FROM THE AGE OF FALSEHOOD TO THE AGE OF TRUTH

Truth is an essential ingredient of moral character and ethical behaviour. In personal relationships, truth fosters trust and credibility. On a larger scale, a commitment to truth promotes social harmony, as misunderstandings and conflicts often arise from wrong information. In legal systems, truth is the key to justice.

- K. BRIJ MOHAN

In nearly every sphere of life, knowing the truth is crucial for accurately evaluating our options and making the correct decisions. For self-improvement too we need to face and accept the truth about ourselves and our situation in order to bring about the necessary changes in the self.

There was a time when truth was the foundation of society. Satyug, or the Age of Truth, is the first of four epochs in the cycle of time. It was the golden age when people lived in harmony with natural and spiritual laws. Virtue and righteousness were the norm. There was no crime or violence, and consequently, courts, prisons, and armies did not exist in Satyug.

In the following three epochs, called Tretayug, Dwaparyug, and Kaliyug, humans gradually drifted away from truth and virtue. As they interacted with the material world, they were influenced by it. Their spiritual awareness weakened, and a time came when they lost it altogether. Forgetting that they are souls, or immortal beings of light who are innately peaceful and loving, they started identifying with their mortal bodies and relating to others on that basis. Ignorant of the fundamental truth of their spiritual identity, they fell prey to vices such as ego, greed, lust, and anger. Over time, this spiritual decline accelerated, bringing us to where we are today.