Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is

The words of Thomas à Kempis—“Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living”—resound like a bell from the cloisters of the past, carrying wisdom across the centuries. They remind us that existence is not mere survival, but a sacred journey. To walk blindly is not to live; to believe falsehood is not to know; to cling to breath without purpose is not to truly dwell in the light. In these three phrases—the way, the truth, and the life—we find the pillars upon which the soul must stand.

The origin of these words flows from the teachings of Christ, whom Thomas à Kempis followed with devotion. In the Gospel, Christ declares Himself to be the way, the truth, and the life, a mystery that à Kempis distilled into a simple yet powerful triad of thought. His writings in The Imitation of Christ sought to guide souls toward humility and holiness, and this saying shines as a lantern along that path. It is not a statement of philosophy alone, but a call to transformation, urging the heart to root itself in divine direction.

What is the way but the path that gives us direction? A traveler without a road wanders endlessly, weary and lost. The way is the discipline, the practice, the moral compass that carries us from beginning to end. In history we see this truth embodied in the pilgrim journeys of the Middle Ages. Men and women left their homes, walking countless miles to holy sites, guided by a single star of faith. Without the way, they would have been scattered wanderers; with it, they became pilgrims with a purpose. So too must we find and walk our path with resolve, lest our lives dissolve into drifting.

What is the truth but the light that unveils reality? To live in falsehood is to stumble in darkness, to mistake shadows for substance. Consider the story of Galileo, who faced scorn and persecution for declaring the earth moved around the sun. The world resisted his truth, preferring ignorance. Yet truth prevailed, and from it blossomed greater knowledge for all humankind. To seek truth requires courage, for it often demands sacrifice. But without truth, there is no knowing, only the hollow echo of illusion.

And what is the life but the fire that animates the soul? Existence without meaning is but a slow decay, a hollow echo of what could be. Think of those who, even in chains, lived more fully than their captors. Nelson Mandela, imprisoned for decades, did not let the walls extinguish his life. He breathed with purpose, with dignity, with an inner flame that no dungeon could smother. When freedom came, he lived not merely for himself but for his people. Thus, true life is more than drawing breath—it is the act of living with depth, purpose, and love.

Thomas à Kempis gives us, then, a triad of eternal wisdom: without the way, no going; without the truth, no knowing; without the life, no living. Each builds upon the other. The way gives us direction, truth gives us understanding, and life gives us vitality. Remove one, and the structure collapses. Together, they form a path that leads the human soul toward fulfillment, wholeness, and ultimately, union with the divine.

Let the lesson be clear for all who listen: seek your way with diligence, lest you wander without aim. Seek truth with courage, even if it pierces comfort and shatters illusions. And seek life with fullness, refusing to exist as a shadow, but burning brightly with purpose and compassion. These three together are the sacred map of existence, the compass that never fails, the song that never ends.

And in practice, let each of us take time to examine: what way am I walking? What truth am I embracing? What life am I truly living? Choose a way of integrity, cling to truth even when costly, and live as though every breath were a gift. For when these three are aligned, the soul becomes radiant, and the journey of man becomes not mere survival, but a pilgrimage toward eternity.