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The Concept of Pancasila in Indian Thought
solemnly undertake to. observe the precept which enjoins abstention from falsehood.". This implies an abstention from international deception, and refraining from everything in the nature of wild, unconsidered, exaggerated language, everything in any sense a departure from a trustworthy sober statement of a fact or a thing; and this important aspect of right conduct which includes right speech has been emphasized and stressed in many Buddhist texts, which show that without the observance of this precept other courses in the path of right conduct would be partial and incomplete.
In the Dhammapada and other significant texts various passages are seen which underline the importance of truthspeaking as an important precept.
“One who transgresses the law of truth and tells lies cannot abstain from a single vice of sin," and "for one who indulges in falsehood, after committing a sin and would say that he did not do it, the only place left after death is hell."8 Therefore "he who establishes himself in the truth and noninjurious speech would alone be called a Brāhmin."4
One established in good conduct "puts away lying, abstains from speaking a falsehood, speaks the truth and from the truth he never swerves', faithful and trustworthy, he injures 1. FATETET À CHuft for anya' FATCATCH 1
-Khu. Pāțha, Dasasikkhāpadas. एकं धम्म अतीतस्स मूसावादिस्स जन्तुनो । वितिण्णपरलोकस्स नत्थि पापं अकारियं ।।
–Dhammapada, 176. 3. अभूतवादी निरयं उपेति यो चापि, कत्वा न करोमीति' चाह । उभोपि ते पेच्च समा भवन्ति, निहीणकम्मा मनुजा परत्थ ॥
-Ibid., 306. अकक्कसं विज्ञापनि गिरं सच्चं उदीरये । याय नाभिसजे किश्चि तमहं ब्रूमि ब्राह्मणं ॥
-Ibid., 408.
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