All lies are not bad
January 3rd 2009 06:34
A man's house is on fire and his small children, very small children, are playing inside. They are very excited. They don't know... they are absolutely innocent, and they are dancing and enjoying because they have never seen such flames.
The whole village has gathered around the house, and people are shouting to the children from outside, "Come out, you will get burned!" But there is so much shouting that nobody is hearing, and those children are so enchanted with the flames dancing all around the house... and they are just in the middle, dancing and enjoying and giggling. It is such a great excitement to them.
Just then their father, who had gone to the city, comes back. And people gather around him and they say, "We are sorry, we cannot bring your children out. We have tried hard, we have been shouting, but they don't listen."
The father goes around the house... just near a window there is still no fire. He calls to the children; he says, "Listen, I have brought all the toys that you asked for. Just come out and get your toys."
And they all jump out of the window and they start asking, "Where are the toys?"
He says, "You just come out. I have left them there in the crowd." And when they reach there he says, "Just forgive me, I lied. I had to bring you out, and there was no way and no time to explain to you that you will be burned to death. This is fire, this is not entertainment. I have forgotten to bring your toys; I will bring them tomorrow, certainly. Forgive me for lying, but without lying it was impossible to save your lives -- only your toys could bring you out of the burning house."
In this story, lie proved to be life-saving devices. Sometimes lie comes out of compassion and love of the person.
The whole village has gathered around the house, and people are shouting to the children from outside, "Come out, you will get burned!" But there is so much shouting that nobody is hearing, and those children are so enchanted with the flames dancing all around the house... and they are just in the middle, dancing and enjoying and giggling. It is such a great excitement to them.
Just then their father, who had gone to the city, comes back. And people gather around him and they say, "We are sorry, we cannot bring your children out. We have tried hard, we have been shouting, but they don't listen."
The father goes around the house... just near a window there is still no fire. He calls to the children; he says, "Listen, I have brought all the toys that you asked for. Just come out and get your toys."
And they all jump out of the window and they start asking, "Where are the toys?"
He says, "You just come out. I have left them there in the crowd." And when they reach there he says, "Just forgive me, I lied. I had to bring you out, and there was no way and no time to explain to you that you will be burned to death. This is fire, this is not entertainment. I have forgotten to bring your toys; I will bring them tomorrow, certainly. Forgive me for lying, but without lying it was impossible to save your lives -- only your toys could bring you out of the burning house."
In this story, lie proved to be life-saving devices. Sometimes lie comes out of compassion and love of the person.
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