Truth and Self-Discipline for Families : หน้า 145/216

Part Five: Truth for the Family 4. By nature, humans will not lie. People should always speak the truth. They should always be honest and sincere to one another. Imagine if we find out that the people whom we love are not honest with us. How would we feel? So we need to remember that if we lie to someone, they will feel less love for us, and vice versa. No one likes dishonesty, so we should not lie to anyone. Hence, the fourth Precept reminds us not to lie and to stay in keeping with our true nature. 5. By nature, humans will not consume intoxicants. Many animals are physically stronger than people, but they lack the faculty to turn their strengths toward meaningful purposes. They possess little or no conscience and therefore act only in accordance to their instincts. Our conscience can also be powerless. For example, a student who has an examination might feel very sick the day before he has to take it. But if he takes some medicine, he feels a little bit better. He is then able to bring himself to finish all the lessons needed for the exam because his conscience to remedy himself was strong. However, if that same person consumes alcohol, amphetamines, or beer and then tries to study, the results will be completely different. Conscience is enduring. It can withstand starvation, exhaustion, and sickness. But intoxicants such as alcohol and drugs can destroy all of these qualities. Consuming intoxicants can destroy our conscience. And without our conscience, we would be capable Family Day By Day 143 Acts of Self-Discipline