Honesty within Spirituality

Written by Mathew Naismith

Honesty is making a comeback it would seem, well in the spiritual arena anyway.  Recently I have had the pleasure in being in conversation with a number of people on numerous topics even when in disagreement.  Quite recently, people of the names of Pier & Windsong, have instilled this belief in me that honesty is making a comeback.

Going by various studies, most people accept lying & deception as a normal part of everyday life these days so finding truth within people is a big deal.  Pier & I for example have agreed on very little within our quite lengthy discussions but honesty & true virtue still withheld.  I utterly adore people who aren’t just honest with everybody else but within themselves, I suppose this is due to you can’t be honest with others until you are honest within yourself.

It is funny to think our human self will deceive itself but that is what it does if we are not aware. Becoming spiritually aware should subdue this but this of course depends on our beliefs & how fixated we are on them while being purposely ignorant to all else.  I find myself honest, maybe too honest for a lot of people mainly because I do at times come out with some strange concepts which, at times, can bring others to question their own beliefs.  This is when lies & deception can seep into a discussion but recently, while in discussion with others, this hasn’t been the case.

Windsong for example said he is addicted to the ego, how many spiritually aware people would admit this?

If you are eating to keep healthy that is ego, if you are working to keep a roof over your family’s head that is ego and so on. In everyday life we are addicted to the ego to sustain some sort of a pleasurable life. Some people might argue keeping a roof over our heads and healthy isn’t of the ego but a necessity of life. These necessities are really of desire and or need and desires & needs denotes ego.  Try living without an ego, would you care if you didn’t eat or had a roof over your head?  I’ve been there and no you don’t even live for a need because you have no needs.  Ego, as opposed to egotism, is a necessity so without lying to ourselves we realise we are all addicted to the ego because we are addicted to life!!  

Dishonesty comes in many forms, some deliberate, some through our closed mindedness brought on by our beliefs but most often dishonesty, especially to ourselves, unknowingly brought on by our own unfamiliarity of ourselves and our environment.   This is why it’s a good idea to listen and learn from others even if you disagree with them & their views like Pier and I have ensured recently.