Is it True?
A simple timeless framework to navigate the apparent 'Post-Truth' Era.
Oh what interesting times we live in!
Never has there been such a pervasive and deliberate proliferation of disinformation. Trust in traditional institutions, such mainstream media, academia, the broader scientific community and governmental bodies, are at an all time low. For good reason I suppose…
And if we peak our heads up and look towards the future, especially with the coming advances in AI—
Such as tightly-optimised social media algorithms locking us into narrow cozy echo chambers, generative AI content factories pushing out millions of ‘assets’ a day, and not to mention the rise of deepfakes, in form of voice cloning, face swapping, lip syncing, video manipulation, full body synthesis and all the rest of it —
Then perhaps it is wise to agree with the pundits labelling contemporary society as ‘post-truth’…
Yes? No? Was any of it ever true? What do we even mean by ‘truth’?
Śravaṇa, Manana, Nididhyāsana
There is a lovely old method from the ancient Indian meditative tradition of Advaita Vedanta that has been a pillar for me, when comes to discerning truth from falsehood.
And although this approach was designed as a way to engage with the teachings of Advaita; I suspect that this sort of method, and variations of it, will become a indispensable navigation instrument for those longing to move closer to ‘Truth’, in an apparently ‘post-truth’ world.
Let’s get into it.
The approach invites us to move through three stages of inquiry whenever we encounter an apparent truth.
Stage One: Śravaṇa (Listening) - “Do I hear it?”
To listen clearly with total attention - Śravaṇa (Shra-va-na).
Most of us (myself included) often don’t even get past stage one of this framework.
Why?
Because we hear what we want to hear. We hear what is familiar. We hear what aligns with our current beliefs. With what we know from the past. We assume we understand, or that we ‘get’ what is being spoken about.
To put on my behavioural science hat for moment — we all suffer from what is called confirmation bias — persistently seeking out information that validates our existing assumptions, and ignoring anything to the contrary. We judge the likelihood of events based on the intensity of an exposure, rather than actual base rates. We form generalisations from easy-to-imagine stereotypical examples. We’re also typically overconfident in areas where we have the least amount of experience. I could go on…
The fact is that we’re biased. And if we don’t listen with genuine curiosity and sincerity, from a calm, open and unattached mental posture, we will just hear our projections. What we expect to hear. What we want to hear.
“Do I hear it? Do I really hear it?” This is stage is one.
Stage Two: Manana (Reflecting) - “Do I understand it?’
To reflect sincerely with careful consideration - Manana (Ma-na-na).
The second stage is all about deep reflection and discernment. To investigate, with great sincerity, the knowledge that has been received during Śravaṇa (open and active listening).
Some questions to evoke reflection would be:
What don’t I understand about what I have heard? Where do I require clarity?
Does the knowledge logically make sense? It is reasonable?
Are there contradictions between what I belief and the knowledge I received?
What doubts emerge in response to this knowledge? What underlies these doubts?
What beliefs (or patterns of thought) keep me from embracing this knowledge?
What are the strongest objections to this knowledge? And what are the responses?
Deep slow reflection in the form of quiet contemplation, skeptical and critical reasoning, surgically removing doubts, journal writing and discussing the knowledge (or teaching) with others interested in truth, will gradually bring one to ‘intellectual understanding.’
We’re not at the truth yet though.
The best we can attain at stage two is a kind of relative truth. A partial truth. A representation of truth. But not the real thing. A map, not the territory.
To reach truth we need to move to stage three.
Stage Three: Nididhyāsana (Directly Experiencing) - “Is it true?’
To know the truth as an experience in this moment - Meditation & Direct Contemplation (Ni-di-dhya-sa-na)
At this stage, knowledge transitions from intellectual understanding to a living awareness of the truth in this moment. It is a shift from thinking about the truth to being with (or as) the truth here and now.
What maybe immediately obvious to you is that this stage raises the bar for what we typically consider to be true—way beyond what the usual levels.
