Honesty

The world today is riddled with deceit and dishonesty. Be it at school, business, work or in our relationships with our family or friends, we have all encountered dishonesty and deceit and struggled in trying to be honest ourselves. What are the benefits of honesty? - Purity: The more honest you become, the greater the purity will arise within you. - Peace and happiness everywhere in your life: As the purity increases, you will find that your external life will improve and things will work out in your favour. This will bring peace and happiness into your life. In contrast, inner impurity will lead to unfavourable external circumstances. This is the law of nature. - Less clashes and conflicts: the more honest you are, the less likely that you will become entangled in the web of lies and deceits. These are the source of all clashes and conflicts within your life. - Popularity and Reputation: Automatically by your conduct, people will be attracted to you and respect you for your honesty. Thus, as a driver for our own happiness, we should strive to follow the principle of honesty as strictly as possible. In fact, throughout our lives, our sole purpose should be to have a steadfast intent to not hurt any living being through mind, speech and conduct (deed). In the words of the founder of the spiritual science, Akram Vignan, Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, “Honesty is the highest form of religion because it is in accordance with God’s principles.” Honesty should be like your shadow, it should follow you around wherever you go. What is honesty in thoughts? Throughout your life, you should never maintain any intent to deceive anyone. You should not try to hide the truth from your parents or your family or other aspects of your life such as with your employees or employers. Deceiving them by for example, not telling them your exam results or where and who you were with yesterday evening will only result in conflict, further deceit and ultimately unhappiness. This will not only happen in this life but also it has ramifications for your next life. Thus, throughout your life irrespective of how difficult it is, maintain a resolve to be pure and honest by not hurting anyone by your thoughts, speech or actions. It is only by doing so that you can progress on the path of attaining ultimate liberation (and inner bliss). What is honesty in speech? Most people understand that honesty involves being truthful and sincere irrespective of circumstances. However, sometimes being both can be difficult. Thus, responding honestly to someone’s question on their physical experience will involve a truth which may hurt them. rnThere are in fact four components to honesty. They are that honesty should be: - beneficialrn- briefrn- pleasant - true When all these for components are met, only then is your speech considered honest. Thus, when one is faced with responding with a truth that may hurt that person, one should measure their response carefully. Equally being disingenuous in your response by attempting to flatter is another form of dishonesty. For example, if your spouse asks if he looks good today and for whatever reason (lack of sleep for instance) they - according to your view - do not, it is better to respond by saying they look fine rather than just saying they do not. This brief, pleasant judicious reply is the truth but does not have the truth, which will hurt them. On the contrary they will feel happy. Equally, if you were to lie and attempt to flatter them by saying they look fantastic, your spouse will feel happiness, but subconsciously they will sense that you are not being genuine. What is honesty in conduct? In everything we do, we should always have integrity in scrupulously ensuring that we never cheat anyone or falsely claim something which is not rightfully ours. Thus, while conducting business you should not overcharge your customers. And as a customer, if after paying for something, the shopkeeper gives you back too much change by mistake, then you should point it out to the shopkeeper and return the money that was not rightfully yours. Honesty should be maintained impeccably in handling money and all affairs in business. Purity attracts the whole world. Purity in worldly interaction includes purity of money, speech, character as well as purity of intent. One attains liberation when one becomes pure – free from all adverse emotions. Read more about Honesty here: https://www.dadabhagwan.org/path-to-happiness/self-help/science-behind-honesty-and-purity/