Self-Truth
Being honest with oneself about one's spiritual state and motivations.
Inner truthfulness means seeing oneself clearly, without self-deception. Honest self-assessment of one's attachments, faults, and spiritual progress is essential for genuine growth.
He who deceives himself cannot free himself.
Self-truth is prerequisite for spiritual progress.
Introspection Practice
Written about in
- What Jainism says about forgiveness
Before asking forgiveness, Jainism asks for accurate self-assessment — seeing your own attachments and faults without flattery. An apology built on self-deception repairs nothing here, because the practice is aimed at the state of your soul, and that is not something you can talk into a better mood.
- What Jainism says about doubt
The hardest doubt to hold is the one about yourself. Jainism asks for honest assessment of your own attachments and spiritual progress on the grounds that a person who deceives himself cannot free himself — self-flattery is the single uncertainty the system will not let you leave alone.