________________
310
THE WAY OF LIFE
caught in the attempt". The young man narrated the truth to the bishop. The bishop took the young man with him; and gave him the money he needed for his sister's marriage. The young man developed a great devotion for and faith in the bishop. He resolved not to commit a theft again. He turned over a new leaf in his life. The bishop uttered a lie only to bring about a transformation in the young man's life. If sometimes, we have to utter a lie in order to save someone from a calamity, it is not a sin.
TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD DHARMA
CONSTITUTE A RELATIVE
Suppose there is a family. The father and the mother go out on a certain day, leaving their two children in the house. When they return home sometime later, they find that their house is set on fire. The children are playing in the house. They do not fear the fire. The parents call out but they are completely immersed in their game. The fire is raging and spreading; and the parents do not have the courage to go into the house. They think, "How can we make the children come out?" The mother is weeping. A plan occurs to the father. He tells the children aloud, "Listen children! I have a bicycle for you. The one who comes out first will get the cycle". Hearing this both the children come out running. The house is burnt away; but the children are saved. The father has had to utter a lie, in order to save the lives of the children. He has not brought a bicycle; but he tells them, "I have brought a cycle for you". Now, has the father committed a sin by uttering a lie. No. In this case, falsehood is not a sin. It is dharma. Truth and untruth constitute a relative dharma. Truth is not always dharma. Untruth is not always adharma. The purpose of the bishop was to save the young man from committing the sin of stealing. It was a compassionate attitude. He saved the young man from commiting the sin of stealing. The bishop knew, "Stealing is a sin. On account of the sin of stealing, the young man would fall into spiritual ruin and would experience great anguish on account of it". He knew the anguish that would emerge as a consequence of stealing.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
