The purpose behind hiding the truth from others and even the self has to do with one’s self-image and reveals our demons, says SANT RAJINDER SINGH
Failures in truthfulness can be broken down into the categories of falsehood, deceit, hypocrisy, and illegal gain. Some failures under these headings are quite obvious, such as telling a lie or stealing. Other shades of this trait are subtle and we may not even be aware that we are engaging in certain forms of untruthfulness. Once we understand the ramifications of this category, we will be more aware of our weaknesses and can try to make improvements in ourselves. First, we must understand how truthfulness affects our spiritual progress. By analysing each subheading in this virtue we will understand how developing the quality of truthfulness will accelerate our inner journey back to God.
Falsehood
The failure of falsehood deals with lying. People can lie in thought, word, or deed. It basically means they are hiding the truth. There are many motives for lying. A child lies to his or her parents when he or she fears being punished for doing something wrong. An employee lies to the boss when it means preserving one’s position or covering up the fact that a certain job has not been done. People lie to their family and friends when they do not want them to know that they have failed, or have fallen into bad times, or are sick but do not want anyone to worry about it. In many cases, the cause for lying is to protect oneself from punishment due to our failings or to preserve an image we wish to project to others. The most common circumstance in which a lie is told is that in which someone has unintentionally done something wrong. They might have made a mistake or have done a job improperly due to lack of ability or carelessness. Then the person feels he or she must cover it up because of fear of the opinion of others.
In the case in which we break a law, our wrongdoing may be a failure committed in another category. But when we cover up something, it enters the domain of falsehood. In most cases we cover up mistakes which were not intentional. We are not able to stand up for who or what we are. If we make a mistake through acting in good faith, we should admit it and not worry excessively about what others think. Many times we break a glass, we lose money, or we forget an appointment. Our error may have been due to forgetfulness or carelessness or even incompetence. Instead of facing up to our error, we fabricate a story to cover up our failing. We may do it to avoid a fight or an argument, or just to make ourselves appear better than we are. We may try to avoid an argument if our mistake caused someone to undergo a hardship but we do not want to take the blame for it. There are also times that someone is overly critical of us or intolerant of us as we are, and since we cannot control the other person’s harsh reactions, we try to avoid a confrontation.
Whatever the reason, once we tell a lie we have to worry about making up a second and a third lie to cover up the first. Our mind becomes obsessed with covering our mistake and keeping anyone from finding out. Our mind may become further entangled in this web when we start adding feelings of guilt, shame, or fear. So, it is difficult to meditate. It keeps our attention from our spiritual goal. If our lie is meant to cover up who we really are or to make us look better than we are, that enters the domain of ego. We are trying to make ourselves appear a certain way to those whose opinion we value. This is deceit or hypocrisy.
Some falsehoods are told to hurt others. We try to falsely accuse or blame others for our own faults or to hurt our rivals. These falsehoods enter the realm of violence. It is actually the motive or intention behind the act that determines the category in which we have failed. If the lie is to prevent a confrontation, then we need to develop the kind of relationship with others in which we are not afraid to be ourselves. If the other person has difficulty accepting us, and we know that we have not done anything to hurt anyone, then it is better to come out with the truth.
Deceit
When the lie is to make others think something other than the truth, we have entered the realm of deceit. We try to put on a false face. It means we are more influenced by the opinion of others than by what we think of ourselves. In the case of deceit we only hurt ourselves. We need to accept and face our faults rather than hide them. If we hide them from others, the tendency is to hide them from ourselves as well. By covering up our failures, we will never improve. We need to face our failings in order to weed them out. Until we diagnose our problem, we cannot initiate the cure.
If we hide our disease and never go to the doctor, he or she cannot give us a remedy. Deceiving others is one thing, but deceiving ourselves only keeps us from progressing on the spiritual path. If we don’t recognise the deficits that keep us from achieving purity to be admitted to the higher regions, we will stagnate in the same place until we wake up. When we colour ourselves perfect, we have allowed our mind to dupe our soul. If we become aware of the mind’s deceptive play, we can overcome its tricks.
Hypocrisy
Another failure in the category of truthfulness is hypocrisy. In hypocrisy, we say one thing, but do another. We do not practice what we preach. Hypocrisy is rampant in modern society. Parents will tell their children not to lie or not to fight with each others or not to take drugs or to drink alcohol, yet they themselves engage in those habits. Children cannot comprehend why they cannot do what their parents are doing. When they see that their parents do not practice what they preach, they lose faith in the adults. That trust it is difficult to regain. We find many cases of hypocrisy in our religious institutions. Each religion preaches love. We are advised to love our neighbor as ourself. We are even taught in some religions to love our enemies. Yet, we read of violence committed between members of one religion and those of another. We even find sharp divisions within the individual religious institutions. It must be hard for the followers of any religion to reconcile this vast difference between theory and practice.
Illegal Gain
A serious failing in the area of truthfulness is illegal gain. This encompasses many wrong acts such as theft, cheating, and bribery. Taking what is not rightfully earned by us is a serious crime for which we must pay. We know that there are stiff penalties in our court system for stealing, fraud, and bribery. Even if one does not get caught in this life, one must pay off one’s karmas for those deeds. If we are to become a pure mirror to reflect God’s light, there must not be any stain or defect in the glass. Our thoughts, words, and deeds should be aboveboard. By following truthfulness we will make progress and be a noble example to others searching for the way back to God.
The writer is a spiritual leader
