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self. Modern science deals largely with the former. Some people have tried to create the impression that search for Truth for Gandhi meant the search for true spiritual values. This is a halftruth, how can one knows oneself if one does not know the objective reality around? Truth is both an objective and subjective reality. He gave examples of Harishchandra, Prahlad, Hussain, Hasan and Christ as practitioners of this observance. Similarly Jain story literature is full of parables depicting the impact of lying in this and future lives (example Dhan Deva and King Vasu).84
Satya-anuvrata or the minor vow of speaking truth in Jainism defines it as to tell an entity exactly as it is, neither less nor more due to close connection between not speaking the truth and violence. Telling a lie is volitional and tainted by passions like anger, arrogance, deceitfulness and greed. In its broader sense, the Satya-anuvrata requires great care with regard to expressions in all forms, like all acts of speech, writing and thought. Thus, even a truthful statement cannot be uttered if it leads to the destruction of or causing pain to a living being. A person lies in relations pertaining to ownership, forgery or adulteration of goods, misrepresentation as witness, divulging secrets of others, and using harsh language. Hence tolerance, non-hurting, compassion, patience and respecting the views of even one's opponents result in the practice of Satya-anuvrata. As a vow/ observance, Gandhi implicitly talks of practicing truth as indicated in Satyanuvrata and his metaphysical description of absolute Truth as right belief (samyak-darsana) in Jainism.
Vow No 2 Ahimsa/nonviolence Gandhi discovered nonviolence in his search for Truth. He writes, “It appears that the impossibility of full realization of Truth in this mortal body led some ancient seeker after Truth to the appreciation of Ahimsa..."86 Further he says, “Without
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