The literal translation of the Sanskrit term "Satya" in English is "Truth" and is pronounced like Libya, with two and a half or three syllables. The accepted interpretation however, is "the Truth which equals love". This concept of truth is not merely a synonym of fact or correctness, but is more metaphysical, like the difference between “brain” and “mind”. This 'bigger picture' notion of truth, at least as far as the term Satya is concerned, implies a higher order, a higher principle, a higher knowledge, but not necessarily a higher being or creator. To those more familiar with Buddhist terms, Satya is what one becomes aware of upon becoming a Bodhi (enlightened or awakened person--'Buddha' means awakened one). Yes, that Truth. Thus, we're talking about something more akin to the sum of the rules of the universe--the 'universal reality'. To those with exposure to Eastern philosophy or those not raised within the Jewish, Christian or Muslim faiths or the cultures derived thereof, this kind of thinking is not "out there", but something on which to ponder as one seeks answers to the Big Questions. Combined with other words, Satya acts as modifier, like "ultra" or "highest", or more literally “truest”, connoting purity and excellence. Examples: Satyaloka = highest heaven; Satya Yuga = the original, "golden" and best of the four cyclical cosmic ages in Hinduism. Note, in Hinduism, we are currently in the Kali Yuga, the most depraved, degraded, and corrupt of the four cycles, which began on 3102 BC and will end and be replaced by the Satya Yuga in another 427,000 years. Good thing it's around the corner, huh?

Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma, the “Great Soul”) Gandhi coined the term “Satyagraha”, literally meaning "Truth force" as the name for his movement of nonviolent resistance for self-sufficiency and the struggle to overcome powerful, daunting and often violent oppression in his native India and in South Africa by the British occupation. Gandhi said: “Satya implies love and therefore serves as a synonym for a peaceful, healing force. I thus began to call the Indian movement “Satyagraha”, that is to say, the force which is born of truth, love and nonviolence, and gave up the use of the phrase ‘passive resistance’, an inaccurate description for what I have in mind.” Gandhi considered his new satyagraha campaign the embodiment of the Hindu concept of “ahimsa”, or complete peacefulness, the central core of his beliefs and the motivation for his strict vegetarian lifestyle. He felt that nearly all conflict could be resolved through diplomatic means and that violence truly begets only more violence. To destroy your enemy through violence is to destroy that which is within you that is righteous and just. Pacifism does not equate to passivity however; Gandhi was a pragmatist and felt that taking up arms can be a virtuous act if done in the defense of the helpless or to preserve justice when not doing so would be cowardly. He was ardently opposed to the ancient and pervasive Indian caste system and to all forms of slavery and prejudice, including economic, and was determined to resist them with every fiber of his being. Gandhi espoused that in a free India (and world) the poor must enjoy the same power as the rich, who must understand that their desires above and beyond the bare necessities were to be accommodated only after the essential needs of the poor were satisfied.

Gandhi saw truth as something that is multifaceted and unable to be grasped in its entirety by any one individual. We all carry pieces of the truth, he believed, but we need the pieces of others’ truths in order to pursue the greater truth. This led him to a belief in the inherent worth of dialogue with opponents, and a sincere wish to understand their drives and motivations. On a practical level, willingness to listen to another's point of view is largely dependent on reciprocity. In order to be heard by one's opponents, one must also be prepared to listen.

While Gandhi is considered a noble and important man whose conduct serves as an extraordinary example to the world, few Westerners fully know or understand his philosophy or the significance of his presence. Gandhi was not a monk or religious fundamentalist as he is depicted today, he abhorred blind following and dogma. His morality consisted “not in following the beaten track but in finding the true path for ourselves and in fearlessly following it.” When asked about the theological roots of his non-violent philosophy, Gandhi replied: “Satya is about freedom. It is a secular concept, though I realize it has a religious connotation. Ultimate Truth or “Satya” is available to those who wish to know it, and no particular tradition is necessary to encounter it." Early in his manhood, Gandhi said, "Truth is my God. Non-violence is the means of realizing him." He was a highly spiritual man, and did use the word "God" often, and he embraced the teachings of many religions, both Eastern and Western, seeing them as branches of the same tree. However, he did not adopt their concepts of a personal creator “God” with attributes, motives or a will, nor in an afterlife or a "soul" as it is known in Western religions. Rather, he was more of what is now called a Unitarian Universalist, Spiritual Humanist, Deist or perhaps a Pantheist. If one can understand and accept the notion of a spiritual atheist, than this is what Gandhi was. He was highly educated, not only in the law, but in science and philosophy. He was particularly well-read, and was an avid reader Tolstoy’s works, another famous pacifist who believed that our connection to the Infinite must be founded on reason and knowledge, not faith, intuition, or superstition.

Gandhi introduces his autobiography by saying, "I simply want to tell the story of my numerous experiments with Truth, and as my life consists of nothing but those experiments, it is true that the story will take the shape of an autobiography." With the pursuit of Truth as his "sole objective," Gandhi conducted these lifelong experiments within the microcosm of his own life and the macrocosm of society as a whole. Gandhi believed that when an individual comprehends the plurality of Truth, all selfish motives vanish. They are replaced by compassion, devotion to non-violence and an infinite capacity for self-sacrifice. Gandhi also believed that in the pursuit of Truth, dogmatic convictions must often be abandoned as untruths. He said, "If my views are proved to be wrong, I shall have no hesitation in rejecting them." Gandhi’s brand of pacifism and life serve as a shining example of how all can and should integrate compassion into their daily lives.

“Satya” is a term of power due to its purity and meaning and has become the emblem of many peaceful social movements, particularly those centered on social justice, environmentalism and vegetarianism.