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THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
impossible without peace of mind, and peace of mind cannot be had till the heart be purified; hence, lying is an immediate obstacle on the path of emancipation.
Secondly, so far as material prosperity is concerned, it is also easy to see that untruthfulness even here ultimately leads to ruin. We resort to falsehood to gain a cheap advantage by dishonest means. But dishonesty never flourishes in the long run, however much may be the immediate advantage to be gained thereby. If it were otherwise, all the thieves, and dacoits and forgers, in the world, would be millionaires in no time; but happily such is not the case. National prosperity is no exception to this rule. India, probably, is the most degenerate country in this respect, and, undoubtedly, her children are the worst off as a nation.
The short-lived triumph, which falsehood and dishonesty secure for their votary, in some instances, is too feeble a recompense for the life-long anguish and fear which inevitably follow in their wake. The liar cannot look into an honest man's face; his features bear the stamp of wretchedness and sin; he shuffles and cringes. and loses his self-reliance. Prosperity in business is impossible with such qualifications as these, and the health of the body, depending, as it does, on mental strength and purity, also suffers in consequence. This is not all; for those whom the liar defrauds, become his enemies when the fraud is discovered, and hunt him down sooner or later. Are these conditions worth purchasing in consideration of some temporary gain by falsehood and deceit? We venture to hope that no man in his senses will answer in the affirmative.
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