Human beings are born with various characters. Some are optimistic, some are pessimistic, and others are practical. There is one kind of character that tends to deceive both himself and others at the same time. During the recent global financial crisis, deception is one of the triggers for the economic bubble to burst, causing the stock market to crash, business going under, employees being laid off, and even business owners committing suicide. For every tragedy, there is a philosophical life lesson to be learned. Deception is indeed an irrational way to handle life situations, often causing harm to oneself as well as others. Zhu Zi said in his "Book of Idioms" that: "By deceiving others, one is also deceived. This is the ultimate kind of self-deception."

Let us try to understand the issue of deception from the Buddhist's perspective by first identifying its cause and its negative impact before finding a solution to deal with it. This method of approach is based on the teachings of the Four Noble Truths, which the Buddha taught in more than 2,000 years ago.

The Four Noble Truths are teachings of the Buddha on turning sufferings into true happiness.

1. The First Noble Truth - Suffering

All human beings suffer for various reasons with no exception. Although each person's suffering might not be the same, it can be categorized into 8 groups, namely: birth, old age, sickness, death, separation from loved ones; being with someone or in situation one dislikes; not getting what one desires; grief, lamentation and distress.

2. The Second Noble Truth - The Arising of Suffering

The arising of suffering explains where suffering in life originates from. It is the result of ignorant craving, desire and hatred, that plant the seeds of karmic actions that lead to suffering.

3. The Third Noble Truth – The Cessation of Suffering

Nirvana is the ultimate state of blissfulness and tranquility. It transcends the cycle of life and death (samsara). It is the full liberation and freedom from the continuity of suffering.

4. The Fourth Noble Truth – The Path

This noble truth is the way of practice leading to the cessation of suffering and to the realization of Ultimate Nirvana.

The Four Noble Truths consist of two levels of the Law of Causation: mundane and supramundane. For the mundane, the arising of suffering is the cause and suffering is the result. For the supramundane, the Path is the cause and Nirvana is the result.

Now, let us try to implement the Four Noble Truths to deception in order to find a remedy for it.

Deception is an erroneous act, but then what causes us to deceive others and in turn even ourselves?

Say for example, smokers are often advised by their family and friends of the harmful effect of smoking on health and the environment. But they very often dismiss these warnings because they find quitting too unbearable. They therefore come up with excuses like: "Smoking adds character to my personality. Well-known figures like Lu Xun and Deng Xiaping are also smokers." Some female smokers might perceive smoking as a courageous and heroic act to complement their femininity. This behaviour is in fact self-deceiving, for one turns to smoking to hide one's deficiency in order to gain acceptance. As we all know through many scientific and medical studies that smoking is indeed harmful to our health, we should no longer deceive ourselves. The wise will quit smoking before it is too late.

Another example is the consumption of alcohol. Regardless of the occasion, alcohol intoxicates. Under the influence of alcohol, one can say and do stupid things that one regrets later, or even commit serious offenses such as killing, stealing and adultery. Those who drink might start off thinking that alcohol is good for health and there is no harm in social drinking for it enhances their image. Nevertheless, once addicted, the harm can be long lasting when it causes damage to the liver and other organs in the body.

Gambling is another example of self-deception. Most gamblers start off with small bets thinking that this is a form of entertainment or a way to make quick money. But eventually, with larger bets and over time, gambling can become an addiction and the gambler can end up losing all wealth and belongings. It also messes up one's career and family life.

The above examples show the damaging impacts of self-deception.

According to the Buddha's teaching, "What really matters is not the arising of a thought, but the lack of realization soon enough." Another old saying is, "We are not saints and sages, how can we be fault-free?" Admitting our own fault and making correction in time is indeed the action of the brave ones. Now that we realize deception is harmful, we should act truthfully and rationally, without inflating ego and overstating promises. There's a saying that, "The truth cannot be faked, while what is false cannot be made real." Adapting this practical way of cultivation can help us lead a happy and contented life.

There is a saying, "With distance, a horse's true power is demonstrated; given time, one's true personality is revealed." The Surangama Sutra states that, "With deceptive cause as ground, the outcome will indeed be convoluted." If we continue to deceive others in our everyday life, we will bear unwholesome fruit according to the Law of Causation. On the contrary, by acting honestly and faithfully, we embrace life in its fullness and abundance.

The Sixth Patriarch of Chan, Master Hui Neng, once proclaimed, "With a perfectly balanced mind, precepts become redundant." This means that if our mind is pure, not being disturbed by outside objects, then rules and regulations become unnecessary. This is like a non-smoker coming across a "No Smoking" sign. The sign has no impact on him whatsoever.

If we can maintain an "uncontaminated true mind", like that of the Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng, we can comprehend the teachings of Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra: "No obstruction in one's mind; Because of no obstruction, he passes far beyond confused imagination and reaches Ultimate Nirvana." We suffer from grief and despair due to the three poisons of desire, hatred and ignorance. These obstructions in turn create discrimination and disturb our tranquility, leading us to deceive others as well as ourselves.

Living with wisdom, we learn to control our cravings. Living with compassion, we seek to understand the truth and stroll through the journey of life with ease and liberation.