The truth cannot be spoken

The truth cannot be spoken; that which can be spoken is not the truth.

Bowl of Saki, January 6, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Commentary by Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan:

Truth is that which can never be spoken in words and that which can be spoken in words is not the truth. The ocean is the ocean; the ocean is not a few drops of water that one puts in a bottle. Just so truth cannot be limited by words: truth must be experienced…

from  http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/IX/IX_34.htm

…the truth cannot be put into words; all we can do is make an effort to render the mystery of life intelligible to our minds.

from  http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/V/V_12.htm

Very often people ask, “What is the nature of truth, is it a theory, a principle, a philosophy, or a doctrine?” All theories, philosophies, principles, and doctrines are only a cover over the truth. The ultimate truth is that which cannot spoken, for words are too inadequate to express it.

~~~ “Supplementary papers, Philosophy V”, by Hazrat Inayat Khan (unpublished)

There is a well known Eastern legend giving the idea of a soul who had found truth. There was a wall of laughter and of smiles. This wall existed for ages and many tried to climb it, but few succeeded. Those who had climbed upon it saw something beyond, and so interested were they that they smiled, climbed over the wall and never returned. The people of the town began to wonder what magic could there be and what attraction, that whoever climbed the wall never returned. So they called it the wall of mystery. Then they said, ‘We must make an enquiry and send someone who can reach the top, but we must tie him with a rope to hold him back.’ When the man they had thus sent reached the top of the wall, he smiled and tried to jump over it, but they pulled him back. Still he smiled, and when the people eagerly asked, ‘what did you see there?’ he did not answer, he only smiled.

This is the condition of the seer. The man who in the shrine of his heart has seen the vision of God, the one who has the realization of truth, can only smile, for words can never really explain what truth means.

from  http://wahiduddin.net/mv2/VIII/VIII_2_7.htm

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