- What is Right Speech ?

The Definition

“What is Right Speech? It is abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, and from idle chatter: This is called right speech.”

Five Keys to Right Speech

“It is spoken at the right time.

It is spoken in truth.

It is spoken affectionately.

It is spoken beneficially.

It is spoken with mind of goodwill.”

Reflect on your speech, before, during, and after speaking

The Buddha speaks to his son, Rahula, “Whenever you want to perform a verbal act, you should reflect on it: This verbal act I want to perform – would it lead to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both ? Is it an unskilful verbal act, with painful consequences, painful results ?” If, on reflection, you know that it would lead to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both; it would be an unskilful verbal act with painful consequences, painful results, then any verbal act of that sort is absolutely unfit for you to do. But if on reflection you know that it would not cause affliction ... it would be a skilful verbal action with happy consequences, happy results, then any verbal act of that sort is fit for you to do.”

“While you are performing a verbal act, you should reflect on it: This verbal act I am doing – is it leading to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both ? Is it an unskilful verbal act, with painful consequences, painful results ?” If, on reflection, you know that it is leading to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both; you should give it up. But if on reflection you know that it is not … you may continue with it.”

“Having performed a verbal act, you should reflect on it … If, on reflection, you know that it led to self-affliction, to the affliction of others, or to both; it was an unskilful verbal act with painful consequences, painful results, then you should confess it, reveal it, lay it open to the teacher or to a knowledgeable companion in the holy life. Having confessed it… you should exercise restraint in the future. But if on reflection you know that it did not lead to affliction … it was a skilful verbal action with happy consequences, happy results, then you should stay mentally refreshed and joyful, training day and night in skilful mental qualities.”

 Ten Wholesome Topics of Conversation

“There are these ten topics of (proper) conversation. Which ten? Talk on modesty, on contentment, on seclusion, on non-entanglement, on arousing persistence, on virtue, on concentration, on discernment, on release, and on the knowledge and vision of release. These are the ten topics of conversation. If you were to engage repeatedly in these ten topics of conversation, you would outshine even the sun and moon, so mighty, so powerful – to say nothing of the wanderers of other sects.”

How to Admonish Another Skilfully

“O bhikkhus, a bhikkhu who desires to admonish another should do so after investigating five conditions in himself and after establishing five other conditions in himself.

What are the five conditions which he should investigate on himself?”

1. “Am I one who practises purity in bodily action, flawless and untainted …?”

2.  “Am I one who practises purity in speech, flawless and untainted …?”

3. “Is the heart of goodwill, free from malice, established in me towards fellow-farers in the holy life… ?”

4. “Am I or am I not one who has heard much, who bears in mind what he has heard, who stores up what he has heard, who stores up what he has heard? Those teachings which are good alike in their beginning, middle, and ending, proclaiming perfectly the spirit and the letter of the utterly purified holy life – have such teachings been much heard by me, borne in mind, practised in speech, pondered in the heart and rightly penetrated by insight… ?

5. “Are the Patimokkhas (rules of conduct for monks and nuns) in full thoroughly learned by heart, well-analyzed with thorough knowledge of their meanings, clearly divided sutta by sutta and known in minute detail by me … ?”

“These five conditions must be investigated in himself.”

And what other five conditions must be established in himself ?”

         

“Do I speak at the right time, or not?

Do I speak of facts, or not?

Do I speak gently or harshly ?

Do I speak profitable words or not?

Do I speak with a kindly heart, or inwardly malicious?”

“O bhikkhus, these five conditions are to be investigated in himself and the latter five established in himself by a bhikkhu who desires to admonish another.”