Coming to Truth, Part 1

Have you ever wondered why you believe what you do?

How do we come to belief? How do we come to truth? I’m not talking about the everyday kinds of truth: It’s raining. It’s Tuesday. I live here. I’m talking about the deeper truths that form the undercurrents of our lives: spiritual truths, religious truths, social truths, political truths.

Here are five ways through which people come to accept something to be true*:

• Faith or conviction: We believe an idea, a political statement, or an entire religious doctrine to be true because we have faith that it is, and we have faith in those who espouse them.
• Approval: We believe something is true because it appeals to us and we approve of it.
• Oral and written tradition: We believe in something because it is written, handed down from generation to generation. Those who came before us believed, therefore we do too.
• Cognitive reasoning: We reason things out for ourselves and base our beliefs on inference.
• Reflection: We come to truth and belief after considerable reflection of the merits of the subject.

But there is a problem with each of these means to truth. In all cases there are two possible outcomes. What we believe is either true or untrue. An absolute and steadfast belief that the earth is flat does not make it so. And yet don’t we insist we know the truth? No one would hold to a certain belief but sincerely proclaim it untrue. Likewise, no one would sincerely claim something to be true but not believe it. I stress sincerity here because many people will say whatever is necessary for personal gain. For them, truth is irrelevant.

Our identities are bound to our beliefs. What we believe is is how we define ourselves. Yet there is a high likelihood that any belief is wrong. That means our self-identity – my self-identity – can very well be incorrect. Such is the nature of delusion.

What do you believe in and why?

Go to Part 2.

*Read more about coming to truth in the Canki Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya 95.