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My Dear truth,where are you?

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by jayasala42, Oct 2, 2015.

  1. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Today is ,Gandhi Jayanthi .It just reminds every one of us two inter related words ‘Sathyam’ and ‘Sathyagraham’, only to be forgotten within a day or two.
    we parents make the children believe that honesty is not welcome and that there is a fine line between telling the truth and hurting the people.All parents lie for convenience and children faithfully imitate.


    From the day the child is born into this world,he is brought up among lies,lies and unmixed lies.It is conventional wisdom that children never tell lies.But researchers on child psychology convey that lying plays a positive role in normal child development and that telling lies is more or less comparable to individual thinking and emotional control.All kids learn to lie well even at the age of two.


    Lying,which commences its journey as a tool to avoid confusion and punishment or to save one’s face gets firmly established.Sometimes lies are spoken to rescue others.Which counts more--the untruth or the good done to others,we don’t know.
    Knowingly or unknowingly man has to be consciously aware of continuing different lies to different persons on different occasions to escape being caught and is unable to come out of the vicious circle
    .

    For fear of concealing the truth, if we are silent,then silence also becomes a lie.



    Lies are stated to be sugar coated capsules to convey the bitter truths in life.The liars that have social acceptance are the actors,dramatists,historians and fiction writers who are specialized in the art of weaving series of lies ..



    Many women get fake death certificates of their husbands to claim Widows’ pension.
    Not to talk of election promises which are nothing but lies wrapped in pretty packings.
    Medical professionals give false hopes to the relatives of the terminally ill patients,extract lakhs of rupees within a week, only to convey God’s will and hand over the mortal remains.



    Some lawyers and judges who belong to a higher breed of intellectuals consider it a proud privilege to talk nothing but lies ,which come under the ‘technically true’ category in their profession and are experts in misleading others to believe what is not true.There is no dearth of oaths ‘to speak the truth,the whole truth and nothing but truth’.


    Wherever you turn,you see nothing but lies.There are fraudsters in education,marketing and religion too.fake swamijis guarantee you a seat in heaven.

    When we become so much accustomed to lies and deceipt,one feels as if he is committing a crime if he starts telling the truth which appears false and dangerous.In the present situation,”truth is nothing more than what one chooses to believe in the moment”
    The national motto ‘Sathyameva Jayate’still holds good with definition of ‘Sathyam’having undergone total metamorphosis.
    I am reminded of the words of the poet Steve Turner
    “I believe that each man find the truth for him
    Reality will adapt accordingly.
    The Universe will readjust. History will alter.”

    Are reality and truth totally different?




    I believe that there is no absolute truth excepting the truth that there is no absolute truth”.
    My Dear Truth,where are you?

    Jayasala 42
     
    sindmani, vaidehi71, VaniVyas and 3 others like this.
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  2. satchitananda

    satchitananda IL Hall of Fame

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    A topic which causes a lot of grief. Even George Washington who is so famously reported to have said to his father "Father, I cannot lie" was lying, because technically speaking he COULD have told a lie. So the word 'can't' renders the statement a lie.

    As for Mahatma Gandhi, I don't know if he really and truly never told a lie after he underwent a radical reformation in his own life, but it is hard to believe that any human being can get away without a lie. However, that is a moot point. Gandhiji stood for many values I am sure he tried to live very sincerely. That is why I find it insulting to his memory in today's political scenario to celebrate his birthday or anniversary. Am sure he does not get any peace in his grave when he is remembered by the kinds of people who verbally swear allegiance to his principles today.

    As for truth as a principle, well it is hard to know what degree of lies can be considered to be outright 'lies' and what just 'diplomacy' or the 'lie of silent assertion' as defined by Mark Twain. We all know that EVERYONE lies at some point of his/her life, but the essence is how much, why and what kind of lies.

    Lies told for monetary benefit when it hurts someone else, lies told to skive off work (even that I'd say when it becomes habitual), telling lies to get someone married (have heard a proverb saying a thousand lies told in order to get someone married is fully justified) etc. are the most despicable kind of lies.

    Just recently, my maid got the boot after I had endured endless lies from her including killing of aunts, grandparents, declaring her father invalid at regular intervals to go off on leave for anything ranging from 2-15 days. I hate being lied to. It makes me feel the person who is telling me a lie is not crediting me with some basic intelligence to find out!

    What ails our country is a basic lack of decency and integrity. As for the lie of silent assertion, it is so loud, that one can hear it in the all encompassing silence.
     
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  3. suryakala

    suryakala IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Smt @Jayasala42,

    You have indeed done a 'Mini Sathya Sodhannai', putting everyone on the dock. A beautiful thought provoking post!

    In my view 'Truth' and 'Lie' are relative. Relative to person, place, time and circumstances.

    Absolute Truth, where are you?

    Absolute Truth is within us literally, figuratively and spiritually. It watches.It knows. It has a voice. Everyone who is conscious, without exception experiences it continuously. When we lie, it is the one which says to us," You are telling a lie".
     
