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Jaina Acāra : Siddhanta aura Svarupa
Confucius says that a truthful person always remains active. Lethargy and the lust for sensual pleasures are the offspring of falsehood.
A truthful person cannot be tormented by egoists or deceitful persons. The smell of truth perforce attracts others. Even gods are pleased to know of a truthful person whose wish is fulfilled by them.
The great vow of truth means that notwithstanding the material value of the deluding karmas caused by anger, greed, laughter, negligence and the like, never to tell a lie by mind, body and speech, never to incite others to tell a lie and never to support a lie, to be alert every moment and always remain soft-spoken so as to be good to others, depend on one's strong will. He does not talk about the quality of food. He never says that he will certainly do a thing. This is because he may not be able to accomplish what he promises to do.
To make up one's mind to speak the truth is 'Bhāvasatya', to try to speak the truth is ‘Karanasatya' and actually to speak the truth is
Yogasatya'. The first purifies the inner self, the second encourages the person to speak the truth and the third purifies body, mind and speech.
Acāranga, Samāvāyānga, Prasanavyakarana and the commentaries on Tattvārthasūtra have given reflections on truth, the purpose of which is to deflect monks from telling a lie. We now take up the reflections on truth as given in Prasnavyakarana?
(a) Anucintyasamitibhāvana_-It is to speak not without considering the various aspects of truth. It is easy to make excuses by telling lies, but very difficult to stick to the truth unswervingly. Following are the obstructions to speaking the truth:
(1) Alīkavacana-It is to tell lies for self-praise or to humiliate others. It is to present untruth as truth.
(2) Pišunavacana-Like Narada it is to oppose one person against another and vice versa. It is back-biting. There is a Rajasthani proverb which says that a back-biter is so very dangerous that he ruins gardens and cities. Back-biting is a crafty thief who steals precious property in the form of truth. .
(3) & (4) Nothing hard or bitter should be spoken. Milk may be given to you in an earthen pot or in a silver or golden one. Naturally you would be glad to drink milk in a golden pot.
(5) Capalavacana—It is to speak in haste without giving a thought to it. Vyavahārabhāsya says that a blind person cannot do without a helper as his guide. Likewise speech which is blind should be chaperoned by intellect. Speech should be preceded by thought. A monk should consider the propriety or otherwise of words before making use of them. No words
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