Truthfulness

125. THE SEVENTH PARAMITA

Truthfulness (sacca) means both honesty with other people and truthfulness with oneself – being honest about what our hearts really long for and courageously pursuing this with the whole of ourselves. If we practise inconsistently, or simply because we desire praise, it will never produce real results.

126. MUCH FROM LITTLE

“Speak few words, but say them with quietude and sincerity and they will be long-lasting.”

LAO TZU (6TH CENTURY BCE), CHINA

127. RAY OF LIGHT

“But such is the irresistible nature of truth that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing. The sun needs no inscription to distinguish him from darkness.”

THOMAS PAINE (1737–1809), ENGLAND/USA

128. TWO THINGS

“Love truth, and pardon error.”

VOLTAIRE (1694–1778), FRANCE

129. LONGER THAN LIFE

“Life is short and truth works far and long: let us speak the truth.”

ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER (1788–1860), GERMANY

130. INDISPUTABLE

“The truth is to be lived, it is not to be merely pronounced with the mouth. There is nothing to argue about in this teaching.”

HUI-NENG (638–713), CHINA