TRUTHFULNESS

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TRUTHFULNESS

 

Bg 10.4-5 P The Opulence of the Absolute

SATYAM, TRUTHFULNESS, MEANS THAT FACTS SHOULD BE PRESENTED AS THEY ARE FOR THE

BENEFIT OF OTHERS. FACTS SHOULD NOT BE MISREPRESENTED. ACCORDING TO SOCIAL

CONVENTIONS, IT IS SAID THAT ONE CAN SPEAK THE TRUTH ONLY WHEN IT IS PALATABLE

TO OTHERS. BUT THAT IS NOT TRUTHFULNESS. THE TRUTH SHOULD BE SPOKEN IN A

STRAIGHT AND FORWARD WAY, SO THAT OTHERS WILL UNDERSTAND ACTUALLY WHAT THE

FACTS ARE. If a man is a thief and if people are warned that he is a thief,

that is truth. ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES THE TRUTH IS UNPALATABLE, ONE SHOULD NOT

REFRAIN FROM SPEAKING IT. TRUTHFULNESS DEMANDS THAT THE FACTS BE PRESENTED AS

THEY ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS. THAT IS THE DEFINITION OF TRUTH.

 

SC 7 Authorized Discrimination SCRIPTURAL INJUNCTIONS MAY NOT

BE VERY PALATABLE; NONETHELESS, THEY ARE AUTHORITATIVE, AND WE HAVE TO PREACH

THE TRUTH. WE CANNOT PLAY HIDE AND SEEK WITH THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE. We must know

our real position, and we must know what is religion and what is irreligion.

Religion means action according to the orders of God, and irreligion means

action that goes against the orders of God.

 

680710SB.MON LecturesPradyumna: Does straightforwardness, that

arjavam quality of a brahmana, does that include making the truth palatable to

someone who will not understand the truth directly?Prabhupada: Yes. WHEN YOU

SPEAK OF HIGHER TRUTHS, YOU DON'T CARE WHETHER IT IS PALATABLE TO OTHERS OR

NOT. In social formality you can see. That has happened actually. Because the

Pope, he was not strong enough in the beginning... Because some other Pope, he

thought, "It may be unpalatable," he did not speak the truth. Now the other

Pope is speaking the truth. They are not accepting. But from the very beginning

the priests should have preached in every church, "My dear Christian brothers,

you cannot use these contraceptive methods." They were never told in the

churches. They were satisfied to get fees. That's all. Everywhere, not only in

the Christian world. In the Hindu, in Christian, they don't care for any rules

and regulations any more. But they profess that "I am Christian,I am Hindu,"

"I am Muhammadan." (end)

 

681020LE.SEA Lectures So people may not like it. It may be very

unpalatable, but the fact is like that. Satyam bruyat priyam bruyat ma bruyat

satyam abruyat. It is social convention that if you want to speak truth, you

speak truth very palatable, flattering. Don't speak unpalatable truth. BUT WE

ARE NOT MEANT FOR THAT PURPOSE, SOCIAL CONVENTION. WE ARE PREACHER, WE ARE

SERVANT OF GOD. WE MUST SPEAK THE REAL TRUTH. YOU MAY LIKE IT OR MAY NOT LIKE

IT, THAT A GODLESS CIVILIZATION CANNOT BE HAPPY IN ANY STAGE. THAT IS A FACT.

 

72-01-02. Letter: Yajnesvara Regarding your questions, your first question

was should the devotee always speak the truth to everyone in all circumstances?

The answer is yes, one should always speak the truth, but QUALIFIED DEVOTEE will

be able to speak the truth always very palatable to everyone so that it will

sound pleasing even to his enemy, that is the art of speaking truth. It is

certainly so that we must speak the truth to all people, but how you say it

that is another thing: satyam bruyat, priyam briya. When you become yourself

little more experienced in Krishna Consciousness by preaching work and if you

are sincere and serious to make progress in spiritual understanding, you need

not have to worry yourself further because the truth will always be spoken by

you in the proper manner. Krishna will give you that intelligence, you need not

be concerned for it.

 

770103rc.bom Conversations Prabhupada:

So this is our position. Satyam bruyat priyam bruyat ma bruyat satyam

apriyam.(?) The world situation is that you can speak truth if it is palatable.

And if it is unpalatable, don't speak. BUT THIS THING CANNOT BE MAINTAINED WHEN

YOU ARE PREACHING SPIRITUAL LIFE. THERE WE CANNOT CHEAT. SPIRITUAL LIFE MUST BE

DECLARED VERY FRANKLY. NOT THAT WE HAVE TO DECLARE; IT IS ALREADY DECLARED.