The Undefined Truth: The Path of Being That Awakens Through Solitude, Suffering, and Conscience- – Chapter 103

Soyo Existence Ethics: Existence itself is Ethics.

If truth were merely a concept to be discovered, the necessity of human existence would be negated. Should truth be explained and defined by another as a fixed concept, all noble structures inherent in human existence would collapse simultaneously. If truth were absorbed into academic knowledge, conscience, ethics, free will, and ultimately even the concept of God would become redundant.

If truth were a complete body of knowledge bestowed externally, humanity would be relegated to a passive existence, dependent on that truth. However, human beings were never intended to exist passively. Individuals must awaken independently, endure suffering and solitude, and thereby discover the ethics of conscience within. Without this transformative process, humanity loses its essential character. Thus, truth is not a concept to be found, but the designation of a life authentically lived.

Truth manifests as solitude, suffering, and pain. Human nature instinctively resists this path.

Although the term “truth” may appear beautiful, its essence is inherently tragic and solitary, as it initially reveals the aspects of oneself most wished to be avoided. Truth removes falsehood in the presence of human imperfection, exposes powerlessness in the face of pride, enforces silence before desire, and intensifies darkness amid evasion. Consequently, humanity rejects truth, along with solitude, suffering, and pain. Yet truth is perceived solely in solitude, recognized only through suffering, and emerges exclusively from pain. Truth does not exist to destroy humanity, but to elevate it as a flame of life. This flame cannot be endured vicariously. For this reason, truth remains undefined. The instant truth is defined, it ceases to exist. Definition imposes boundaries, and once boundaries are established, truth is reduced from infinite reality to a human-constructed concept.

When truth is reduced to a mere concept, humanity assigns it value, commodifies it, conceals it, and seeks to possess it. History repeatedly demonstrates this pattern. Defined truth has consistently served as an instrument for power, religion, institutions, academia, and social class. However, truth is not a tool; it is the flame of life revealed within the individual. Truth cannot be defined, as it transcends humanity and possesses a divine depth beyond the capacity of human language and perception.

Only Those Who Live by the Ethics of Conscience Understand Truth

Truth cannot be apprehended through knowledge or articulated through language. It reveals itself only in moments when breath falters amid suffering. When the world's noise recedes in solitude, a previously unheard whisper becomes perceptible. This whisper invariably poses a single question: “Who are you?” To know truth is not to comprehend the world, but to reclaim the self. Only those who endure solitude, persevere through suffering, and uphold conscience can confront that question without faltering. Accordingly, Soyo Existence Ethics asserts:

“Truth is not explained. Truth is lived through conscience.”

When the ethics of conscience are practiced, truth does not emerge externally; instead, it awakens from within.

Why God Is Truth: Because Truth Dwells Not Outside the Human, but Within

The assertion that God is truth is not merely a religious statement; it represents the most profound description of existence. If truth were an external answer situated outside humanity, God would become remote. However, God is not distant, but is the source who instilled life at the core of human existence.

God is truth because truth is revealed only within the human. God did not place truth into human hands. The reason is apparent: Humans would attempt to possess it, trade it, and wield it as a means of power. But the moment truth is possessed, it is defiled. The moment it is hidden, it dies. The moment it is fixed as an object of worship, it ceases to be a living truth. Therefore, God did not place truth in the realm of conceptual definition, but hid it within the process by which the human awakens through suffering into conscience. That process is God’s love and providence, guiding the human back to one’s original place.

Truth Is Not a Destination, but a Direction

Truth is not a destination. When truth is treated as a destination, the path becomes corrupted by pride and illusion. Truth is a direction. A life oriented toward this direction, in which conscience awakens through the journey, embodies truth. Along this path, individuals experience sorrow, failure, and renewal, ultimately discovering their true identity. In this discovery, the flame of truth is revealed—a light that restores rather than destroys being.

Declaration of Soyo Existence Ethics

“Truth is not defined. Truth is not an object to be found, but a path of being lived through conscience, passing through solitude and suffering. God has hidden truth not outside the human being, but within. Truth is not a destination; it is a direction.”

This chapter expands upon the existential declaration presented in Chapter 102 of Soyo Existence Ethics, further developing the ethics of truth and conscience.

Soyo (逍遙)

Founder of Soyo Existence Ethics, Author of The Silence of Existence and The Flame of Truth

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