Does This (Dress) Make Me Look Fat?

These are probably the most dreaded words someone could ever say. Not because of the complexity behind the sentence or the meaning of each word. The difficulty lies in the answer to this age-old question, and many questions just like it. Honesty is sometimes brutal, and yet it is what it is. I guess this allows one to wonder what the idea behind the truth is and what it really means to tell the truth. Does the truth really set you free? Or does the truth set you up? Ganeri focuses on this subject he refers to as "Dangerous Truths" in The Concealed Art of the Soul. 

So to, prince, such speech as the Tathagate knows to be untrue, incorrect, and unbeneficial, and which is also unwelcome and disagreeable to others; such speech the Tathagathe does not utter.

Such speech as the Tathagate knows to be true and correct, but unbeneficial, and which is also unwelcome and disagreeable to others; such speech the Tathagathe does not utter.

Such speech as the Tathagate knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, and which is also unwelcome and disagreeable to others; such speech the Tathagathe knows the time to use such speech.

Such speech as the Tathagate knows to be untrue, incorrect, and unbeneficial, but which is welcome and agreeable to others; such speech the Tathagathe does not utter.

Such speech as the Tathagate knows to be true, correct, but unbeneficial, and which is also welcome and agreeable to others; such speech the Tathagathe does not utter.

Such speech as the Tathagate knows to be true, correct, and beneficial, and which is also welcome and agreeable to others; the Tathagata knows the time to use such speech.

This passage comes from a lesson from the Buddha himself. While looking upon this initially, it seems quite repetitive and can be a little confusing. What is occurring however the explanation of the truth in the relation to certain scenarios is. Notice that in only two areas does the Buddha decide it’s a time to speak. Ganeri talks about this decision in the 'Dangerous Truths’. Within the book, he also uses other parables, such as the simile of the snake, as well as the simile of the raft to explain the gravity of truth. To paraphrase both of these parables, there is a time and place for the truth and if it is handled incorrectly the effect is almost certainly negative. As stated in the reading above, it appears that the Buddha does not waste time or truths on unnecessary causes.

Within this chapter of 'Dangerous Truths' Ganeri poses the question does the Buddha lie? The answer to this question however, depends on many factors. First, what is a lie? Is a lie considered the complete absence of the truth or the altering of it? What about the omission? Is the omission of the truth a lie or is it just that? Ganeri tells us that the absence of the truth is not necessarily a negative thing when the absence of truth is not beneficial to a specific situation (54). Ganeri refers to the 'value' of the truth as instrumental, meaning the need for it is not always instant and may vary. With these implications, it would seem that if the situation called for such action, then the truth will not be presented if it has no overall benefit (55).

As I attempt to draw the correlation between these Buddhist concepts, and my own life I, too agree with the idea that the Buddha poses. We are taught by society to tell the truth and that it is the only way to go to heaven, (or nirvana in the Buddhist practice) as well as be a better person overall. As an individual who is known for being blunt, I felt as if I am persecuted for the one thing that is so valued in our society today. As I have matriculated through Spelman, I have realized that I do not express myself as much as I once did, because I find myself considering the feelings of others more important in some cases. Even though I may not agree with this idea. I believe that the negative energy that comes out of an unwelcomed truth is incapable of making impact. So in the future if I am asked those awful 7 words (Does this ___ make me look fat), I know that my answer may be no or even the omission of no and all other words.