Does Swami recommend using "harmless" lies for the common good, at appropriate times?
A recent mail exchange with a correspondent triggered this post.
My view is that Swami's (Sri Sathya Sai Baba's) public teaching, from Sanathana Dharma, is:
Sathyam Bhruyath (Speak the truth),
Priyam Bhruyath (Speak that which is pleasant/loving),
Na Bhruyath Sathyam Apriyam (Don't speak the unpleasant truth).
Now this is a general rule and, surely, there will be some exception cases. For example, when questioned in any investigation of fraud, it is far better to be truthful about any fraud one knows of, related to the investigation, than not speak about it as that will amount to concealing fraud in an investigation, and could land one into significant amount of trouble.
But what about "harmless" lies used for the common good? Well, the danger is that what one views as harmless may not be viewed as harmless by others. Lying to get out of difficult situations is a common failing. So one could get into the spiritually very bad habit of lying to escape out of problems, and rationalize that lying by telling oneself that it is "harmless" and that it is for the common good.
I have been a victim of such lies from some senior administrators in an ashram institution. It was convenient and useful for them and they perhaps thought it is a "harmless" lie for the common good. But it certainly did not do good for me and was not harmless for me! When I found out about such lies I took the senior administrators to task, and quit the institution that I was involved with. The senior administrators did not even have the decency to apologize for their lies! I then lost all respect for the people who indulged in such lies and used it for their benefit, and did not want to associate with them any more.
But then I was offering free service and so could walk away from the place where I was offering service. For people who depend on salary from the institution they are working for, they may not be able to walk away from the institution. For them, the challenge may be to safeguard one's good character traits from the bad influence of some fellows who could even be in senior management/administrative positions. Like when Krishna came, we had Pandavas as well as Kauravas. So even in ashram systems, and the world at large, there are good Pandavas like Yudishtra and bad Kauravas like Shakuni and Duryodhana. I guess one can view one's field of work & home life as a Kurukshetra (some cynics spell it as crook-kshetra) where one has to learn from Krishna's teachings to Arjuna and other Pandavas, and somehow survive materially and somehow progress spiritually too :).
BTW there could be some/many mistakes in what I have written above. I am not perfect and do have my human flaws too. But I can say that I very rarely indulge in even "harmless" lies. I think that adherence to Sathya (truth) helps me overcome my flaws, at least to some extent.
My view is that Swami's (Sri Sathya Sai Baba's) public teaching, from Sanathana Dharma, is:
Sathyam Bhruyath (Speak the truth),
Priyam Bhruyath (Speak that which is pleasant/loving),
Na Bhruyath Sathyam Apriyam (Don't speak the unpleasant truth).
Now this is a general rule and, surely, there will be some exception cases. For example, when questioned in any investigation of fraud, it is far better to be truthful about any fraud one knows of, related to the investigation, than not speak about it as that will amount to concealing fraud in an investigation, and could land one into significant amount of trouble.
But what about "harmless" lies used for the common good? Well, the danger is that what one views as harmless may not be viewed as harmless by others. Lying to get out of difficult situations is a common failing. So one could get into the spiritually very bad habit of lying to escape out of problems, and rationalize that lying by telling oneself that it is "harmless" and that it is for the common good.
I have been a victim of such lies from some senior administrators in an ashram institution. It was convenient and useful for them and they perhaps thought it is a "harmless" lie for the common good. But it certainly did not do good for me and was not harmless for me! When I found out about such lies I took the senior administrators to task, and quit the institution that I was involved with. The senior administrators did not even have the decency to apologize for their lies! I then lost all respect for the people who indulged in such lies and used it for their benefit, and did not want to associate with them any more.
But then I was offering free service and so could walk away from the place where I was offering service. For people who depend on salary from the institution they are working for, they may not be able to walk away from the institution. For them, the challenge may be to safeguard one's good character traits from the bad influence of some fellows who could even be in senior management/administrative positions. Like when Krishna came, we had Pandavas as well as Kauravas. So even in ashram systems, and the world at large, there are good Pandavas like Yudishtra and bad Kauravas like Shakuni and Duryodhana. I guess one can view one's field of work & home life as a Kurukshetra (some cynics spell it as crook-kshetra) where one has to learn from Krishna's teachings to Arjuna and other Pandavas, and somehow survive materially and somehow progress spiritually too :).
BTW there could be some/many mistakes in what I have written above. I am not perfect and do have my human flaws too. But I can say that I very rarely indulge in even "harmless" lies. I think that adherence to Sathya (truth) helps me overcome my flaws, at least to some extent.
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