“Love of Truth Leads to Knowledge”

“In mysticism, that love of truth which we saw as the beginning of all philosophy leaves the merely intellectual sphere and takes on the assured aspect of a personal passion. Where the philosopher guesses and argues, the mystic lives and looks; and speaks, consequently, the disconcerting language of first-hand experience, not the neat dialectic of the schools. Hence while the Absolute of the metaphysicians remains a diagram—impersonal and unattainable—the Absolute of the mystics is lovable, attainable, alive.
“’Oh, taste and see!’ they cry, in accents of astounding certainty and joy. ‘Ours is an experimental science. We come to you not as thinkers, but as doers. Leave your deep and absurd trust in the senses, with their language of dot and dash, which may possibly report fact but can never communicate personality. If philosophy has taught you anything, she has surely taught you the length of her tether, and the impossibility of attaining to the doubtless admirable grazing land which lies beyond it. One after another, idealists have arisen who, straining frantically at the rope, have announced to the world their approaching liberty; only to be flung back at last into the little circle of sensation. But here we are, a small family, it is true, yet one that refuses to die out, assuring you that we have slipped the knot and are free of those grazing grounds.’” ~Evelyn Underhill
Love of Truth
A love of truth is a primary reason why mystics practice their craft. But it is more than just a love of truth, it is a strong desire to know the truth. They don’t want to know opinions or partial truths, they want to know the whole truth without question. They want to know spiritual truth as that is the only absolute truth there is. Truth in the physical world is always partial and limited, subject to debate and opinions. On top of that, physical truth can actually change with time. Only spiritual truth is absolute and unchangeable, that is why mystics who have a love of truth seek spiritual truth.
Beginning of Philosophy
A love of truth and a desire for knowledge is the root of philosophy. Philosophers from thousands of years ago like Plato and Pythagoras were spiritual students and their philosophy was based on the absolute truth of spiritual knowledge. Modern philosophers seem to be more interested in debating the conflicting opinions of human minds. A different kind of philosophy from the ancients. Yet both seek truth. The difference is that the ancients with awakened souls would find it, while the modern philosophers continue to debate opinions.
Read the entire article online at spiritsun.net.
Original article posted by HAROLD BOULETTE on March 17, 2021









