Relative vs Absolute Truth

"The truth is not the truth." - Rudy Giuliani

• Distinction Between Relative and Absolute Truth : Leo emphasizes the importance of understanding the distinction between relative and absolute truth. Failure to do so leads to conflations and traps that he addresses later in the episode. This episode aims to open the listener's mind to the possibility that absolute truth exists and that one can personally access it.
• Cultural Influences on Belief in Absolute Truth : He notes that the prevalence of relativism and materialism in the 21st-century culture casts doubt on the existence and accessibility of absolute truth. Most people believe that if absolute truth exists, it's beyond human reach due to our limited perceptions and the vast unknown beyond our senses.
• Opening the Mind to Absolute Truth : Leo challenges listeners to honestly assess their beliefs about absolute truth and consider whether they are truly open to its existence and their ability to access it. He urges an openness to the radical possibility that one can know reality as a whole, absolutely and without error, under all circumstances.
• Nature of Relative Truth : Leo discusses the nature of relative truth, pointing out that most human "truths" are relative—it is situated within a context and relies on comparisons. He uses everyday examples like the color of the sky and velocity to illustrate relativity, showing how context, perspective, and frames of reference influence what people consider to be true.
• Einstein's Relativity and Human Perception : Highlighting Einstein’s theories on relativity, Leo explains that there's no such thing as absolute velocity, emphasizing that even seemingly still objects are moving at high speeds relative to other cosmic bodies. He suggests that human perception is commonly based within an Earth-bound frame, obscuring broader relativistic realities.
• Understanding Large and Small as Relative Concepts : Leo elaborates on how scale, like being large or small, is a relative concept dependent on comparison. He explains that without comparison, one cannot say for certain if the universe or anything else is objectively big or small. Reality, as one unified whole, cannot be measured or described by those terms when not compared to something else.
• Invitation to Explore Absolute Truth : Leo acknowledges potential skepticism and invites listeners to be open to exploring absolute truth. He differentiates between the intellectual understanding of these concepts and truly opening ones mind to them. He also explains that absolute truth, unlike relative truth, which requires validation, is self-evident because its existence is non-dual and doesn't require external verification.
• Conceptual Scale and Relativity : Leo discusses the idea that concepts like 'big' and 'small' are relative and cannot be ascribed to objects like mice or elephants without a point of reference. When compared to each other, scale becomes apparent, but if isolated, a mouse and an elephant are of the same scale—scale itself does not exist besides as a relative concept.
• Constructing Units of Measurement : Measurement units are human-made divisions that allow comparison, exemplified by inches on a yardstick. These divisions let us quantify and compare heights, lengths, and velocities, but their truth is contingent on consensus and methodologies in measuring, interpreting, and the language used.
• Relative Nature of Velocity : Velocity's relativity is linked to its formula—distance over time—with distance and time being relative concepts themselves. Distance depends on artificial subdivisions, such as yardstick inches, and time, as Einstein cleverly defined, is what a clock measures—another subdivision and relative concept.
• Truth and Its Dependence on Agreed Framework : The acceptance of any measurement or scientific truth depends on a universally agreed framework of units and interpretations. Any change in this framework can alter the perceived truth, revealing the fragility and relativity of these 'truths'.
• Time and Relative Truth : While delving deeper into the nature of time is reserved for another discussion, Leo acknowledges the complexity of defining time and points out the artfulness of Einstein's definition, which circumvents metaphysical inquiry by focusing on time as a quantifiable measure without addressing its essence.
• Foundational Issue in Science : A fundamental issue in scientific methodology is the reliance on measuring differences within predefined units without understanding the intrinsic nature of those units—scientists can measure and compare but cannot explain what a meter, joule, or atom fundamentally is.
• Reality in Parts and Whole in Science : Science's approach to truth involves dividing reality and comparing those divisions, but this only yields relative truths. Cultural truths, moral norms, and societal rules are derived from the comparison of divided parts of reality and also fall into the category of relative truth.
• Contrast between Relative and Absolute Truth : Absolute truth exists as a non-dual concept, inherently different from and preceding the subdivisions of relative truth. It is singular and incomparable. Understanding absolute truth entails acknowledging a domain where conventional questions and comparisons are inadequate because they transform an absolute into a relative.
• Inevitable Mind's Conversion from Absolute to Relative : People convert absolute truth into relative by asking dualistic questions that originate from a misunderstanding of non-dual truth. Leo encourages openness to an absolute domain of truth that operates differently and where such relative questions and assumptions are not applicable.
