8. Not to talk ill of others especially in their absence

Backbiting, character assassination, falsehood about another, trying to belittle or bring down the esteem of one in the eyes of the other, is a deadly cancer that has destroyed many groups; even great movements and. most certainly must be considered an anathema to any spiritual body.

Here the talking ill or finding faults should not be mistaken as being blind to the genuine faults or mistakes of others. It means simply that we must be totally conscious of our motive should it be necessary to talk about the faults of others.

To say that it is a sin to talk about others in their absence would be to make every living person a sinner. We always talk of others - this is inevitable. What then is this injunction? It simply means that if we do talk about others, than it should only be in a genuine positive manner where we want to help, to improve and elevate not to degrade and condemn.