tanhaTruth knows no compromise
March 16th 2009 04:45
Socrates was offered three alternatives by the judges because they felt the man was innocent, but the crowd was shouting that he should be killed, he is destroying our morality, he is destroying our religion, he is corrupting the mind of our youth and we cannot tolerate it anymore."
The chief justice knew that it was impossible to save Socrates, and that the man was absolutely innocent. His only crime was that he said the truth as it is.
So he offered three alternatives to Socrates. He said, "You can leave Athens -- it is only a city-state and you can live just outside the city boundary. Those who want to be your disciples can come there and Athens will not have any power to kill you."
Socrates said, "That will be very cowardly. My inner truth will never forgive me. I have to face the consequence, but I am facing it because of truth, and it is a joy."
The chief justice said, "Then you can do one thing. You can go on living in Athens, but stop teaching your truth. If you promise that you will not teach the truth, then there is no need for me to kill an innocent man."
Socrates said, "This is not acceptable. For what should I be living if I cannot teach the truth? Then death is better, far better."
Unwillingly, in spite of himself, the chief justice had to give him the death sentence, death by poison.
Do you think Socrates was not intelligent? Alternatives were offered: He could have moved out of Athens -- but truth knows no compromise. He could have stopped teaching, he was already very old. But when you are pregnant with truth, you cannot stop teaching. You have to say it to those who are blind, who are deaf, and who are living in all kinds of lies.
He preferred to die. He said to the chief justice, "Remember, I am choosing death in favor of truth. And because of this death, whatever I have been teaching will remain for centuries. Even the names of your judges, and you, will be forgotten. Nobody will know this crowd who is shouting to kill me, but my death will make it a guarantee that even after my death, my words will go on improving human consciousness."
The chief justice knew that it was impossible to save Socrates, and that the man was absolutely innocent. His only crime was that he said the truth as it is.
So he offered three alternatives to Socrates. He said, "You can leave Athens -- it is only a city-state and you can live just outside the city boundary. Those who want to be your disciples can come there and Athens will not have any power to kill you."
Socrates said, "That will be very cowardly. My inner truth will never forgive me. I have to face the consequence, but I am facing it because of truth, and it is a joy."
The chief justice said, "Then you can do one thing. You can go on living in Athens, but stop teaching your truth. If you promise that you will not teach the truth, then there is no need for me to kill an innocent man."
Socrates said, "This is not acceptable. For what should I be living if I cannot teach the truth? Then death is better, far better."
Unwillingly, in spite of himself, the chief justice had to give him the death sentence, death by poison.
Do you think Socrates was not intelligent? Alternatives were offered: He could have moved out of Athens -- but truth knows no compromise. He could have stopped teaching, he was already very old. But when you are pregnant with truth, you cannot stop teaching. You have to say it to those who are blind, who are deaf, and who are living in all kinds of lies.
He preferred to die. He said to the chief justice, "Remember, I am choosing death in favor of truth. And because of this death, whatever I have been teaching will remain for centuries. Even the names of your judges, and you, will be forgotten. Nobody will know this crowd who is shouting to kill me, but my death will make it a guarantee that even after my death, my words will go on improving human consciousness."
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I am glad that you enjoyed the post.
Yes it needs tremendous courage to live your truth.
Each person has his own truth but truth is only one.
Thanks for sharing...
Love...