• Direct Access and Non-duality of Absolute Truth : Leo invites listeners to consider that there is no veil of perception between humans and absolute truth. By suggesting that appearances and experiences themselves are aspects of absolute truth, he challenges the paradigm that perceives a separation and encourages direct access to absolute truth.
• Practice vs Speculation : Leo urges active engagement in opening one's mind to absolute truth, differentiating it from passive contemplation or armchair philosophy. He asserts that only through action can a genuine shift occur.
• Dealing with Skepticism : He anticipates skepticism about absolute truth being a hallucination or self-deception, stressing that skeptics have not genuinely considered the possibility of absolute truth.
• Absolute Truth as Singular and Indubitable : Leo posits that the idea of something being so true that it's incapable of error or delusion is central to understanding absolute truth. He challenges listeners to genuinely contemplate if they accept this radical idea.
• Closed Mindset Conundrum : Leo addresses the closed-mindedness that prevents acceptance of absolute truth, suggesting that it's an impediment to deeper understanding. He criticizes the scientific skepticism that outright dismisses the possibility of absolute truth without thorough exploration.
• Epistemological Challenge : He explores the paradox of knowing something is absolutely true, challenging the traditional demand for external validation, which doesn't apply to the non-dual domain of absolute truth.
• Non-dual Domain and Validation : Leo emphasizes that in the non-dual domain, the search for external validation is moot, as the truth is self-validating due to its singular nature.
• Self-Validation of Existence : He invites viewers to become aware of their existence as an example of absolute truth, which does not need external validation because it confirms itself through the act of its existence.
• Existence as Sovereignty : Leo highlights personal existence as the manifestation of absolute truth, underlining the sovereignty of individual existence and consciousness in determining what is true.
• Depth of Self-Deception and Receptiveness to Truth : He suggests that the real deception lies in doubting absolute truth and not in the fallacious confirmation of its existence. Leo encourages listeners to be open to the possibility that reality is truth itself, not an illusion.
• Piercing Through the Veils of Deception : Leo Gura challenges listeners to open their minds to the idea that they, personally, can pierce through every single veil of deception to reach the rock-bottom truth of reality. He proposes that this can be achieved without fallibility as absolute truth excludes doubt, error, delusion, or misunderstandings typically found in relative truth.
• Singular Validation of Absolute Truth : Leo explains that absolute truth cannot be validated by anyone other than oneself, much like one's own existence. No external authority, whether scientist, parent, or spiritual guru, can affirm one's existence; it is a direct, unmediated knowing.
• Existence as Validation : He emphasizes that existence itself operates as the validation of its own reality. This self-recognition is what makes reality possible; without it, existence cannot be known. Reality's existence is an example of absolute truth because it is self-validating and needs no external reference point.
• The Natural Absurdity of Proving Existence : Leo outlines the circular logic and absurdity in attempting to prove existence through any process or experiment, as any such method already assumes the existence it seeks to validate.
• Existent Nature of Absolute Truth : He discusses the oneness of reality, which is the essence of absolute truth. This oneness means there are not multiple kinds of truth within the absolute domain—only absolute truth.
• The Illusion of the Relative Domain : Leo posits that the relative domain operates under the illusion of dichotomies like absolute versus relative truth, which is not present in the absolute domain. Here, he stresses that all storytelling and interpretation by the mind are part of the absolute, but misconstrued due to a lack of consciousness.
• The Existential Responsibility of Accepting Absolute Truth : He discusses the profound existential responsibility that comes with recognizing one's sovereignty as a creator of reality. Leo explains that the fear of this responsibility can lead to an avoidance of accepting that one's imagination can shape what is perceived as truth.
• Rejecting Self-Deception : Leo debates the idea of self-deception and insists that direct consciousness of the absolute truth cannot be a product of self-deception. He also confronts the materialist misconception that experiences attributed to absolute truth might be mere illusions or brain-generated phenomena.
• Absolute Truth Manifested : The session closes with a compelling call to acknowledge that reality as it stands is the manifest form of absolute truth. Leo invites listeners to embrace the radical possibility that there are no hidden layers to reality and to understand that reality is precisely what it appears to be.
• Constructing Reality with Belief : Leo discusses how belief systems shape reality. He uses the example of identity, explaining that if society reinforced the idea of being an alien instead of human during growth, a person would believe that. The belief in being human has been ingrained in us through constant social reinforcement and imagination.
