hare Krishna to all the devotees
All glories to srila Prabhupada
We all might know that in some professions like for example say lawyers, have to lie to earn money, they often defend the culprits, so is this lying justified being for the purpose of earning money? And if suppose, a culprit comes to the lawyer for his help, can he just reject him?
Also there are other professions too like sometimes in business maybe, and of course in politics we everyday see so many false promises and corruption.
Replies
Hare Krishna,
Lying /cheating is a sin.
One can lie to save a innocent person that becomes a dharma.
If a lawyer is trying to lie to save his client who is actually guitly of a crime. So, knowingly supporting a criminal or defending him just because the person gave the lawyer some huge amount of money to save him ... will cause both lawyer and the criminal to be classified as sinner.. they are bound to face hell ( even if they win the case by illegal means in this mateiral world).
A vaishya ( trader) by profession is a business man ( his prescribed duty) is to do business.. take money in return of selling some goods. Let us say he purchased that good for 10 rupees and sells it for 10 rupess..whats the fun in doing business? right.. he must involve the profit..
The businessman went to purchase the good.. Maybe he can add his travel expenses.. maybe whatever mehnat ( of man power) that he used to procure the raw mateirals he can add that chagres.. he can also add a little bit profit for maintaining that good in the store on display ( making and displaying charges)
let us say he purchased the raw mateiral- for 10 rupees., he went to the raw material shop by walk.. ( but he can put bus fares) he saved money there by walking all the way... he can say 10rupees+ bus fare..
he has the skill to use raw material and make the product by his own hands ( but he will say making charges, Sir I employed two people to make it ) and take making charges--plus he kept it in display for so long... until the coustmers come to buy it.. ( disply charges or showroom charges) kul mila ke he can say... 20 rupees and sell it for 20 or 25 rupees. This is reasonable and understandable.
Bechare ne walk karke gaya... aur bus charge he poocha ( he didn't ask flight charges which is unreasonable) so it is okay
bechare ne day and night baithke banaya ... ( making charges poocha) which is also reasonable- he didn't say unreasonably high.. I employed 100 employees and made this item and not charging 1000 rupees. hai na..
So, this type of business is good.. The money and time he invested he got some profit out of it.
Simply putting the 10 or max. 20 rupees article for 1000 rupees is called cheating
Not only that.. these days.. we are finding businessmen-- selling rice mixing with kankad ( stones) just make rice heavy I kilo rice mein 50gram stones mix karke bech rahe hai ( so that they can save 50 gram rice for every 1kg of rice sold. this is cheating the coustmer. If you are doing business ask reasonable price and sell the good properly with no adulterations.
Politicians who make false promises just to get votes and later after getting the padavi (positon ) they don't care for the vows.. these types of empty promises are sinful.
There was a brahmina one time he was doing his sandhya vandanam and was offering jal ( water) to Sun god.. and a cow ran passed him.. he saw it.. Behind him there was a person chasing it.. the person had a butcher's knife in his hand.. Brahmin also understood that the butcher is chasing the cow.. Cow qucikly took shelter in the courtyard of the brahmin, behind a small fence. hiding behind the fence. Now the butcher came to the Brahmina said.. oh brahmina.. did you see the cow passing from here? Brahmina said yes.
Then the butcher asked where is the cow? show me its location where is hiding.. Brahiman was preplexed .. if he tells the truth.. . the cow will die... If he he lies- he might get paap.. as he is doing pooja right there and offering jal to Surya bhagwan ( who is truth Sun is supposed to be light and truth)
what he did made him become kasaai ( a butcher ) in next life... You know the story of Sadan Kasaai a great devotee of Lord Sri Krishna and yet only because he told a truth that cow was hinding behind the fence and he made the butcher kill the cow that day.. in the next life he became the butcher man
Sometimes to save some innocent beings we must maybe tell a lie too. It is only Dharma at that time.
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna mataji
Thank you for clarifying the doubt