Truth Collection

Author: Ba Jin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-05-01
Features: The third collection of Random Thoughts, including thirty essays from Random Thoughts. I also gave this collection a name: Truth. In the past two years, I have written several articles advocating for speaking the truth, which has also sparked various discussions. Some doubt whether "speaking the truth" is possible. Others believe that what I call "truth" may not necessarily be true. Still, others say that following the higher-ups or others is what constitutes speaking the truth. Yet others, though not saying it outright, hold such views: "He's just venting; don't pay attention to it—let it fade away on its own." I admire the latter view. Indeed, allowing all nonsense to fade away on its own is a clever approach.
In my home, there is a small grassy patch where leaves often fall. Sometimes, when the wind blows hard, the large fallen leaves of the camphor trees seem to "fill the sky." Once the wind stops, not a single leaf is visible—they have all been swept into the (ditches). Afterward, when I walk on the grass, I forget that there were ever any leaves. I have always acknowledged that humility is a virtue. However, I would never want to see my articles become leaves swept into the (ditches). But the fate of an article cannot be decided by me alone. Readers have their own opinions. If readers dislike them, they will be thrown into the trash long before the wind even picks up.
I have repeatedly stated that what I call "speaking the truth" is simply "sharing my heart with the readers"—telling what is in my heart, what I believe, and what I have reflected upon. I have never claimed, nor do I wish to claim, that my "truth" is "the truth." Nor do I believe that my words or writings are always "correct." On the contrary, over the past (seventy-eight years), I have made countless mistakes and been deceived in many ways. Others have deceived me, and even my own emotions have deceived me. Naturally, I have told lies. I have had many dreams, both sweet and nightmares, and I have also experienced sleepless nights. Along the long road of life, I have left many footprints. My Collected Works and Selected Works are all my footprints. I cannot erase these past traces, nor can others erase them overnight.
My life has not ended—I must continue forward. Now, my mind is clearer than before, and I see the path I have walked with greater clarity. Whether it is truth or falsehood, right or wrong, it is all recorded in my writings—there is no escape. I can only leave it to future readers to judge. But as long as I draw breath, I can still feel, think, and discern right from wrong—I must speak. To prove that people are still alive, I must speak. What should I speak of? Still, the truth. The truth does exist. Speaking the truth is not difficult. I recall Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairy tale, The Emperor's New Clothes. Everyone said, "The emperor's new clothes are truly beautiful." Only a small child spoke the truth: "He is not wearing any clothes at all." As early as 1837, Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen advocated for speaking the truth.