Is There Anyone Who Does Not Lie ?
The Curtain Arises
Dear friends,
By looking at the cover page of this edition, you may have already got an idea about what we are going to discuss this month.
Yes friends! Lying is one such wrong action that many among us, in more or less frequency, knowingly or unknowingly, are doing on a regular basis. According to one study, lying is one such bad habit where the majority of people are experts and without any reason, they tend to lie easily to friends, family members, or colleagues. When one starts lying about small matters, he does not even know when it transforms into a bad habit. Then it becomes extremely difficult to come out of the maze of lies. It is said that, in order to hide one lie, a hundred lies are needed. Once he gets stuck in this illusionary trap, he gets more and more entangled in it.
However, friends, you do not need to get entangled if you are trapped in this maze. I am certain that by the time you finish reading this edition, you will find a simple and easy way to come out of this maze. Jai Sat Chit Anand!
- Dimple Mehta
“Glory to Vijayanagar!”
This is a story of a King named Krushnadevraya of Vijaynagar, who used to always encourage art and literature. Along with being generous, he used to treat the people of his kingdom and his court men with compassion and respect. He had many wise court men, among which the smartest and most intelligent was Tenali Rama. He was an advisor to the king and was known for his justice and love towards humanity.
One day the King was engrossed in deep thoughts as he sat in the courtroom.
Out of curiosity, he asked, “What the
Maharaj of is a lie (untruth)?”
Tenali Rama answered, “Lying (being untruthful) means , when one makes up a false story to hide a fact or to falsify the truth. Lying is something that is used for one’s own benefit or to convince the other person of one's own lie.”
Rama continued, “Lying means not only hiding the truth but when there is a need to speak the truth, if one remains silent, that is also a lie. When one says something to deceive the other person, that is also called a lie. It does not matter if it is white or black!”
“Do lies also have a color?” The King asked with curiosity.
Tenali Rama smiled and said, “Yes, Maharaj, lies have two colors. One is ‘Black’, that which is said purposely for one’s own benefit. The other is ‘White’, that which does not harm anyone, and is said with an intention to not cause pain to others.’’
“Oh… Is that so! But I, my people, and my court men do not lie under any circumstances.” The King said proudly.
Tenali Rama answered, “I do not agree with you. Forgive me, Maharaj, you will also lie if the circumstance arises .”
The King said angrily, “I am not ready to believe you, Rama. If you are confident in your statement, then prove it. I want to see how you are able to make me lie.”
Tenali Rama accepted this challenge and asked for some time from the king to prove his statement.
As time passed, the King and the court men forgot about this entire conversation. During this time, everyone came to know that a saint had come to the city and was making people see a divine light.
“Oh, my devotees, you will see a mirror in this room. When you stand in front of that mirror, you will be able to see a divine light.”
“But remember, only those who have never lied in their entire life will be able to see this divine light.”
Hearing that, some people got scared and left, while others started going into the room one after another.
When the King heard this news, he also went there with his Queen and court men.
The first court man went into the room and stood in front of the mirror. The court man was not able to see anything other than his own reflection. When he came out of the room, he thought of speaking the truth, but then he remembered the saint’s words, “Only those who have never lied in their entire life will be able to see the divine light.”
He came out and to look good in front of the others, he lied, “I saw the divine light. It was a bright beam of light like the Sun!”
One by one, each of the court men went into the room and lied so
they would look good in front of the others.
Then the Queen went into the room. She also saw her own reflection in the mirror. She also lied, “Wow, the divine light was very beautiful and bright!”
Lastly, the King went into the room. He also could not see any divine light in the mirror! The King was shocked to see this. Disappointed, the King came out of the room.
“Did you see the divine light?” Rama asked the King.
“Yes, I saw the divine light!” The King also lied.
“How is that possible? A simple mirror was placed in the room. I know that no one has seen the divine light.” Tenali Rama said.
Hearing this, the King, the Queen, the court men, and all the people started talking among themselves. Tenali
Rama then said, “This was my scheme to prove that everyone lies given the circumstance.”
“Oh, is that so! I am sorry for lying, Rama. I understand my mistake.” The King said this asking for forgiveness.
“Yes, Maharaj, untruth means, a lie that is spoken in different ways. For example, twisting a story or remaining silent is also considered a lie. In many cases, it is harmful and as you keep lying, you get addicted to lying more.” Rama explained in detail.
After this incident, the King agreed, “It is a fundamental truth that, humans lie.”
This way, Tenali Rama proved with his intelligence that everyone has lied at one point or another in their life.