“(Satya) means speaking in ways that are trustworthy, harmonious, comforting, and worth taking to heart. When you make a practice of these positive forms of right speech, your words become a gift to others. In response, other people will start listening more to what you say, and will be more likely to respond in kind. This gives you a sense of the power of your actions: the way you act in the present moment does shape the world of your experience. You don’t need to be a victim of past events.” -Thanissaro Bhikkhu
As a younger person, I was very proud of my ability to tell the truth and be very honest. Blunt and rude might have been a better way to phrase it, really. There were certainly times that I used my honest nature in a loving, kind way, to promote the welfare of all beings. However, there were often times that I used the truth as an excuse to hurt someone.
So, with great compassion for ourselves, let’s explore Satya this week. Are there ever times when you lie, even when you don’t have to? Do you omit information to avoid conflict? Do you use your words of honesty to hurt others? Are you lying to yourself about anything in your life?
Being truthful with ourselves about where we need work lends itself to offering ourselves kindness and non-violence. The nature of looking intently at our behavior means we are going to see the ways in which we fall short of our ideal or who we think we are. Looking at ourselves with kindness and love as we shine the light into the darker corners of our soul keeps us balanced and gives us important perspective. It helps to smile gently and take a deep breath when it all feels a little overwhelming and too serious.
After all, we are on a path, not a destination.
