The Power Of Speech

Episode 8, 7 December 2014, The Power Of Speech. [07:06]

Intro: Welcome to Buddhism Guide’s Audio blog.

A contemporary look at Gautama Buddha’s Teachings, from Karma Yeshe Rabgye.
Find out more, at http://www.buddhismguide.org
A transcript of this episode is available at http://buddhismguide.org/audio-blog-archive/audio-blog-transcripts/episode-8-transcript-the-power-of-speech

This Episode: The Power Of Speech. [00:17]
1. Speech is a very powerful tool. [00:20]

If we hit someone, it will hurt them for a short time and then go away, but if we verbally attack someone, those words can stay with them for many years.
On the other hand, well thought-out words can stop conflict, make friends, and heal rifts.
This is the power of speech, and this is why Gautama Buddha included Right Speech in the Eightfold Path.
Right Speech can be divided into four parts:
refrain from lying,
refrain from divisive speech,
refrain from harsh words, and
refrain from gossiping.

2. Lying. [01:07]

When we tell lies it is obviously going to hurt and mislead others, but it will also harm ourselves.
We must remember that we do not like to be lied to, so don't lie to others.
This will free your mind of any guilt and leave it more peaceful.

3. Divisive Speech. [02:30]

Divisive speech refers to speech that is intended to create a rift or division between people.
What is the antidote to divisive speech?
It is speech that promotes friendship and harmony.
Speech based on kindness and compassion, which wins the trust and affection of others.

4. Harsh Words. [03:30]

Harsh words are usually born out of anger, and cause harm and pain to the hearer.
There are several antidotes to harsh words, but the most important one is patience.

Gossiping. [04:39]

Gossiping is shallow and pointless.
It stems from the Three Poisons:
Desire,
Anger, and
Unawareness.
I believe to ensure we have Right Speech, we should ask ourselves the following questions:
Is what I'm going to say useful?
Is it going to hurt someone?
Is my speech motivated by desire, anger, or unawareness?
Would I like other people to say the same things to me?
Sometimes, it is more powerful to say nothing at all.

The Written Word. [05:50]

Before I finish, I just want to say something about the written word.
In Gautama Buddha's day this was not a problem, so he didn't mention the right written word, but today it is becoming a problem.
If you are going to write something down, you should check your motivation.

Outro. [06:46]

You can find more information about this subject in Karma Yeshe Rabgye’s books at http://www.buddhismguide.org/books/
The best way to catch a snake – A Practical Guide to the Buddha’s Teachings;
Life’s meandering path – A Secular Approach to Gautama Buddha’s Guide to Living;
Ripples in the stream – A Pragmatic Journey Through Gautama Buddha’s Teachings.
They’re available now, from Amazon and Kindle.
Thank you for listening, and I hope you enjoyed this blog post.