You must have heard the saying ``honest is the best policy’’. At all costs and at all times, it is best to be honest. Honest is closely linked to trust. If you are not honest, you will not be trusted.
For instance, you send your servant to the market to buy something, say a pen. You know that it costs Rs 5. But he tells you that he paid Rs 6 for it. You know that he is cheating you and you will never trust him again. You might even turn out of the job.
You cannot trust a dishonest person, even if he gives a lot of charity. A man may go to the temple regularly, a woman may seem to be very religious, but if they are dishonest, people will not believe them to be religious. They will doubt their faith in God.
A rich man once gave a job to a stranger. He made him the chowkidar of his mango orchard. He worked diligently and honestly and prayed regularly to God.
The rich man one day summoned him and told him to pluck some sweet mangoes from the orchard. He wanted to give them to some guests. The chowkidar brought some mangoes from the orchard. But all of them turned out to be sour. The rich man was very angry.
``I told you to luck the sweet ones’’, he shouted at the chowkidar.
``But sir, the poor man replied ``I don’t know how to recognize the sweet mangoes from the sour ones’’.
``You have lived among these trees for so many years. Do not tell me you don’t know which tree bears sweet fruit?’’ the rich man was quite astonished.
``No sir’’, came the reply, `` you see, I have never tasted a mongo from your orchard’’.
``But why ever not?’’ the rich man asked.
``Well you have never asked me to eat them, ‘’ he replied.
``My good man, the rich man said.’’ you sit in the orchard all day long, surely you don’t you don’t need my permission to eat a mongo.’’
The man stood up in pride and replied, ``I am a chowkidar. You have appointed me to guard trees. I prevent others from stealing. When this is so, can I steal mangoes by myself? If I do not have your permission to pluck the mangoes, it is stealing’’.
This man later won fame and was known as Mahatma Ibrahim.
Honest enriches all other qualities you have. God helps you, if you are honest. Everybody loves you for your honesty. If you are cheating somebody, you are dishonest.
Honesty lives in your heart, in your mind, in your soul. It has nothing to do with outward appearance. The world worships the inner beauty that is born out of honesty.