RIGHT SPEECH
Refraining from Malicious Speech
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Malicious speech is
unhealthy. Refraining from malicious speech is healthy. (MN 9)
Abandoning malicious speech, one refrains from malicious speech. One
does not repeat there what one has heard here to the detriment of these,
or repeat here what one has heard there to the detriment of those. One
unites those who are divided, is a promoter of friendships, and speaks
words that promote concord. (DN 1) One practices thus: “Others may speak
maliciously, but I shall abstain from malicious speech.” (MN 8)
Disputes occur when a person is contemptuous and domineering. Such a
person dwells disrespectful and undeferential towards others, causing
harm and unhappiness for many. If you see any such root of a dispute
either in yourselves or externally, you should strive to abandon it. And
if you do not see any such root of dispute either in yourselves or
externally, you should practice in such a way that it does not erupt in
the future. (MN 104)
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You may have
noticed that some people are more argumentative than others. There are
certain character traits that account for this, and being contemptuous
and domineering is certainly among them. The fact is that human
conflicts are rooted in human qualities of mind, and these need to be
addressed if any kind of transformation is to happen. The place to begin
this process is in yourself. Do you see any roots of dispute in
yourself?
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One of the ways
to practice refraining from malicious speech is to clear your mind of
the mental and emotional traits that give rise to it. Do you ever catch
yourself being contemptuous or domineering? Do you ever dwell
disrespectful and undeferential towards others? This is the place to
start: “Others might tolerate these qualities in themselves, but I shall
not.” Honest self-reflection is a challenging but rewarding practice.
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Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Verbal Action
One week from today: Refraining from Harsh Speech
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