UNIVERSAL TRUTH

“Believe not because some old manuscripts are produced, believe not because it is your national belief, believe not because you have been made to believe from your childhood, but reason truth out, and after you have analyzed it, then if you find it will do good to one and all, believe it, live up to it and help others to live up to it.”—Buddha I’m often asked what exactly is Metaphysics and how did I come to be a student of this branch of Science and Philosophy? I know in trying to answer this question, it would require both time and understanding as there are many schools of thought on what this actually deals with. So let’s take a closer look at Metaphysics as well as Truth in order to determine the foundation for this book. Hopefully together we can arrive at an understanding that resonates in the core of our being with a resounding; YES… We hold these truths to be self-evident! If we look at Metaphysical Truth from a rudimentary level, it basically deals with the invisible world of phenomenon. However, if we were to actually delve further into this branch of science we would find that Metaphysics deals with so much more than just phenomenon. It deals with everything in the manifested Universe as well as things unseen. It’s a transcendental knowledge. In fact, it’s the origin, or should I say, the reason for everything. Now don’t come unglued, let me explain. It would appear by this statement that Metaphysics is the source or cause of all things in the manifested world because we know that everything in the visible world was derived from the source of all creation which we know to be God, the Universe or the Creator. It really doesn’t matter which label you associate with it because it’s all the same principle. Having said this then; the study of Metaphysics deals with the origin of all things. In past times, Metaphysics was referred to as the First Philosophy by Aristotle and before the development of modern science it was addressed as Natural Philosophy. But, by the turn of the eighteenth century, it had begun to be addressed as a science to make the distinction from philosophy. Therefore, Metaphysics is a branch of science that investigates certain principles of reality and yet transcends that of any particular science. It is the philosophical inquiry into the nature of existence and it deals with the nature of being. As such, it touches upon branches of study that include both “Cosmology” (which is the study of the Cosmos or Universe) as well as “Ontology” (which is concerned with the nature and relations of being). Cosmology is the branch of Metaphysics that deals with the Universe as the totality of all phenomena in space and time which addresses questions about the Cosmos that are beyond the scope of physical science. It is primarily concerned with such things as; the origin of the Universe, first cause, and the reason for existence. While Ontology deals with the philosophical study of the nature of not only being but also existence and reality in general. It further postulates the claim of certain existences that may or may not be held by the majority. Ontology investigates not only what types of existences there are in the world but also what relation these things have on one another in particular the effects that you and I have on each other as well as our environs. Simply put, Metaphysics goes beyond the confines of ordinary logic or reason and touches upon the un-manifested world of reality. In dealing with reality, we must therefore be referring to truth. But “truth is relative” you say, therefore how can one reality be constant for everyone? And the answer is—it’s not. Truth comes in many shapes and sizes and is therefore localized in the individual. It extends outward onto the planet by the honoring of every person’s truth as a manifestation of the One Truth. But what holds true for one may not hold true for all. This is why there are countless belief systems, philosophies and understandings. For example; there is the belief in correspondence which says that truth should actually correspond with the state of affairs. Or the coherence theory which says that truth has to have a proper fit within the whole system. Or the constructive theory which holds that truth is constructed by the social processes and is historically and culturally specific. And finally, the consensus theory which supposes that truth is whatever is agreed upon. But one thing does hold true for all and this is that we must all seek our own understanding of truth and honor that which we hold to be true for ourselves while at the same time honoring the truth of others. This allows each of us to coexist within our philosophies without needing to change each others beliefs. Herein you will find various truths, some of which you may be familiar with and some of which you may not. Be that as it may, as a seeker of truth, you should always be willing to expand upon your foundation by opening up to greater and greater knowledge. The Universe is forever revealing itself in the form of wisdom to those that are willing to accept it regardless of how unusual it may appear. Often times we become hindered in this acceptance by the rigidity in our beliefs. We condition ourselves only for certain truths while truth is eternal and will forever evolve into greater forms of itself. In The Emerald Tablets of Thoth it reads, “The infinite jewel of truth can never be fully read for truth brings forth extensions of itself and as one truth is mastered other truths appear.” Universal laws are static and immutable much like truth itself and while truth appears to be constantly shifting and changing like the wind re-shaping itself into newer and fresher versions for different eras, it remains constant for the most part. Only the open-minded and the fluid thinkers can grasp the ever-changing nature of truth. Whatever the case, a change in the status quo is long over-due. It is time for us to break free of the out-dated, systematic approach to our existence and seek to formulate new ways of viewing the world in which we live. A new and updated paradigm is necessary if we are to grow spiritually. But we must first open our minds and realize that the change we seek to experience in the world has to first come from within. We have to be the change that we desire to see in others and as Peter Joseph states in the addendum to the movie Zeitgeist, “In the end, the most relevant change must occur first inside of you. The real revolution is the revolution of consciousness, and each one of us first needs to eliminate the divisive, materialistic noise we have been conditioned to think is true while discovering, amplifying and aligning with the signal coming from our true empirical oneness—it is up to you.”