Great minds think alike

K Vijayaraghavan

It is indeed amazing how similar thoughts run through great minds, unknown to one another and separated not only by distances but also gaps of time in history.

Bible's reference (John: 8,32) to ' truth', which "shall set you free", is similar to the first line of the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad prayer(1: 3,28), Asato ma sat gamaya ("Lead me from the false and illusory to the true and real").

Akin to putting the horse first before the cart ("first things first"), the seeker first comprehends, rooted in patience and self-honesty, what really are 'truths' through trial and error, observation and inference, analysis and synthesis. He, thereafter, charts and plans his actions.

Gandhi conceived of his 'Experiments With Truth' to obtain that skill in action ( karmasu koushalam) to various issues, including bringing down the mighty British Raj. His cherished goals, extensive though they were, could be achieved, as he was established, to a great extent, in the 'truths' divined for himself.

This, indeed, is application of Patanjali's observation (Yoga Sutra: II, 36) that the extent of the fruits of one's actions would depend on the extent to which one is established in 'truth'.

This 'truth' could, thus,be broadly defined as that which, when divined and actually applied ( gnanam and kriya, 'faith and works') to one's own life and living, enables realisation of cherished dreams and objectives.

Upanishad, Bible, Patanjali and Gandhi - they, like many other great sources, have the same message of 'truth' for all aspiring humanity!