Reference: The Happiness Rundown
7-1. Do not tell harmful lies
Harmful lies are the product of fear, malice and envy. They can drive people to acts of desperation. They can ruin lives. They create a kind of trap into which the teller and the target can both fall. Interpersonal and social chaos can result. Many wars began because of harmful lies.
One should learn to detect them and reject them.
.
Exercise
0. Make sure you have completed the exercise section at Happiness: Precept 7. Study the precept above.
1. Check the responses to the following questions for false data (see false data steps at Happiness: Prologue).
(a) “Have you been told or taught to tell harmful lies?”
(b) “Do you have any rules or ideas contrary to not telling harmful lies?”
(c) “Have you been led to believe that you should tell harmful lies?”
(d) “Do you know of anything that conflicts with not telling harmful lies?”
(e) “Do you have any false data about harmful lies?”
.
2. Go over each of the following questions repetitively, until there are no more answers:
(a) “How have others transgressed against the precept: ‘Do not tell harmful lies’?”
(b) “How have you transgressed against the precept: ‘Do not tell harmful lies’?”
Do a quick review to see if you did not miss any answers on this step. You should be feeling good about this step.
.
3. See if the following question definitely brings up some name you know of:
“Is there any specific person in your past who really transgressed against the precept: ‘Do not tell harmful lies’?”
If no name comes up then go to step 4. if a name has come up, then continue with step 3 as follows:
“Can you recall an exact moment when you observed ___(name)___ transgressing this precept?”
If there is a realization, go to step 4. Otherwise, continue contemplating as follows, until there is some realization.
“Is there any time when you wanted to be like ___(name)___ ?”
“Is there any time when you decided that telling harmful lies was a good thing?”
“Did you ever do anything bad to ___(name)___ ? (Get all possible answers)
“Are there any differences between ___(name)___ and yourself?”
“Are there any similarities between ___(name)___ and yourself?”
.
4. Handle any anomalies that come up on the following question by looking at the anomaly more closely.
”Do you have any reservations about not telling harmful lies?”
If the anomaly does not resolve then review the precept as well as all the exercise steps above to see if anything was missed. Then do step 4 again. When there is no anomaly go to step 5.
.
5. Contemplate on the following question.
“Do you have any reservations about getting someone else not to tell harmful lies?”
If any reservation comes up, then consider the following:
“How would that be a problem?”
Get answers to this question until there are no reservations.
.
