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.
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Speech: Refraining from False Speech
False speech is unhealthy.
Refraining from false speech is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning false speech,
one dwells refraining from false speech, a truth-speaker, one to be
relied on, trustworthy, dependable, not a deceiver of the world. One
does not in full awareness speak falsehood for one’s own ends or for
another’s ends or for some trifling worldly end. (DN 1) One practices
thus: “Others may speak falsely, but I shall abstain from false speech.”
(MN 8)
Reflection
Refraining from
false speech has both external and internal consequences. By becoming a
“truth-speaker” you become trusted and respected by others, and they
will consider you dependable. Internally, you avoid the harm to your
character that is inflicted by false speech, for in being untruthful you
hurt yourself as much as others. Notice that you need not try to change
others but only commit to being the best person you can be.
Daily Practice
Undertake a
commitment to always tell the truth. The practice of right speech can be
as simple as that. Refrain from even little white lies, petty
deceptions, and frivolous, perhaps amusing, deflections from the truth.
Try this for a while at least and see what it feels like and what effect
it has on you. You may find it feels good to be scrupulously truthful;
gradually you may even get in the habit of being a truth-speaker. This
is good.
Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Bodily Action One week from today: Refraining from Malicious Speech
Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel
No comments:
Post a Comment