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You can lie to the entire world if you like, but you must never lie to yourself.

(from mae chee kaew’s biography)
Don’t  be  resentful  of   criticism  or  prideful  of   praise.  Simply  stay focused  on  your  meditation  practice  from  dawn  to  dusk.  Develop spiritual virtue day and night, and always speak the truth. Self-honesty is the basis of  moral virtue. Know yourself, accept your faults  and  work  to  overcome  them.  Hide  nothing  from  yourself.  Above  all,  don’t  lie  to  yourself.  Lying  to  yourself   is  a  fundamental breach of  moral virtue. You can lie to the entire world if  you like, but you must never lie to yourself.


my comment:
That quote really struck me, because living in a secular world, most professions you can't survive without lying, or at the very least, intentionally withholding truths. Being too open,  transparent and forthcoming will cause you to fail tasks, lose clients, and ultimately your job, in most real world professions.

So it's very refreshing to hear Mae Chee Kaew acknowledge the harsh reality most people face, of not being able to maintain 100% honesty at all times. But as long we remain internally honest, as long as we never lie to ourselves, then that keeps us in touch with our conscience and keeps the possibility of rehabilitation and redemption alive. If we lie to the world and lie to ourselves, we're doomed. For (hopefully) obvious reasons.

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