for any sincere seeker from any spiritual system or religion.  In seeking the truth about the constantly changing phenomena of life all around us we will one day find the truth concerning the changeless Eternal Life that lies behind all the these temporary forms of life.

During this first phase of seeking, the truth seems as something outside of us. We see it as something external to be searched for in books, teachers and life experiences. So we begin devouring spiritual writings, attending spiritual workshops or maybe we embark on the “guru hunt” to find a master to help us in our quest. All these things do help show us the way and light our path. But our movement along this path and up the ladder of relative truth must be made by us. Finding a true and selfless master is a great, great benefit but he will not walk your path for you. We must make this effort ourselves.

IN THE LIGHT OF TRUTH
So we make the effort, find a greater measure of truth and are touched by it. When this happens we may feel that we are in the all-inspiring light of truth. We feel the light of truth is shining on us; we bask in it, savoring its warmth and goodness. When we find such a clear stream of truth it is natural to want to follow it to its source, to know greater and greater measures of this truth. Know the truth and the truth will liberate you. This gentle persuasion urges us to experience the truth for ourselves. It does not suggest that we blindly follow what others say the truth is. It advises us to make our own effort to know truth directly.

Finding truth and comprehend it intellectually is one thing, but to really know the truth means to understand it experientially - beyond conditioned, limited thinking. To penetrate deep into truth, to grasp real meaning, requires: Observation, Contemplation, Concentration, Meditation and Introspection. These are the prime tools of the researcher of truth, which leads us deep into the light of truth.

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH WITHIN
As we continue onward in the light of truth we will eventually experience a new perspective on the issue. The light of truth we first sought outside of ourselves is now revealed inside. In this third phase, we see and know this radiant light of truth as something within us. This light of truth is not coming from the personality but from something much, much higher. It comes from that Divine part of us which is virtually incomprehensible to the personality. It comes and our personality is illumined with this glorious light of higher understanding. And we begin to experience greater and greater measures of the liberating truth that resides within us.

I AM THE LIGHT OF TRUTH
Up to this point our experiences of truth have been necessarily dualistic. In each of the previous phases, our approach to truth has had a subject verses object orientation. We are the subject, and truth has been the object of our search and experience. This is a dualistic condition. However, Absolute Truth is found in the highest unified state of Theosis. When such an experience occurs the seeker will realize that he is actually the sought… that the light of truth is, was, and will always be his own Divine Nature.

Love,

Daniel

June 4, 2005

DASKALOS ON FORGIVENESS 2/2/90

Love is not sacrifice, it is mercy. Now reading in the Bible what did Christ say: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice’. He said that in Greek language. I said that Christ was speaking in the Greek language, Aramaic and sometimes in Latin. [He said] ‘I don’t want sacrifice, I want mercy.’ And mercy means Love. Now, do people owe us anything in offending us and doing something against us for which they need forgiven? Now the Lord’s Prayer: don’t forget it was given to the Jews and the first Christians. We repeat it because Christ gave it. But for the true and good Christian the Lord‘s Prayer: ‘Forgive us our sins as we forgive the sins of others’ is not necessary. Do we make a bargain with God [with this part of the prayer]? Let the Jew’s do it and the Hindus and the Christian-Jews. After you kill your egoism, there is no need for someone to come and ask you to forgive him even if he finds that he needs to be forgiven. Yes, of course [you will say] ‘I forgive you.’ But if you want somebody to ask you to forgive him or her and you do that, this is not Love.

Sometimes things happen - people who thought they have wounded me greatly - They haven’t, because I have killed my egoism… I say yes you have done this. [They say] ‘We have tortured you doing that and that and that - even though I was feeding them when they were starving…. They knelt down and said “Forgive us”. No need, I love you. I am sure they didn’t understand. But I said that, ‘No need to forgive, I love you; but please no more connection’. We are allowed to do that. Of course you are allowed, because what did Christ say? To the Jews he said: ‘If you brother has done something wrong to you, you can rebuke him. He may ask you to forgive him once and then [he is] repeating it and repeating it [the wrong] many, many times. Then send him away let him be with the other strangers. You are allowed, because it would be stupid to give people the opportunity to wound you again or bite. But [have] no ill feelings [towards them]. Forget them. To forget them is good. To forgive them [is] not necessary – Love them. Yes.   ~ DASKALOS

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