Story:
Once upon a time Truth and Lie met each other. Lie said to truth, “What a beautiful day, isn’t it?” Truth was skeptical but looked up into the sky and saw the sun and scattered clouds, it was beautiful indeed. They walked together to a pond and Lie stepped in, “What a nice temperature, we should go for a swim!” Truth was hesitant, but testing the water and finding it to be pleasant, removed its clothes and stepped in. Shortly after Lie leaped out of the water and ran off with the clothes of Truth. Truth went searching but never found Lie, and the world was ashamed of Truth’s naked form – and has been so ever since.

Exploration:
Truth is naked – natural and uncontrived. To be comfortable with truth you must be willing to meet life, starting with yourself, without the clothing of projections and defenses. It starts with self-honesty and commitment to speaking the truth even, and especially, when you are attached to the approval of others and fear a loss of self-image. It’s important to remember that truth is beauty – when you are truthful to yourself and others is when your beauty shines.

As we release our biases, judgements, and strong opinions we see that the truth has been in front of us all along. It was simply veiled by attachments to our beliefs. A commitment to truthfulness develops our discernment while also releasing us from limiting views, until we realize that truth is simply pure existence, called tathata or “suchness” by the Buddha.

In India, yogic culture was rooted in the dharma, which are the laws of Nature that uphold the sacred balance of life…the eternal thread of Oneness that connects us all. This is the truth of the stars, the oceans, the trees and every human being. Everything in the cosmos has a place and a purpose, which is the beauty of its uniqueness. A culture based on these principles supports the right of every being to thrive in truth and beauty. We all have a role to play in creating a dharmic culture for present and future generations.

Measure your choices against an ideal that inspires you, a vision that captures your heart and a way of life that you respect and strive to embody; when you align yourself with what you value you will show-up authentically in the world. Be a lion of Buddha, NOW is the time to embrace the truth and live it fearlessly!