Truth and the Ultimate Truth

I would like to begin with one rubai from Omar Khayyam:

“Atma ke bhed ko pakar ke lehraya hun mai
Ek pagal mouj hun behta hua ayah hun mai
Bekhudi ke takht par baitha hun doston
Prem jag ka badshah hun, mastiyan laya hun mai.”
As there is the ocean and there are its waves, similarly there is the Ultimate Truth and the Truth. No matter how much we look at the waves, it does not convey anything about the ocean. It cannot reveal the entire ocean. Similarly, the Truth partly reveals the Ultimate Truth. However, it cannot manifest it in its totality.
Ultimate Truth is like a flower and Truth is its fragrance. Through the fragrance, some presumptions about the flower can be made, but the flower cannot be experienced. Similarly, whenever someone attains to the Ultimate Truth, whether it is Buddha, Kabir, Osho, Nanak or Farid, he will attempt to convey the Truth through words.
Hence, that which can be expressed is the Truth. That which cannot be conveyed is the Ultimate Truth.
What is the difference between the Truth and the Ultimate Truth? Many efforts have been made to define the ultimate truth. However, no language can make the Ultimate Truth appear.
For example, you can give a definition of a cow that a cow is an animal; it has four legs, one tail and two horns. However, no matter how appropriate a description you give, it will not make a cow appear.
For instance, you talk about sky that sun rises in the sky, the stars and the moon rise in the sky. No matter how much you talk about the sky, you cannot get the sky here, nor can you get the sun.Similarly, how much ever is said about the Ultimate Truth, the Ultimate Truth cannot be made to appear. It cannot be defined in totality. At most some indications can be given.
“Adi sachh, jugadi sachh,
hai bhi sachh, Nanak hosi bhi sachh”
It is a beautiful definition given by Guru Nanak. However, in this definition the Ultimate Truth is not revealed in existential manner. A small indication is made.
Whosoever got to know the Ultimate Truth, strived to express it in words but the Ultimate Truth remained inexpressible; beyond words.
While speaking on Lao-Tzu, Osho said that the Emperor of China requested him a lot andasked, “Lao Tzu, at least say something about the Ultimate Truth that you have attained, find some means of expressing it in words.”
Lao-Tzu did not agree for his entire life. Towards the end of his life while trying to cross over from China to go to the Himalayas, he was caught at the check post. On the request of the king, the tax collector said that as per the rule who ever leave the country must pay the tax. Lao-Tzu said, “I am a fakir, I do not have anything to give.” The tax collector insisted that a rule is a rule and he must pay something.
The king sent a message that Lao-Tzu was taking away the greatest treasure China has. Any other person could be allowed to leave without paying tax but Lao-Tzu cannot be allowed this. Lao-Tzu will have to give tax by writing down what the Ultimate Truth is.
There and then, sitting at the check post Lao-Tzu wrote a unique book. Its name is Tao-Te King. Based on it is book of Osho’s discourses- Tao Upanishad.
And its first sutra is; Ultimate Truth cannot be expressed in words. And that which can be expressed cannot be the Ultimate Truth. Thereafter he made an attempt to express the Ultimate Truth. He gave many sutras. When it could not be conveyed then what has he tried to say? What did he write? It is truth. Truth can be told.