• Experiencing and Dismissing Absolute Truth : Leo warns about the risk of dismissing encounters with absolute truth as hallucinations or trips, following intense experiences like meditation or psychedelics. After the high of such experiences wears off, there's a tendency to rationalize them as mere illusions, preventing deeper understanding.
• Claiming Sovereignty over Reality : Leo emphasizes the importance of embracing one's authority and responsibility to construct reality. Actualizing absolute truth entails understanding that validating one's experience and existence depends solely on oneself, not on external affirmation.
• Potential for Delusion : He acknowledges the risk of delusion when one misinterprets their understanding of absolute truth, which could lead to harmful behavior. Leo counters this by arguing that delusional and destructive behaviors exist even within the current materialistic paradigm.
• Absolute Truth is Beyond Thought and Imagination : Leo elucidates the paradox of absolute truth: it's neither the thoughts nor the imaginations about it, yet everything one thinks and imagines is also part of it. This complex paradox is hard for the mind to interpret because bringing the absolute into the relative domain, such as through language, is inherently flawed.
• Differentiating Concepts of Absolute Truth : Leo differentiates 'absolute' as a concept (lowercase a) from the 'Absolute' (uppercase A), which is beyond verbal expression. The latter signifies the ineffable reality, while the former is merely our understanding or idea of it.
• Cognition Levels and Pre-Trans Fallacy : He explains the cognitive stages: pre-rational, rational (including scientific understanding), and trans-rational stages of understanding absolute truth. He warns against the pre-trans fallacy, where the trans-rational is misinterpreted as pre-rational dogma.
• Conceptual Truth vs. Being Truth : Leo makes a clear distinction between relative, conceptual truth (lego castle) built from language, logic, or thought, and absolute, being truth (lego blocks). Absolute truth exists as the foundation, while relative truths are secondary, constructed forms.
• Importance of Validating Individual Experience : Rather than seeking external validation, Leo stresses that people must determine the truth for themselves. He advises listeners to base their beliefs on personal experiences of being and existence.
• Human Validation of Absolute Truth : Leo Gura explains that absolute truth, which predates human existence, cannot be validated by any human construct. This is fundamental common sense, but is often overlooked because people hesitate to deeply consider its implications.
• Qualia as Substratum of Reality : Leo elaborates that the building blocks of reality are not atoms but qualia, such as colors, sounds, feelings, emotions, tastes, smells, and thoughts. These sense perceptions form the substratum of reality, contrasting with scientific conventions which suggest that reality is composed of atoms.
• Relative Truth and Fiction : Using Sherlock Holmes as a metaphor, Leo illustrates that while the character's universe contains facts that seem true relative to the author's narrative, they don't make the fictional elements real. Similarly, science operates within our experienced reality, making factual statements based on observation, which works relatively but doesn't address the actual reality of what's studied.
• Absolute Truth in Fiction : Despite the relative truths within fictional narratives like Sherlock Holmes, the act of imagining and creating the story, and the physical book it's written on, is rooted in absolute truth as it exists within consciousness.
• Intertwining of Absolute and Relative : Leo asserts that absolute and relative truths are not in opposition but deeply intertwined, manifesting as a cohesive whole. He emphasizes that understanding both simultaneously is challenging due to their complete overlapping.
• Common Conflations Between Absolute and Relative : Leo identifies common misconceptions that occur when lessons from absolute or relative domains are mistakenly applied to the other. For example, acknowledging that "nothing is good or bad" from an absolute perspective doesn't justify stealing in the relative perspective of societal norms.
• Misuse of Absolute Truths by the Ego : He warns that the ego often distorts absolute truths for survival purposes upon glimpsing the absolute, leading to practical or moral errors in the relative domain.
• Relative Domain Challenges : Leo reflects on the problem of conflation where someone might misinterpret the statement "reality is a hallucination" to believe they can physically walk through walls, not recognizing that hallucination itself is a facet of the relative domain.
• Survival and the Relative Domain : He discusses the necessity of understanding and addressing relative truths for survival purposes, like the need to earn money and maintain physical health, even if one recognizes the existence of absolute truth.
• Monetary Considerations in Spiritual Teachings : Leo explains that he charges for teachings to fulfill basic survival needs like food and shelter, which cannot be obtained through the concept of enlightenment but require tangible currency.
