A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay left leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma in Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Frivolous speech is
unhealthy. Refraining from frivolous speech is healthy. (MN 9)
Abandoning frivolous speech, one refrains from frivolous speech. One
speaks at the right time, speaks only what is fact, and speaks about
what is good. One speaks what is worthy of being overheard, words that
are reasonable, moderate, and beneficial. (DN 1) One practices thus:
“Others may speak frivolously, but I shall abstain from frivolous
speech.” (MN 8)
I assert and proclaim such a teaching that one does not quarrel with anyone in the world. (MN 18)
Reflection
It is entirely
natural that people have differences of opinion. It is not entirely
necessary that they quarrel about these by getting angry, abusive, or
dismissive, or otherwise generating unhealthy and harmful emotions. It
is enough to hold and express your own opinions and let others hold and
express theirs. You can still encourage them to change their opinions
but to do so in discussion and conversation rather than with
quarreling.
Daily Practice
See if you can
imagine what sort of a teaching you might follow such that you would not
be inclined to quarrel with anyone in the world. Do you have to take it
personally when someone disagrees with you? Do you need to have other
people change their opinions to align with yours? See what it feels like
to acknowledge that others have different opinions than yours and to
feel at ease with that, with no need to have them change.
Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Social Action One week from today: Refraining from False Speech
Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel
If
we lack inner freedom, any intense sensory experience can generate
strong attachments that entangle us. On the other hand, if we know how
to perfectly maintain our inner freedom, we can experience all
sensations within the pristine simplicity of the present moment, in a
state of well-being that is free from grasping and expectation.
"The minute you get near human beings, you are always saying, 'You're
too this,' or 'I'm too that.' The judging mind comes in. So I practice
turning people into trees, which means appreciating them the way they
are."