Truth is one

Expressions researched:
"truth is one"

Notes from the compiler: Vedabase query "truth is one" not absolute

Philosophy Discussions

This is reason, that truth is one. When we find another competitor truth, that is māyā. Truth cannot be two.

Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz:

Śyāmasundara: But he says that there are two types of truth. There's innate truth...

Prabhupāda: This is innate truth: as three angles of a triangle are equal to 180 degrees, similarly snow is white. Snow is white, water is liquid, stone is hard, chili is hot, sugar is sweet. These are eternal truths, fundamental truths. Similarly, a living entity is eternal servant of God. This is eternal truth. It cannot be changed. Water is liquid. That is the natural position, but when water becomes hard, it is due to temperature, under certain conditions, but as soon as the temperature reduces, the water becomes liquid. So liquidity of water is truth. Similarly, whiteness of snow is truth. Similarly, servitude of the living entity is truth. But he is serving māyā. That is untruth. If we take that there are two types of truth, there cannot be two kinds of truth. Truth is one. What we take as truth, that is māyā.

Śyāmasundara: Oh, there's only one truth.

Prabhupāda: Yes. There can't be two truths.

Śyāmasundara: But due to our imperfect senses...

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is what is called māyā. Māyā has no existence, but it appears like truth. The same example: the shadow has no existence, but it also looks like my finger, and everything exactly. In the mirror you see your face exactly the same, but it is untruth. The truth is one. Truth cannot be two types of truth. What is taken as truth for the present moment, and by experience he comes to the right truth, that is called māyā.

Śyāmasundara: He says that these two types of truth are governed by two different principles: the truth of reason or the logically necessary proof, like the triangle...

Prabhupāda: This is reason, that truth is one. When we find another competitor truth, that is māyā. Truth cannot be two.

Śyāmasundara: This is what he says, that these innate truths are governed by the principle of contradiction. That is, the opposite of the truth is impossible to conceive. If something is true, the opposite of that truth is impossible to conceive.

Prabhupāda: The opposite is māyā. Opposite to truth is māyā.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Kṛṣṇa is truth. Without Kṛṣṇa, everything is untruth. Truth is one.

Room Conversation -- July 31, 1975, New Orleans:

Guest: What does Kṛṣṇa say about truth?

Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa is truth. Without Kṛṣṇa, everything is untruth. Truth is one. Just like zero is zero. And it is added with one, then it is ten. It is truth. So zero is zero always. Hundred million times zero—it is zero. But when there is one, immediately value increases. So without Kṛṣṇa, all this material advancement, they are all zeros. But if you bring Kṛṣṇa, then it... that increases value-ten, hundred, thousand, tens of thousands, like that, million, billions. Because the one is there. So bring Kṛṣṇa, and then everything will be value. Otherwise, all zero.

Truth is one. You cannot say that "I have got my own way of understanding truth." That is not possible.

Morning Walk -- November 18, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Anything which is really scientific, you cannot do in your own way. Two plus two equal to four is applicable everywhere. You cannot say, "Two plus two equal to five. It is my own way." This is rascaldom. Scientific means "two plus two—four." It is accepted everywhere. You cannot say, "Two plus two equal to three. That is my own way."

Dr. Patel: So many phenomenas which are...

Prabhupāda: No, no. This is rascaldom. That is rascaldom.

Dr. Patel: We are not able to explaining...

Prabhupāda: Scientific means there cannot be two opinions. The same, that is scientific.

Dr. Patel: Aren't there multiple ways of approaching the same truth? One may be more straight. Bhakti may be more straight, according to us, but...

Prabhupāda: No, no. But we are... Truth is one. Truth is one. You cannot say that "I have got my own way of understanding truth." That is not possible.

Dr. Patel: Well, then I honestly have a little difference, and that is that truth is one point and we want to approach it. You go staight, directly. Yours is the shortest cut. I may be a fool, or a what you call, mūḍha...

Prabhupāda: So how you can remain...? If you are fool, how you can become a scientist?

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

So, truth is one. Everyone is trying to go to the truth. Somebody has gone ten steps, somebody has hundred steps, but to cover all the steps, say one thousand steps. So unless you have passed one thousand steps, you cannot reach to the truth.

Meeting with Italian Printer -- August 5, 1976, New Mayapur (French farm):

Translator: He's saying that we believe in the spiritual truth, but does that mean that our material truth does not exist?

Prabhupāda: It is conditional. Just like your body exists for a certain days only. But it is not eternal. But you, soul, you are eternal.

Translator: For the truth, since each one finds the truth in himself, does that mean that the truth is different for each person? Each person has his truth.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he's truth, he's soul, but he thinks as untruth, he thinks he's body.

Translator: He says that the truth is one, but as individuals we all realize that truth at different levels.

Prabhupāda: That is rascaldom. Truth is one.

Translator: He says in terms of knowledge, one has a higher knowledge of that truth and one has a lower.

Prabhupāda: That is different thing, but truth is one. Just like top floor is one. And one has gone few steps, another hundred steps, one has got ten steps, that is depending. But top is one.

Bhūgarbha: Can he find the truth on his level, because he hasn't arrived at your level.

Prabhupāda: How he can? If the top floor is hundred steps, how you can get it at ten steps?

Bhagavān: The point is that he has to at least be aiming in the right direction.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that right direction you can take everybody's going, but one who has gone ten steps and one who has gone thousand steps, they are not equal. (man says "d'accord, d'accord.") What is "d'acca?"

Translator: He's agreeing.

Prabhupāda: So, truth is one. Everyone is trying to go to the truth. Somebody has gone ten steps, somebody has hundred steps, but to cover all the steps, say one thousand steps. So unless you have passed one thousand steps, you cannot reach to the truth.