Donald Rothberg: Deepening Our Practice in the Pandemic 6: Wise Speech 3: Practicing with Difficult Speech Situations

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) After reviewing three foundations of Wise Speech--the four ethical guidelines for skillful speech, presence and mindfulness during speech, and the practice of empathy--we explore, on the basis of these foundations, how to be skillful during difficult or challenging situations of speech and communication, whether involving two individuals, a group, or a larger society. We identify eight perspectives, practices, and capacities that support skillful speech during such difficult situations.