Expert: Justin Choo - 5/19/2011

Question
Dear Justin,
The question i would like to ask is about lying in Buddhism. The nature of my work involves interacting with customers and more often than not, a lie is necessary to put them to ease and not to create a panic. A lie is also necessary to get them to tell the truth as i know most of them are not truthful.
I know that part of Buddhism teaching and practice is about the having a correct conduct and to have "right speech" which means i have to refrain from lying. Everyday i go to work i get torn by the fact that i have to tell lies to get by. Although the lies told are never of a malicious nature and are more often than not a white lie, my conscious are never at ease.
Justin, can you advise me on how i can practice “right speech” while trying to earn a living as well?

Answer
Hi Vai,

Buddhists are advised to refrain from lying.  Note the word "refrain".  Usually the recitation of this fourth precept is : "I undertake to refrain from false speech."
From this sentence construction, it is not a commandment that you must never tell lies. So Buddhists actually should not have undue problem keeping this precept.  No matter what we do when following the Buddha's teachings, we must always use a little bit of common-sense wisdom, so as not to become good-hearted fools.  

We are just ordinary human beings, subject to the dictates of worldly problems.  When we practise Buddhism, we need to use a little wisdom to realize that we are not perfect human beings.  We practise the teachings of the Buddha to the best of our abilities.  For this precept, we can say to ourselves that we "shall undertake to refrain from false speech to the best of our abilities".  Once you can understand and realize that at times, you are not able to stick blindly and foolishly to the precept, you will be free from any negative conscience in your conduct of your daily affairs.  

Even on the subject of killing, we also need to consider that certain unwholesome actions may have to be taken for the "greater good" of the society.


Hope this helps.


Take care, and happy working!

Justin Choo