Buddhist professor THICH NU TINH QUANG : THE PRECEPT TO REFRAIN FROM INCORRECT

Thich Nu Tinh Quang

The fourth one of the five precepts is about ‘abandoning of lying’. The lie has its roots in the passion, hatred or fear. If you lie, it is either because you want something, or have decided to hurt someone, or because, for whatever reasons, are afraid to tell the truth. Consequently, untruthfulness rooted in unskillful mental state. The positive matching to the refusal of lies is ‘Satya’ (Pali - sacca), that is to say truthfulness (Thanissaro Bhikkhu).

However, every day, for work and the communication we have hundreds of choices at the same time: is to lie or tell the truth, which often occurs whitout thinking, and we ignore deeply impact of the decisions that do not seem important. Even the smallest lie can affect health, affect relationships, and influence our choices. Conversely, honesty brings amazingly psychological benefits. Here is the way the truth and the lie affects the brain and our health every day.

‘Anita Kelly and Lijuan Wang of Notre Dame has recruited a group of 110 people from aged 18-71 years old, and told them that once a week for ten weeks they must comein to lie detector machine, then report how many times in last week they had lied. But the group was divided into two. 55 of them received clearly instructions in how to avoid lying. (They may avoid telling the truth, or did not answer, just outside the conversation.) The other group had no guides, only require to come in once per week and tell the truth about how many times they had lied previous week.

As a result, everyone lied less. However, the group has received advice on how to avoid lying reduced their significantly. And in questionnaires, those who had lied less had better reporting of mental and physical health. They reported improvements in their relationships, well sleep, less stress, less headaches, and fewer sore throats.’

We should know that stress harms our brain and body in many terrible ways. Lying contributes to our stress level and when we do this several times a day, we need to consider the impact of our secrets. The harm is not obvious; it is easy to influence numerous health issues we encounter in our everyday life.

Abandoning of lying means that no immoral behavior, causing a dangerous enemy for oneself, others, and living beings, and obstructing the freedom and happiness of oneself and others:

"Furthermore, abandoning lying, the disciple of the noble ones abstains from lying. In doing so, he gives freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings. In giving freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, freedom from oppression to limitless numbers of beings, he gains a share in limitless freedom from danger, freedom from animosity, and freedom from oppression. This is the fourth gift...”[1]

Moreover, life is no fixed framework. Lying causes stress and other terrible problems; it is useful and even necessary at a certain time. When our safety or honesty getting in danger, we probably should not choose the truth; here called means for ourselves and others, unless exceptions always exist. And regardless how our intentions, lying makes us becoming persons who do not feel confident and comfortable. Generally, honesty gives more benefits for mental and physical health than dishonesty. However, we are the complex creatures, so we make complex decisions in every day. We'll find a reason to lie because it is essential to preserve the dignity or politeness. But think about the long term effects and the lying will defend us or others in a specific time. We cannot always tell the truth, but makes your body and mind to be happy, and avoid hurting other people as possible.

To avoid causing suffering for oneself and others, the Buddha proposed four principles of speech to prevent speech immoral potentially harming others. The four methods of not lying make us becoming noble and more reliable ones:

"This is how one is made pure in four ways by verbal action."

1) “There is the case where a certain person, abandoning false speech, abstains from false speech. When he has been called to a town meeting, a group meeting, a gathering of his relatives, his guild, or of the royalty, if he is asked as a witness, 'Come & tell, good man, what you know': If he doesn't know, he says, 'I don't know.' If he does know, he says, 'I know.' If he hasn't seen, he says, 'I haven't seen.' If he has seen, he says, 'I have seen.' Thus he doesn't consciously tell a lie for his own sake, for the sake of another, or for the sake of any reward. Abandoning false speech, he abstains from false speech. He speaks the truth, holds to the truth, and is firm, reliable, no deceiver of the world.”[2]

According the paragraph above, initially the Buddha wanted to advise us not to lie, to say the truth, and create confidence for not defraud others. Indeed people only believe you when you say things no secrets, no lies, and telling what you saw. Denying the truth is bad karma, close to death in the belief of the relationships, the death of conscience.

“With one denying truth there goes to hell

That one who having done says ‘I did not’.

