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.
Thursday, December 5, 2024
Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Action: Reflecting upon Verbal Action
However the seed is
planted, in that way the fruit is gathered. Good things come from doing
good deeds; bad things come from doing bad deeds. (SN 11.10) What is the
purpose of a mirror? For the purpose of reflection. So too verbal
action is to be done with repeated reflection. (MN 61)
When you wish to do an action with speech, reflect on that same verbal
action thus: "Would this action I wish to do with speech lead to my own
affliction?" If, on reflection, you know that it would, then do not do
it. If you know that it would not, then proceed. (MN 61)
Reflection
Verbal action
is as important a matter as bodily action, for much harm and much good
can be done with words. Reflecting on verbal action involves being
attentive to cause and effect, considering whether what you want to say
may cause harm to you or to someone else. The truth of the phrase "Bad
things come from uttering bad words" is plainly evident in the world
around us. Let's not contribute to it.
Daily Practice
This is a
practice familiar to us as "Think before you speak." It is simply a
matter of establishing and maintaining some space between what comes to
mind and what goes out into the world as speech. This moment of
reflection brings care to the process. Practice speaking slower and more
thoughtfully. Practice also placing yourself in the position of the
hearer and imagine how your words might be received by others.
Tomorrow: Abstaining from Taking What is Not Given One week from today: Reflecting upon Mental Action
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