• Misinterpretation of Spiritual Teachings and Religion : There's a clear distinction between the absolute truth Leo discusses and religious dogma. Merely using words like 'God' or 'Absolute' does not endorse any specific religion or belief system; misunderstandings arise when these concepts are misconstrued to validate pre-existing beliefs.
• Misuse of Absolute Truth in Personal Justification : Leo discusses the dangers of applying absolute truth to justify unethical behaviors. For example, dismissing cheating as a 'social construct' or harmful actions by claiming an inflated sense of love. This conflates absolute and relative truths and is often rationalized by the ego.
• Relative Truth and Physical Health : Leo explains that dismissing the reality of the human brain because it's 'imaginary' from an absolute perspective could lead to disregarding one's health. Drinking poisonous substances like mercury still leads to concrete health consequences in the relative domain.
• The Problem with Elevating Every Concept to Love : Leo mentions the folly of justifying unhealthy behaviors, like overeating junk food, with the statement that everything, including junk food, is love. This is a misapplication of absolute truth which ignores practical health implications in the relative domain.
• Misunderstanding No Path to Awakening : Newbies might wrongly interpret the statement "there is no path to awakening" as an excuse to avoid practices like meditation or self-inquiry, potentially thwarting any chance of actual awakening.
• Absolute Truth and Relative Suffering : While at the absolute level, suffering is not a concern, Leo emphasizes that in the relative domain, relieving suffering is vital as it can have direct repercussions on oneself and others.
• Neo-Advaita Teacher's Inability to Meet Students' Needs : He critiques teachers who overly dismiss the relative domain as they fail to provide practical, relative advice to students who are not operating from the same level of consciousness.
• Understanding 'Death is Imaginary' Misinterpretations : Some might misinterpret the absolute notion that 'death is imaginary' as an invitation to end their lives, not recognizing the need to maintain survival and experiences in the relative domain.
• Awakening Does Not Exempt Illness : Leo acknowledges that even an enlightened person can get sick or suffer genetic disorders, as the nature of 'God' or 'Absolute' includes both health and disease. Realizing one's divinity doesn't miraculously cure illnesses but entails accepting and dealing with them pragmatically.
• Past and Birth from Relative Perspective : Leo Gura clarifies that although from an absolute perspective birth is imaginary, he discusses his past and family from a relative, culturally co-imagined consensus for practical purposes.
• Conflations and Misunderstandings of Absolute and Relative Truth : Newcomers to absolute truth and even awakened teachers could fall into conflating absolute and relative perspectives, leading to misunderstandings and unhealthy dismissals of the relative domain which can impact survival and communication.
• Applying Absolute Truth in Survival Contexts : Leo warns against using absolute truth to justify personal gain, as the ego manipulates both absolutism and relativism for its own ends. Relative truth, while not ultimately true, is essential for survival and everyday life, and is treated as absolute by most people who are not aware of the actual absolute truth.
• Relative Importance of Survival : Survival in the relative domain is critical, and regardless of one's level of enlightenment, the finite human form requires attention to physical needs such as food, water, and health. Leo warns against the dismissal of relative truths, which are vital for day-to-day living.
• Absolute Truth and Practicality : Leo notes the ultimate problem with absolute truth is its enormity, making it impractical for daily use in survival, where humans must construct smaller, manageable truths to manipulate their immediate realities.
• Absolute vs. Relative Truth in Life Satisfaction : Leo suggests that a smaller, localized existence might lead to dissatisfaction, prompting the search for a more expansive life that inches closer to an understanding of absolute truth.
• Enlightenment and Maslow's Hierarchy : From the absolute perspective, basic human needs and desires are irrelevant, but from the relative perspective, they are significant obstacles to awakening. Leo advises satisfying these needs first, making it easier to transcend them later.
• Significance of Accessing Absolute Truth : Encountering absolute truth recontextualizes one's life, eliminates fear and suffering, and acts as the ultimate source of true happiness, answering life's critical questions and offering unparalleled beauty.
• Role of External Validation : Leo encourages using a variety of spiritual resources to corroborate and gain confidence in the concepts presented, emphasizing the significance of personal experience in actualizing spiritual teachings.
• Actualized.org as a Modern Religion : Leo describes Actualized.org as a modern, sophisticated approach to religion with minimal corruption, aiming to aid individuals on their spiritual journey through various resources and courses.
• Independence and Critical Thinking : He urges his audience to think independently and not to blindly follow spiritual teachers, stressing the importance of personally verifying and experiencing teachings to realize their truth.