Not only must the truth be reasonable and well-considered, but it must always be true in this very moment—which also means it must be true in ANY moment.
‘Whenever I look for this truth, directly, in my immediate experience, it must be present.’ —
That is not a standard most of us are used to living by. Perhaps some of us hadn’t even considered that there may be truths that sustain themselves in every moment… But in order to qualify as a truth, in alignment with this third stage, this must be the case.
Meditation & Direct Contemplation:
The only way to engage with stage three is through silent meditation and direct contemplation on the reality of the present moment.
No other key opens this door.
We are beyond the realm of logical thought and reasoning now. The intention here is to touch the truth. To know it immediately and directly. This can only be done when the mind is in mouna (effortless silence). Quiet, calm and alert. Sensitive to the moment as it is.
In this quiet place of meditation it is not quite right to say that we get access to the truth. It is more like merge into the truth. We become the truth in a sense.
This makes direct contemplation possible:
As opposed to reasoning through a piece of knowledge to arrive at an answer, we can now ask ourselves a question about the truth of certain knowledge, and the reality of the moment will be able to answer immediately without effort.
The answer here isn’t thought-based, or of a particular feeling tone. It doesn’t even have a texture to it. That’s all post-hoc interpretation by the mind. And yet, it can be clearly known as an experience in this very moment.
What might this look like? Here are a few examples:
If we have intellectually understood that there is no separate self, we can directly contemplate the question ‘Who Am I?”, to experience its truth.
If we have intellectually understood that choice is an illusion, we can directly contemplate the question ‘Where does my next thought come from?’ to experience its truth.
If we have intellectually understood that the world is an appearance within awareness, we can directly contemplate the question ‘Where is awareness located?' to experience its truth.
If we have intellectually understood that time is nothing more than memory and imagination, we can directly contemplate the question, ‘Have I ever directly experienced the past or the future?’ to experience its truth.
Working with Steep Truths:
What I’ve noticed through my own inquiry, and through working closely with others, is that what typically happens when we start engaging in direct contemplation of these (what I call) ‘steep truths’, are two knee-jerk-like reactions:
Reactive Doubts Emerges - Deeper layers of doubts that weren’t fully cleared during the Manana (reflective) stage, arrive at the surface to defend some deep-seated beliefs and assumptions. This is normal—especially longstanding beliefs and habitual thought patterns.
The response is to simply return to stage two and reflect on the new doubts that have surfaced. Are they reasonable? What are they protecting? Do their assumptions have in solid grounding underneath them? Once these doubt have been resolved, then proceed to stage three again.Uncomfortable Feelings & Sensations - Coming closer to directly experiencing these truths upends old beliefs, but the truths also provoke the deeper layers of identification which operate at the level of subtle sensation and feeling. Again this is very normal—you are unearthing fragile ego-centric conditioning within the body, that is going to try defend itself. Its going to evoke fears of death and uncertainty. The loss of control. Its going to create withdrawal and discomfort. Agitation and anguish are commonplace here.
The response here is to simply be as open, loving and welcoming as we can be to these feelings and sensations. To be receptive, and allow the feelings to express without reacting to them. To just observe without judgement and resistance. And if there is resistance, to simply be with that. All the while, noticing that feelings and sensations are continuously changing. That they don’t have any level of permanence. And that if we can be patient and present with them they will pass. Upon which we can continue with direct contemplation.
Navigation of this second category of reactions is actually one of the reasons I recommend people start with a mindfulness practice, and even purely sensation orientated practices like those explored in Vipassana and the Tantras, before engaging in direct contemplation. Just so there is the capability to navigate the deep-rooted feelings and sensations that reactively emerged when our false identifications, patterns of conditioning and fragile egoic foundations are unearthed.
So to Summarise:
Stage One: Śravaṇa (Listening) - “Do I hear it?”
Stage Two: Manana (Reflecting) - “Do I understand it?’
Stage Three: Nididhyāsana (Directly Experiencing) - “Is it true?’
Give this method a go if you like, and let me know of your experience in the comments section (or via email).
Take care,
David