Love is connected to virtues. Virtues create love within the self and within others. When virtues reduce, the quality of love is also reduced. When all virtues are present, there is complete and pure love. Out of all the virtues, the main one is honesty. If we feel someone is not being honest with us, our love breaks. Whether it is our mother, father, husband, wife or friend, if we feel they are being dishonest, love breaks. In terms of our relationship with God, if we are honest with God, we will draw His love. If we are not, that love will break. Even if we have no virtue other than honesty, we will be able to draw God’s love.
The first kind of honesty is honesty with myself. If I am honest with myself, there need be no situation in which I am not honest with others. If someone distrusts my honesty, perhaps it is a sign that I need to become more honest.
Honesty means to be very clear about everything going on inside us. Where there is honesty, feelings become pure and clean. Such clarity is reflected in our words; they will be filled with the power of truth and spoken with ease and without hesitation. The genuine honesty cultivated within us is what will reach out and touch others.