Both of them are making kammas base

Are equal after death.”[3]

(Abhutavadi nirayaj upeti

Yo va pi katva na karomi ti caha

Ubho pi pecca sama bhavanti

Nihinakamma manuja parattha.)

2) "Abandoning divisive speech he abstains from divisive speech. What he has heard here he does not tell there to break those people apart from these people here. What he has heard there he does not tell here to break these people apart from those people there. Thus reconciling those who have broken apart or cementing those who are united, he loves concord, delights in concord, enjoys concord, and speaks things that create concord."[4]

Our society is more fractured for divisive words; the words that make for cultura, race, and religion divide... make prolonged tongue wars. We have a habit of saying things which don’t bring benefits to both parties but just for ourselves in the relationship, or the other partners. On other side, verbal fleer, the media reported one-dimensional, and the spokesman divisive created hatred has contributed to the current social violence that the innocent persons must suffer in doubt just because a disruptive speech, not constructive word, and do not build up belief in love for each other. Instead divisive speech, we should say in constructive practice, so the relationships will change in a positive direction.

“Who utters speech instructive

True and gentle too

Who gives offence to none

That one I call a Brahmin True.”[5]

(Akakkasaj vibbapanij

Giraj saccam udiraye

Yaya nabhisaje kabci tam

Ahaj brumi brahmanaj.)

3) "Abandoning abusive speech, he abstains from abusive speech. He speaks words that are soothing to the ear, that are affectionate, that go to the heart, that are polite, appealing & pleasing to people at large.”[6]

In this third part, we should know about the abusive words in relationships and communication. The abusive speech is saying insults, as obscene words, curse words, defamatory words … for others, and taking of the reputation of people; or say something which are not conducive to someone, and spreading misinformation to demeaning others… Before talking, we should consider our words are the insulting words or not; we need to do a self-test by our cognitive ability to abusive speech. Sometimes what we see from others, that reflect on what we have done for them. Verbal venom from bad words have unpredictable infection; it spreads like the growth of tumors and difficult to treat.

Verbal brutality and insult’s very strong to break in relationships, marriage, friends and partners. To stop the risk from evil words, before saying we should consider carefully is these words torment us and others? May these bring love and joy to oneself and others? So we would not be abused by ourselves and also not hurt either.

“Speak not harshly to other folk,

Speaking so, they may retort.

Dukkha indeed is quarrelsome speech

And force for force may hurt you.”[7]

(Mavoca pharusaj kabci

Vutta pativadeyyu taj

Dukkha hi sarambhakatha

Patidanda phuseyyu taj.)

4) "Abandoning idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter. He speaks in season, speaks what is factual, what is in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, & the Vinaya. He speaks words worth treasuring, seasonable, reasonable, circumscribed, and connected with the goal.” [8]

Idle chatter - gossip is to say polished, crap, and nonsense while leisurely time. Speech has no goals, ideals or depth in communication, that is not worth; these words just incurred negativity in our minds and others. Usually, the lay Buddhists get many needs to speak in their spare time, such as talking about the family, friends, and jobs ... But Buddha advised that the embroidered words, the idle talking should restrain and restrict as much as possible, because the words are no practical benefit, and likely to cause disturbance of our mind. In the case of idle, try to avoid meaningless words and no the human values while communicating. Need to aim of the teachings in words, thus the suffering can be eliminated, wholesome and wisdom just develop as well as, and yourself and others are attained practical benefits.

“For one who falsely speaks,

Who disregards the Dhamma,

Who denies other lives:

No evil this one will not do.” [9]

(Ekaj dhammaj atitassa

Musavadissa jantuno

Vitinnaparalokassa natthi papaj akariyaj.)

For those who are ordained, the Buddha's advice not to discuss or debate in any secular thing, just focus the ideal of liberation.

“If like a broken gong

Never you reverberate,

Quarrelling’s not part of you,

That Nibbana’s reached.”[10]

(Sace n'eresi attanaj

Kajso upahato yatha

Esa patto'si nibbanaj

Sarambho te na vijjati.)

In short, to undertake the training to refrain from false speech, the Buddha advised us to control our speech by the 5 ways following to know what should be said and what shouldn’t:

“And what other five conditions must be established in himself?