[Zen] What is Right Speech ... ???

[Bhikkhu Samahita]

Friends:        What is this imperative Right Speech ? The Noble Eightfold Way, leading to Nibbāna, is simply this: Right View, Right Motivation, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Awareness & Right Concentration! But what is Right Speech ?                       The 4-fold Definition of Right Speech:                       1: Avoiding Lying and any False Speech...                       2: Abstaining from every Divisive Talk...                       3: Refraining from all Angry Scolding...                       4: Stilling of any Idle & Empty Gossiping...                       That is Right Speech!             The Characterization of Noble Speech: Eliminating any false speech the Noble Friend dwells avoiding all lies, a truth-speaker, one to be relied on, trustworthy, loyal, not a deceiver of the world. Not speaking divisively or splitting, he does not tell them there, what he has heard about those here, or repeat here, what he heard there, harming those there. Thus is he a reconciler of those in conflict & a diplomat ending quarrels. The Noble Friend is rejoicing in peace, loving it, delighting in it, one who defends peace. Abandoning all harsh & aggressive speech he does not scold. He speaks whatever is blameless and pleasing to the ear, agreeable, touching the heart, elegant, gratifying and appealing to the many. Discarding idle & empty chatter, he speaks at the right time & only about what is correct, advantageous and to the point, of Dhamma and Self-Control. He is a speaker, whose words are to be treasured, timely, reasoned, well-defined, well-formulated, beneficial and leading to the goal... This is Noble Right Speech! The Ten Advantageous Subjects: Talk on the Modesty of having few wants, Talk on the Bliss of Contentment, Talk on the Joy of Seclusion, Talk on the Ease of Disentanglement, Talk on the Energy of Enthusiasm, Talk on the Advantage of Morality, Talk on the Calm of Concentration, Talk on the Insight of Understanding, Talk on the Freedom of Release, Talk on the Direct Experience & Vision of Release ... Such is Advantageous Right Speech!           The many kinds of Pointless Talk: Such as talk on kings, robbers, ministers, armies, dangers, wars, foods, drinks, clothing, furniture, jewellery, cosmetics, relatives, vehicles, villages, towns, cities, countries, women, heroes, places, amusements, the dead, trifles, the origin of the world, the origin of the sea, whether metaphysical things are so or are not so... Such talk is useless, irrelevant, detrimental, empty of any good... Knowing right & wrong speech as right & wrong speech, is right view. Awareness of presence of right & wrong speech, is right awareness. Exchanging wrong speech with right speech, is right effort... Further study of Buddhist Right Speech (Samma-Vaca): http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/samma-vaca.html  ________________________________________________________  PS: Please include the word Samahita in any request, since then  will my automatic mail filters pick it up and I will see it & respond!  Bhikkhu Samāhita, Sri Lanka.  Friendship is the Greatest ...  Let there be Calm Free Bliss !!!  http://groups.msn.com/DirectDhamma  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Buddha-Direct  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/What_Buddha_Said  Dhamma-Questions sent to my email are quite Welcome. Current Book Discussion: Appreciate Your Life by Taizan Maezumi Roshi YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS  Visit your group "ZenForum" on the web.    To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:  [EMAIL PROTECTED]    Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.