10.09.2016 ►JAINA ►Special Newsletter - Das Lakshana Day 5

A truthful man is treated as reliable as the mother, as venerable as the guru (preceptor) and as beloved as the one who commands knowledge.

- Bhagwan Mahavir

If talking is not required, then do not talk. If it is required then only use the minimum of words, and all must be absolutely true. Talking disturbs the stillness of the mind. Consider the person who lies and lives in fear of being exposed. To support one lie he has to utter a hundred more. He becomes caught up in a tangled web of lies and is seen as untrustworthy and unreliable. Lying leads to an influx of karma. Satya comes from the word Sat, which means existence. Existence is a quality of the soul. Recognising the soul’s true nature as it really exists and taking shelter in the soul is practicing Satya Dharma.

While walking on the road a poor Brahman found a diamond, which was worth one lakh rupees. He was going casually with the diamond in his hand. A jeweler was coming from the opposite direction as if searching for something on the road. He looked confused and uneasy. Meanwhile seeing him restless at the heart the Brahman asked him, "O brother jeweler! What makes you so restless? See; I have found this diamond. If it belongs to you, please take it." Saying this he handed over the diamond to the jeweler. Then the jeweler said, "I had lost two diamonds. You have given me only one. Give me the second one also. Only then I will let you go." So the Jeweler handed over the Brahman to the police, and filed a lawsuit against him. In the court the judge interrogated the Brahman, "Tell gentleman, what the truth is?" The Brahman replied, "My Lord! While walking on the road I found a diamond lying there. I was going straight in a carefree mood. Just then this man looking vexed at heart was coming from the opposite direction making a search for something lost. I asked him, "What are you searching for?" Then he replied that he had lost his two diamonds. I then handed over one diamond and said, "See, I have found this diamond. If it belongs to you, please take it." Then he took the diamond from me. But again he said that he had lost two diamonds." At this the judge made further inquiry from the Seth. Even then the Seth said, "I had lost two diamonds which I had dropped somewhere on the road. The Brahman has given me only one diamond but declines to give the second one." The judge realized that if the Brahman had not been truthful, why he should have given one diamond to the Seth, despite being poor himself.

Therefore, after deep pondering he declared the judgment - "As the diamond found by the Brahman was only one, it could not belong to the Seth. So the diamond should be given to the Brahman. The Seth had dropped the two diamonds together at a time, so he might have dropped them elsewhere." Then the Seth spoke, "Well, Your honor! Then let me have this single diamond." In reply the judge said, "Now you cannot get this one diamond as well."

The flame of truth may be put down by falsehood temporarily for a while, but it cannot be put out for ever by any attempt."