Honesty is its own reward. Dishonesty brings bad karmic results while honesty brings good results in one’s life.
Stories about how honesty led to positive outcomes
Runner at the crossroad
A soldier who was not used to running long distances was lagging behind and running alone in a cross-country race during training exercises.
He ran around a bend in the trail and came to a crossroad. The trail to the right, which led directly to the finish line, was for officers, and the other, which was more difficult and passed over a hill, was for soldiers. He paused, undecided as to which route to take.
Even though he was unhappy about the benefit granted to officers of a less difficult trail to the finish line, he still chose the more difficult trail for soldiers. He never expected that after running for another half an hour, he would reach the finishing line and cross first.
He was incredulous. He had never won a race before and was never in the top 50 finishers. The presiding officer laughed and congratulated him on his victory.
The trail to the right, which led directly to the finish line, was for officers, and the other, which was more difficult and passed over a hill, was for soldiers. (Image: keywest3 via Pixabay)
After several minutes, the remaining runners arrived. They were exhausted and found it strange that the soldier had won the race so quickly. At this point, everyone was open to the understanding of the importance of being honest when making choices.
Mr Baker’s daughter
A young man went to a company for a job interview and was one of the 10 selected candidates. The second stage was a separate interview by the Chairman, Mr. Baker. The young man entered Baker’s office feeling nervous.
As soon as Baker saw the young man, his eyes lit up and he said: “It’s you!” He then took the young man’s hand and said: “I’ve been searching for you for a long time.” Baker excitedly turned to his gathered colleagues and said: “Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the young man who saved my daughter!”
The young man’s heart beat very fast. Baker asked the young man to sit beside him. He said to his colleagues: “I was not good at sailing and my inexperience caused my daughter to fall overboard in the lake. This young man was sailing nearby and dove it to rescue her.” He turned to the young man and said: “I am so sorry, but at that moment, I only cared for my daughter and did not have the chance to thank you personally.”
“I was not good at sailing and my inexperience caused my daughter to fall overboard in the lake. This young man was sailing nearby and dove it to rescue her.” (Image: Tommy_Rau via Pixabay)
The young man tried hard to control his emotions and replied: “I’m sorry, Mr. Baker. I was not the one who saved your daughter.” “It was definitely you! I remember the mole on your face; you cannot fool me,” Baker responded.
At that, the young man stood up and reiterated: “Mr. Baker, you are mistaken, I did not save your daughter.”
Baker gazed at the young man and smiled: “Young man, I appreciate your honesty and have decided to hire you.”
Later, the young man asked the company’s head of personnel: “Did Mr. Baker ever find the young man who saved his daughter?” The supervisor replied with a laugh: “Mr. Baker has no daughter, it was just a test to see if you were honest. Some candidates lied and immediately revealed their true character, while others played along initially before eventually admitting that they were not the same person. You were the only candidate who was honest from the beginning.”
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