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  4. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Satchitananda,
    Wonderful response. We cannot adhere to total sathyam in the practical world.When the Pre KG child asks a mother on monday, Tomorrow, Sunday0No school, mummy',the mother says'yes' to comfort the baby.
    Sometimes doctors say'no problem'conveying there is a problem.Any sad news is hidden from a heart patient.On many occasions to prevent greater harms we use the less harmful strategy of telling lies.
    The saying reg marriage is not actually about lies.It is " aayiridam peridam poi solliyaavathu kalyanam sei"--Go and enquire thousand people and conduct the marriage.
    Thank you Satchitananda
    Jayasala 42
     
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  5. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Suryakala,
    What a beautiful explanation! Yes, our conscience definitely knows whether we are speaking truth or not.
    On every occasion, whether to save our face, or to establish our earlier statements or to save somebody from trouble we say lies under some pretext.There is always some justification for lies.It is marketing strategy for business,it is coaxing for children.For kids it is to escape punishment,for lawyers it is professional ethics.
    unnecessary diagnostic tests like scanning comes under the guise of ruling out 'major problem'.They talk advantage of the fear of the patients and try to earn commission from the radiology institutes.For pharmaceuticals, capsule is the approved form of hiding bitterness.
    One thin is sure.No one can be like Harischandra these days.At the most we know to cleverly justify our lies under some pretext.

    Jayasala 42
     
  6. surekhap

    surekhap Platinum IL'ite

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    @ jayasala madam

    "In the world of lies, Truth is for to fly like a white dove in the woodlands; and only by cunning glimpses will she reveal her self, as in Shakespeare and other masters of great arts of telling the truth, even though it is covertly and by snatches." says Herman Melville .

    there lies the answer of your question madam truth can only be find in the writings of the great people .not in the real life.

    In Bhagvat geeta which is called as a guide for the good living some exceptions were given to tell the truth . we can lie when there is a threat to our maana or praana or to protect people from death.

    In present day situations we find maximum exceptions to tell the truth. we cant find a Gandhi or Harishchandra in this whole world even if we search with a lenses.

    we have learnt to lie easily to find comfort in the life. we lie to avoid punishment, to avoid a work, for not attending a function, when a friend want a loan............... this list never ends. suitable lies according to the situation.

    "nopinchaka tannavaka tappinchuku tiruguvada dhanyudu sumathi." telugu
    sumathi sathakum (moral poems) which means a person who can escape from a situations neither hurting others nor hurting his self is considered as a great one .
    to full fill this we have to chose a lie. as truth always bitter and it hurts.
     
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  7. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Surekhap,
    Well said madam.Even in Mahabharat we find Lord Krishna playing so many tricks and makes the great yudhishtira tell a lie about Aswaththama's death.
    Though we know that we tell lies just to save our face and not withan intention to harm anybody, we feel bad for it.Though we have temporary escape, our conscience pricks.
    But once it becomes a habit, it forms a pattern in our brain, and we start telling lies easily.

    Jayasala 42
     
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  8. Akanksha1982

    Akanksha1982 IL Hall of Fame

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    Wow!! Jayamam what a though provoking snippet. Loved it. You cover any topic comprehensively covering all areas (yeah mam, i know comprehensive includes covering all areas!! But it sounds good).

    I think it is difficult to live in today's world without lie. Being in management, i have to lie to higher ups and to subordinates because each have different expectations and being in middle i have to shield one from the other. Lying to the management to prevent a person from getting laid off or lying to the person that he/she was randomly selected to be laid off. Actually, we are given a script to say when we lay off people and although we know it is not the truth, we have to lie. I hate those situations.

    The worst situation is of the person who is recipient of lie. The person knows it is a lie and has to face it. Sometimes, a subordinate calls in sick and the next day comes to work completely healthy. The person calls in sick to save his/her leave and complete some errands. The problem is that the work has to be done, so i have to change priorities of others to get the work done and to protect the other person, i have to lie to them.

    On other note, technology is making people honest. Earlier lies like I didn't receive your letter, phone, message are gone. With phone, emails, whatsapp, one knows that the message is sent and even if it is read or not. CCTV cameras can catch people stealing in stores. Fingerprint, retina scanning can prove beyond doubt the identity of a person.

    Good one Jaya Mam.
     
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  9. jayasala42

    jayasala42 IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Akanksha,
    I value your response very much.You have beautifully categorised the lies prevailng in office situations.Yes, sometimes the entire team has to lie for the delay or failure or extension of the project.Not to talk of consultancy, another gray area.
    If you classify lies in the family, you can write novels.The lies may relate hiding of some money given by the husband,dutifully followed by children while hiding expenses out of pocket money.( luckily we had no pocket money in those days.)
    As days have advanced we have accepted lies as one of the laudable strategies in all the fields.
    Yes,truth wins always.What is trurh-That is changing day by day.
    Jayasala 42
     
  10. Viswamitra

    Viswamitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Smt. Jayasala:

    The Divine Principle or Universal Absolute is called Truth only because it is Ekam (One), Advayam (Non-Dual), Nirakara (Formless), Sarvagatam (All-Pervading), Nirguna (Attributeless), Aksharam (Imperishable) Aja (Unborn), Nitya (Eternal), Nirvikara (Changeless), Nirmala (Stainless), Anantam (Infinite), Gnanam (Knowledge), Anandam (Bliss), Turiyam (Fourth) and Achintyam (Inconceivable). Other than this Divine Principle nothing else can be Truth.

    Even in arguments in the court, women obtaining death certificate of their husband to claim widow's pension, Medical professionals giving false hopes, Swamijis promising the heaven to their followers are generally alterations of the facts. Facts can change and get modified based on the circumstances and situations but the Truth would always remain the same. Even in Statistical analysis or any other scientific analysis, if the facts are changed on new information, the results become totally different. Facts can be altered but not the Truth.

    The question we have to ask ourselves is whether the human life alone determines the existence of the Truth. The animals, birds, insects, plants, etc. are true to their nature and they remain unchanged in their nature irrespective of situations and circumstances. Can one of the species attitude determine what is Truth? Is reality the end result of what we perceive or what we don't see but Absolute Truth?

    It is my humble opinion that if one search for the Truth relentlessly, one could find it. Truth is one without a second.

    Viswa
     
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