“Truth, like gold, is to be obtained not by its growth, but by washing away from it all that is not gold.”

– Leo Tolstoy

Truth is Truth.  It is not something we can manufacture or concoct out of bits and pieces we gather along the way.  It simply exists.  It is our job to collect and refine experiences and accomplishments that shed light on Truth and allow it to stand in all its beauty.  From the time we are born, we begin to take on experiences, people, and things that attach themselves to us and follow us on our journey through life.  When we are very young, we have little ability to discriminate in our collection of traveling companions.  We allow just about anyone or anything into our sphere and give little thought to what sort of burdens we might end up carrying.  It is only after the years of accumulation find us struggling under the weight of all that we have collected that we begin to entertain the notion that life is not always about holding on.  Sometimes we must choose to let go.

It can be a painful process to follow through on our decision to simplify, to let go, to hold on only to the pieces that showcase Truth.  We have come to rely on our traveling companions for entertainment, for distraction, and for company.  We don’t want to be lonely as we walk our path, and it is difficult to think of leaving behind the things we have carried for so long that it seems they are a part of us.  We are afraid that when we lay our burdens down and stand unencumbered that we will see how small and insignificant and inadequate we really are.  Still, the day comes when we know that our load is too heavy.  We know that something must be left behind if we are to continue to walk, so we gather our courage, lift a burden from our shoulders, and lay it gently by the side of the road.  As part of the burden that shrouds our Truth is removed, we are given a glimpse of its beauty.  We are reminded that it shines deep beneath the unnecessary bits and pieces we have piled on for such a long time.

Soon we find that we are panning for gold.  We wash away the dust and dirt and let our Truth sparkle.  We fire the forge and burn away all that is less than golden.  Our footsteps quicken as the weight of the world is lifted; and we soon discover that Truth has the same effect as helium.  Lighter than air, we dance through life; and as our Truth, now exposed, touches the world around us, we become alchemists.  Soon each thing we take on is transformed.  We spin straw into gold.  We take common lead and turn it to something sparkling and precious.  Before long, our steps become so light that we discover we can fly.  We see that the Truth we have sought all our lives is already with us.  All we needed to do was put down the things that hid it from us.