Distortions of the Truth

by R. M. Duraisamy

It was recently reported in the Hindu newspaper (18 June 2005), that the Indian Government has stopped the sale of the revised edition of the collected works of Mahatma Gandhi, and instead re-instated the original edition of his writings. This decision follows on from the vast number of complaints regarding the revisions, which involved errors, deletions and omissions, that were filed with the Government, who then later confirmed that these were all distortions.

This decision simultaneously corresponds to a great victory for the Truth in India! And only because all the prominent Gandhian institutions immediately recognised these distortions and pressured the Government to revoke these distorted publications. Had they stood by silently, without any kind of protest, the distorted versions of these works would still be disseminated. Over time, the original editions would have been lost or even destroyed, and no one in the future would ever trouble himself to think whether the official editions were a hundred percent correct!

And if further distortions were introduced into these works at a later date, it can be said that such practices would continue for years on end, with the result that a few hundred years later, the works might not even vaguely resemble the original editions of Gandhi’s works. Who knows, perhaps men would have introduced more fanciful images and speeches into these works, which is quite possible given the advancement of digital technology today. In centuries to come, perhaps Gandhi would be transformed into a messianic figure who wandered through the lands of India, performing miracles, healing the deaf, lame and blind, and who was eventually killed by an assassin for the sake of our sins! A number of religious organisations might form in the process, each purporting to act in his name alone, declaring him as a divine incarnation and proclaiming his teachings in a new, supposedly undistorted form!

This truly grotesque projection of mine is by no means exaggerated! That it was possible for a publisher to produce a slightly distorted work, even in these times, shows that Truth is no longer sacred to anyone.

Gandhi’s works are certainly not the first to be subject to such distortions. For instance, the autobiography of Sri Paramahansa Yogananda was subject to many changes and revisions and has only relatively recently been brought back into circulation in its original form by one of his disciples! And all these things have taken place in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, when the so-called modern intellectual man has reached the zenith of his dominion! This is clear enough indication that the words we often read are not always guaranteed to be those of the respective author or speaker.

But this has always been the case in the past! Let us go back further into history and be able to admit that the sayings and teachings of the great prophets have also not been accurately preserved, but have been distorted and mutilated to suit personal needs or the needs of organisations. In those days, the distortions would have been much easier to introduce, because many of the teachings had spread by word of mouth, as was the case in the time of Christ. Only later, much later, were the writings of some of His Disciples and other followers collected together in the Bible. And while it is obvious that Christ Himself did not come to form a church, it is clear that those who held responsibility for the Bible had introduced words to indicate that He did intend for His disciples to establish churches (as a possible example, see Matthew 18:17). Doctrines stating that Christ had come to die for mankind’s salvation also emerged as a result of this, thus completely over-shadowing the very Teaching that Christ had brought.

And if we can admit that this is the case, we must also be willing to admit that the Vedanta, and all Vedic scriptures, have been distorted, probably even more so, given that they have been on the earth for much longer than many other spiritual teachings. The Bhagavad Gita, for instance, is acknowledged by millions as an accurate description of the converstaion between Krishna and Arjuna.

How did such a work come into being in the first place? Surely it could not have been a witness who stood along with Krishna and Arjuna on the battlefield, who penned down every single word that Krishna had uttered? For there is no record of such a witness, and given the limitations of human beings, even at that time, it would have been quite impossible for a person to have written down every single word, accurately, without any mistakes.

Consequently, it has been asserted that an enlightened sage had seen a vision of the battlefield, and had written down all that he had spiritually seen of the past. This is certainly not at all out of the realm of possibility, and I would be the first to object that this could not have been the case just because it is not scientifically possible to “see” the past. Pure clairvoyance does exist among those who are truly called for it, who bear the gift, and some people are certainly blessed to see the past. Thus it is not this particular assertion that calls into question whether or not the Bhagavad Gita is still completely pure in its original form.

What is called into question here is the fact that this text has been in existence for a very long time, many centuries, possibly thousands of years. There is no telling who may have chosen to modify it, a little here, a little there, in one century or another. Another person comes along decades later, adding his own thoughts and removing certain others because he feels that they are not correct or no longer applicable. In time, the whole form changes completely, and the original story and the philosophy behind the Bhagavad Gita may have been lost altogether.

Myths, legends and outright lies have developed in the past, albeit with the best volition and intentions. These are all nothing but distortions of the Truth. The Truth simply is, It encompasses the living history of all things undistorted and pure in their original forms. He who tries to change records of history, albeit slightly, interferes in the outworking of Truth. And he who tries to directly change teachings that are of the Truth will undoubtedly receive a corresponding reaction according to the Law of Karma.

The Truth is all around us, It is literally “out there”, for It is embedded in the very Laws of Creation that permeate everything. The Knowledge of the Laws of Nature, the Eternal Laws of Creation, is Itself the Truth, because everything is fully clarified in It.

21 June 2005