Jain Digest 2004 01 Vol 23 No 1

SR No.: 527091
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA
Publication Year: 2004
Total Pages: 48
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, USA_Jain Digest, & USA
File Size: 9 MB

Page 26

SATYA The Truth
Manubhai Doshi, Chicago, IL
Musäväo Cha Logammi, Savvasähuhim Garibio
For replying to that question, let us examine an anecdote of Avisäso Cha Bhuyanam, Tamha Mosam Vivajjae
the time of Lord Mahävir. One of his principal pupils was Muni - Dashvaikälik Sutra Metärya, who is also known as Metäraj Muni. One afternoon, the
Muni went to the house of a goldsmith for alms of food. At that (Telling lie has been denounced by all the saints in the universe. Lie time, the goldsmith was preparing barley shaped grains of gold for causes distrust among the people and should therefore be given up.) making some costly jewelry. Seeing the Muni at his door, he left
his work and went inside to get some articles of food. Meanwhile, By truth, we normally mean not to tell lies. This is verbal the Muni noticed that a per bird of the goldsmith came there and truth which has its own importance. Let us therefore first examine swallowed the golden grains thinking them to be the real barley its implications in dealing with other people. If we happen to believe grains. As the goldsmith came out with the food, he saw that the that what a person speaks, is true, we can rely upon his statement. grains of gold were missing. He therefore asked the Muni about In that case, we can afford to take action in light of what he states. the whereabouts of the precious grains. But if we have doubts about what he says, that causes distrust as
For Muni it was a dilemma. He could not tell a lie and if he stated in the above mentioned verse of the Dashvaikälik Sutra. In spoke the truth, the goldsmith would kill the bird for getting the that case, we have to find out the truth before coming to any grains out of its stomach. In that case, the Muni would become decision. If people speak truth, the life would be easy and dealing instrumental in causing the violence. He therefore decided to keep with one another can be smooth. Speaking truth is therefore in mum. The goldsmith asked him again and again, but the Muni overall interest and is helpful to every one.
would not reply. Since there was no one else there and since no The purpose of telling lie is to hide some fact. On the other reply was forthcoming from the Muni, the goldsmith concluded hand, truth discloses it. But the question that would arise, is about that the Muni had somewhere hidden the golden grains. He could a statement that is verbally true but which purports to hide the not afford to lose the costly grains and therefore decided to use reality from the responding party. For instance, it is possible to force for getting the same back. make use of equivocal words that can enable the conveyer to As the normal force did not yield any result, the goldsmith interpret it the way he likes, while causing the respondent to draw decided to resort to extremely violent means. He brought a moist different conclusion. Or, one may deliberately indulge in lace of leather and tightly tied it round the Muni's head. Then he ambiguous words so as to keep the other party in dark about the made the Muni to stand under the sun. As the lace began to dry reality. In such cases, the speaker usually intends to hide the truth by the sun's heat, it started compressing the Muni's head. The while making apparently correct statement. That makes it hard compression went on increasing as the lace got drier. Ultimately, for the other party to correctly understand the situation. In order the eyes of the Muni came out on account of too much pressure. to avoid this, it has been laid down that truth must be unambiguous The Muni however took the pain as a consequence of some evil and unequivocal. With this view in mind, Mahärmä Gandhi has Karma that got operative and bore the same with equanimity. This said that in case of unclear statements, the meaning drawn by the accelerated Nirjarä or the eradication process of Muni's Karmas. respondent should be considered as binding. If this standard is Thereby, all his Karmas were destroyed and he gained omniscience applied in every case, no one would be tempted to indulge in on the spot. ambiguity or equivocality.
Meanwhile, the bird could not digest the golden grains and Another aspect of truth is that it has to be beneficial. The excreted the same. As the goldsmith saw that, he repented very scriptures, while dealing with truth, frequently mention: Satyam much for the distress perpetrated by him. It was however too late Hitakaram Cha. It means that what one speaks, should be true as for him, because Muni's soul had already left the mortal body. well as beneficial. So the question arises: 'What should we do when
"The question may arise what one should do under similar we think that speaking truth would not be beneficial? This is a
circumstances. Religion expects us not to indulge in violence or to very pertinent question, because we do come across situations in
be instrumental to the same by any of our physical or verbal activity. which it may not be beneficial or even appropriate and advisable to speak truth. Do we have to state the truth even when it evidently
If a person is spiritually oriented, he cannot therefore speak anything
that would result in violence to other beings. Metärya Muni could seems undesirable?
24 / JAIN DIGEST. Spring 20004
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