Love & Truth

– Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Why

would someone tell a lie to their close ones or to their beloved?

Lovers often ask this question. Love cannot stand untruth, and relationships tend to break up when untruths exist. Understanding the paradox of love and truth; allows one to discover the answer to this question.

People often tell lies just to save and maintain their love. The fear that truth might damage love, lends to lies told between a husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, parents and children and in other family situations.

In love, one often feels weak but truth brings strength.. So, the question that may arise is; why do people prefer love over truth, weakness over strength?

Love is that which generally does not want to be sacrificed and so people are ready to give up the truth for love even though love takes the lustre out of truth. Also, there are times when truth can make love bitter while in love, even lies appear sweet. For example, when Krishna lies to his mother, Yashoda! With truth there are judgments, but true love is beyond judgments. Thus, true love can make one weak and yet it is the greatest strength.

Ultimately, the truth that does not nourish love makes no sense, and the love that cannot withstand the truth is not true love. If one is assured that their love is so strong that the truth can neither break it nor cause bitterness, then the truth prevails and love continues to shine.