Lying: Buddhist Abstaining; How to Spot It

Dharmachari (WQ)
Buddha, Thiksey monastery, Buddhist India: Leh, Ladakh

Regarding lies and karma, Buddhism is clear. It is harmful. The consequences are certain. But fruition (phala) is delayed. Results (vipaka) may be immediate: one is pained here and hereafter. It is noteworthy that what is called a "lie" is less about absolute honesty and more about perjury. The lies that really matter -- whether of commission or omission -- are those regarding testimony.

There is no necessity of hurting feelings with the "brutal truth" at every opportunity. Compassion is more important. But that compassion is trumped by the need to be honest when called on to account. For example, when brought before an assembly (an audience) or a tribunal or one's peers, not omitting what you know or have seen and not inventing what you do not know or have not seen, that is the important thing.

The Buddha was remarkable but not unique in that he never lied. Many lives, many aeons in the past, the Bodhisat or "Buddha-to-be" (Judeo-Christian "Josaphat," Rhys Davids' Buddhist Birth-Stories) gave up lying. It was this karma, he explains, that gave him many benefits in the round of rebirth. He enjoyed heavenly lives, he was trusted, he avoided painful destinations, he had a mellifluous voice, he was respected, he was loved, he was listened to, he had influence, he died clear and unconfused... It is remarkable and astounding the degree to which honesty is beneficial.

Buddhism was well received and spread far beyond India (when the plethora of competing philosophies did not) because it was truthy, as Stephen Colbert would say, but moreover because the Buddha as a figure was trustworthy. His words were treasured. He was compelling. People wanted to listen to him and received his message well. This he explained was due to the karma (merit) he had long willed, performed, and accumulated. (One can argue whether or not he ever uttered a deliberate untruth; it does not seem difficult to imagine that he abstained from the literal definition of "false speech").

The Five Precepts are a minimal effort, simply being human:

1. One abstains from taking the life of living beings.
2. One abstains from taking what is not given.
3. One abstains from sexual misconduct.
4. One abstains from false speech.
5. One abstains from intoxicants.

What is "false speech"? Each of the precepts has an exact, technical definition. At a minimum, it means not to tell deliberate untruths. Technically, however, it is fourfold and may be practiced in its full form for maximum benefits: abstaining from perjury as well as abstaining from speech that is divisive, harsh, or frivolously-distracting.

• The Karma of Talking (WQ)

One will be honest. But the world will still be false: lies, perjury, distorts...fibs. Is it possible to tell when? Yes, here's how.

(Forbes.com) Does everyone fib? Many of us do -- many of us as often as we brush our teeth. While there is no surefire way to sniff out a dissembler, there are some helpful clues and tactics for uncovering untruths. Here are 11:

1. Tricky Tilt
   Truthful people more likely to face her questioners head on. Liars, on the other hand, are"likely to lack frontal alignment and will often sit with both their arms and legs crossed as if frozen," says Joseph Buckley, president of John E. Reid & Associates, which has provided interview and interrogation training to more than 500,000 law enforcement agents to date.
2. Imprecise Pronouns
   There is an "I" in "lie," but often not in the lie itself. To psychologically distance themselves from the lie, people often pepper their tales with second- and third-person pronouns like "you," "we," and "they."
3. Heavy Hands
   When telling the truth, people often make hand gestures to the rhythm of their speech. Hands emphasize points or phrases -- a natural and compelling technique when they actually believe the points they're making. The less certain will keep gesticulations in check.
4. Nervous Nellie
   Skilled liars don't break a sweat; the rest of us get a little fidgety. Four possible giveaways: shifty eyes, higher vocal pitch, perspiration and heavier breathing. Be careful, though: Not everyone who doesn't meet your gaze is a liar. "Certain behavioral traits like averting eye contact could be cultural and not indicative of a liar," says Buckley.
5. The Reid Technique
   A registered trademark of John E. Reid & Associates, the Reid Technique is a nine-step interrogation process that many U.S. law enforcement agencies employ to ferret out lies. The goal of the process is to lead the liar down a path such that he or she eventually has no choice but to admit guilt. For more on the technique, check out reid.com.
6. Curious Questions
   Liars are more likely to ask that questions be repeated and preface pronouncements with, "to tell you the truth," and "to be perfectly honest," says Buckley. Evasive answers to direct questions should raise your hackles, too.
7. Tongues as Long as Telephone Wires
   Something about the phone seems to bring out the liar in us. In one week-long study of 30 college students, Hancock observed that the phone was the most popular weapon of choice, enabling 37% of the lies told in this time, versus 27% during face-to-face exchanges, 21% using Web-based messaging and just 14% via E-mail. Little surprise, perhaps: Most phone calls don't leave a record behind.
8. Sparse Specifics
   Liars -- amateur ones, anyway -- may not have thought through all the particulars of their stories. If you suspect you're being lied to, gently probe for details. (You don't want the person to know you're on to him.)
9. Pregnant Pauses
   When a person is lying, the gaps between their words often increase, according to a 2002 study led by Robin Lickley, professor of speech and language at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland. While honest folks have the truth locked and loaded, liars tend to take more time between points -- no doubt searching for which approach will be the most convincing.
10. Lack of Cooperation
    Used-car salesmen not-withstanding, people gen-erally don't like to lie. It makes them uncomfortable, even surly. "While a truthful person is concerned, composed, and sincere, a liar is often defensive, guarded, and less cooperative," says Buckley.
11. Need to Be Right
    When honest people tell stories, they may realize partway through that they left out some details and unselfconsciously backtrack to fill in holes. They also may realize a previous statement wasn't quite right, and go back and explain further. Liars, on the other hand, "are worried that someone might catch them in a lie and are reluctant to admit to such ordinary imperfections," says psychologist Bella DePaulo, author of more than a dozen deception studies.