Jainism

Author(s): Herbert Warren
Publisher: Divine Knowledge Society

Page 99

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JAINISM
There are various kinds of falsehoods, for instance, those told about persons, those told about animals, about goods, ground, etc. Another kind is, when we deny the receipt of anything left with us on deposit. Another kind is the giving of false evidence, either in or out of court. These are illustrations of gross falsehoods.
Then there are the following four classes of falsehoods, Bamely, the denial of a fact; the affirmation of that which does not exist; calling a thing something other than what it is: statements that are injurious to others, for instance, "Well, Mr. Blindman, how are you?" or such injunctions as "Go and steal."
Lies and falsehoods are spoken by reason of certain states of mind; certain states of mind are forces which impel us to the speaking of falsehoods. The following
are such states:
Anger; when angry, we make false statements, and may tell even intentional lies.
Pride; deceitfulness; greed; false attachment; hatred or false aversion; laughing or joking; fear; any form of slavery induces fear and people who are under the control of others tell lies through fear. False politeness is a cause of falsehoods; as is also sorrow, we ignorantly blame others, when we are in grief or sorrow.
The above causes may impel to the telling of such lies as are not possible to be avoided by the layman; it is only gross falsehoods that he undertakes to avoid.
So the vow would be something like the following:
"I shall refrain from telling falsehoods about any person, animal, or thing, knowingly, and with the intention