Among the 10 non-virtuous deeds, it is easy to commit the action of telling lies, which involves divisive speech, harsh speech, senseless chatter, and speech with harmful intentions. We should avoid telling lies. For the sake of ourselves and others, we should not tell lies. Many of us have taken special vows, i.e. bodhisattva vows, vinaya vows, tantric vows etc... They are based on telling the truth. You must know that 'not speaking' and 'lying' are different. If you tell lies with bad motivation, you did it for your own benefit only. For example, if you willingly separate two persons/groups, then it is considered divisive speech which includes divisive deeds and thoughts. Unfortunately this kind of habit can happen everywhere, whether in Asia or in the West. Whether you are a monk or nun or lay person, as a practice, you must have good fundamental thoughts on being a good human being. If you practise the wrong way, then even if you did many retreats, it would not help much. It won't help your mind. Learn to use the basic principle of being a Buddhist, and that is, how to be a good person.

-- Dagyab Rinpoche