The Perfection of Truthfulness - Superior truthfullness

We can have understanding of realities stemming from listening to the Dhamma but this does not mean that we know their characteristics when they are appearing. We should further develop understanding in conformity with what we learnt by listening and we should be aware of realities. We may be deceptive in speech, be it even a little, or we may not act in accordance with our promise, but when sati-sampajanna arises it can realize that this is akusala. Many akusala cittas arise in a day, but we do not know this because of our forgetfulness; there is no awareness of the characteristics of realities, no understanding of them as they are. Understanding has to be very detailed and refined so that the characteristics of realities can be known as they are. The development of satipatthana will lead to a more precise discrimination between different realities and thus, panna is able to know the characteristic of akusala. When akusala arises panna can know what type of akusala arises, and it can know its characteristic as different from kusala. In this way kusala dhamma can gradually be further developed.
The perfection of truthfulness accompanies the perfection of panna. We should make an effort to know what sacca, truthfulness, is: sincerity in the development of kusala, no deviation from kusala. If we happen to deviate from kusala we should know that kusala has not yet reached accomplishment. Our defilements are still very strong and without panna we easily deviate from kusala. When sati- sampajanna arises it can realize when we go wrong and this is a condition for restraint in the future.
Truthfulness that is superior, ariya sacca, is the truth penetrated by the ariyan. The penetration of the noble Truths is the condition for becoming an ariyan, an enlightened person. At this moment we try to listen and to understand the true Dhamma. Nothing else can be as beneficial in our life as the understanding of the truth of realities. We should make an effort to understand the realities that are appearing and to develop also all other kinds of kusala. The characteristics of realities can be penetrated in conformity with the understanding acquired through listening to the Dhamma and the study of it. At this moment realities are arising and falling away, they are not a being, not a person, not self. However, we are not able to see the arising and falling away of realities because of our many defilements and because of ignorance that hides the truth. We need the perfection of truthfulness, so that we are sincere in the development of all degrees of kusala through body, speech and mind, be it dana, síla or bhavana. Otherwise we shall be overwhelmed by the power of akusala. Seeing the benefit of truthfulness is a condition for accumulating it. We may contemplate truthfulness within ourselves, but we should also reflect on the truthfulness of the Buddha when he was still the Bodhisatta and developed the perfection of truthfulness.