"The gift of truth excels all other gifts"

Roath

I’ve been told that “The gift of truth excels all other gifts” is wise word but works only spiritually.

What do you think? Would you agree or not? why?

Thank you.

federica

Well, we're told in the Eightfold Path that Right Speech is one of the Qualities or virtues to develop.
We're also told in the Fourth precept that we should, if we can, avoid false and divisive speech, so, given that Speech is presented as a double whammy, I would conclude that Speech is of great importance.
But that 'the gift of Truth exceeds all other gifts'....?
Not sure.
Who said this?

Simonthepilgrim

Roath wrote: »

I’ve been told that “The gift of truth excels all other gifts” is wise word but works only spiritually.

What do you think? Would you agree or not? why?

Thank you.

First, we must see if truth is really a valuable gift. By inserting "lies" instead, we see that "truth" is preferable - in most cases, although I can think of times when how truth is told may be more important.

Then, we must see if there are any other gifts which could be even more important and it becomes clear that no truth is more valuable or excellent than life itself.

Nevertheless, for those who need to take their words from the teachings of others, it may be vital to emphasise that these are words of truth and are supremely valuable. Thus, to the Muslim, the truths given by the Prophet, to the Christian, those given by Jesus, to the Buddhist, those revealed by the Tathagata are deemed to be "beyond price". Thus, it may be suggested that selective "truths" are excellent but which ones? As Hamlet put it: "Aye, there's the rub."

Simonthepilgrim

P.S. The quotation comes, of course, from the Dhammapada, in the section called Craving, and is usually translated as:

354. The gift of dhamma exceeds all gifts;
the sweetness of dhamma exceeds all sweetness;
the delight in dhamma exceeds all delights;
the extinction of thirst overcomes all pain.

This does make a difference, I think.

aMatt

I see it as the way our bodies are impacted by the resonant joy of the dharma. Give a man a jewel and he might be happy for a month, teach a man how to see and relate to the dharma (through right speech) and he'll be joyous no matter how happy or sad he gets.

With warmth,

Matt