Right Speech

[icy]

Speech that is not harmful is the meaning of "right speech." It is wise speech. Wise people can still be quite firm and decisive when that is what is needed. It means finding generous and productive ways of saying things. There are times when we need to be strict, but we do not have to denigrate or harm the person or child who is out of line. Firm speech can also be wise speech.
Wise speech is another tool that can be practiced. We can begin by practicing wise speech to ourselves--replacing the inner voice of guilt that is putting us down and opening a space to listen to our deeper needs.
What can I say which will be helpful to someone? What tone of voice will I use? And when is it wise to say nothing? Imagine yourself actually saying something helpful and supportive. Imagine the difference it would make in your life if you could say just one helpful thing to one person. Imagine your life if your speech always came from wisdom.

[dondrup]

Right Speech means to abstain from lying, to abstain from divisive speech, to abstain from hurtful speech and to abstain from idle chatter.  Right Speech is the first principle of the ethical conduct in the Eightfold Noble Path.

The Eightfold Noble Path can be classified into ethical conduct (Right Speech, Right Action & Right Livelihood), concentration (Right Effort, Right Mindfulness & Right Concentration) and wisdom (Right View & Right Intention).  When these are performed with the motivation of renunciation or bodhichitta, they are known as Higher Moral Discipline, Higher Concentration and Higher Wisdom respectively.

The practice of the Eightfold Noble Path leads to the cessation of suffering (dukkha) and the achievement of self-awakening. It is used to develop insight into the true nature of phenomena (or reality) and to eradicate greed (attachment), hatred, and delusion (or ignorance).

[sonamdhargey]

Speech that is not harmful is the meaning of "right speech." It is wise speech. Wise people can still be quite firm and decisive when that is what is needed. It means finding generous and productive ways of saying things. There are times when we need to be strict, but we do not have to denigrate or harm the person or child who is out of line. Firm speech can also be wise speech.
Wise speech is another tool that can be practiced. We can begin by practicing wise speech to ourselves--replacing the inner voice of guilt that is putting us down and opening a space to listen to our deeper needs.
What can I say which will be helpful to someone? What tone of voice will I use? And when is it wise to say nothing? Imagine yourself actually saying something helpful and supportive. Imagine the difference it would make in your life if you could say just one helpful thing to one person. Imagine your life if your speech always came from wisdom.

Thank you Icy. Very insightful post.

Today in this era, with internet and mass media the speech of a person can reach around the world with just click of a finger.

With social media a global communication tool, there are so many examples of speech used to inflame passion and violence and to separate people into sectarian and ideological differences. It's not so easy to find speech that leads to peace and harmony.

In this era right speech is upmost importance using the social media as the tool to to promote peace and harmony with Buddhist teachings.

[Midakpa]

The Buddha once said that "pleasant speech is sweet as honey, truthful speech is beautiful like a flower, and wrong speech is unwholesome like filth".

Right Speech is part of the Eightfold Path. The Eightfold Path consists of three aspects: Morality, Concentration and Wisdom. Together with Right Action and Right Livelihood, Right Speech is one of three factors under Morality (Sila). Right Speech involves truthfulness and respect for the feelings of others. The opposite is wrong speech which is one of the non-virtuous actions under the Refuge Vows. Wrong speech includes lying, divisive speech, slander, harsh words and idle talk.

We all have been hurt before by harsh words. Some people, wounded by harsh speech, become even more hardened and refuse to change. On the other hand, gentle speech and kind words can change the most hardened criminals.

Right Speech is necessary to develop a harmonious society. Therefore, we should control our speech and cultivate speech motivated by kindness and compassion, that brings harmony to all around us.

[Tenzin K]

Right Speech is not just a personal virtue. Modern communication technology has given us a culture that seems saturated with "wrong" speech, communication that is hateful and deceptive. This engenders disharmony, acrimony, and physical violence.

We tend to think of violent, hateful words as being less wrong than violent action. We may even think of violent words as being justified sometimes. But violent words, thoughts and actions arise together and support each other. So to do peaceful words, thoughts and actions.

Beyond cultivating beneficial or harmful karma, Right Speech is essential to personal practice. Abbess Taitaku Patricia Phelan of the Chapel Hill Zen Group says "Right Speech means using communication as a way to further our understanding of ourselves and others and as a way to develop insight."

The Basics of Right Speech

As recorded in the Pali Canon, the historical Buddha taught that Right Speech had four parts:

Abstain from false speech; do not tell lies or deceive.
Do not slander others or speak in a way that causes disharmony or enmity.
Abstain from rude, impolite or abusive language.
Do not indulge in idle talk or gossip.
Practice of these four aspects of Right Speech goes beyond simple "thou shalt nots." It means speaking truthfully and honestly; speaking in a way to promote harmony and good will; using language to reduce anger and ease tensions; using language in a way that is useful.

If your speech is not useful and beneficial, teachers say, it is better to keep silent.

[RedLantern]

Speech is a powerful force and can be for good or for harm.To practice right speech,we must speak the truth and avoid gossip.
Right speech ,explained in negative terms,means avoiding four types of harmful speech:lying,devisive speech,harsh speech and idle chatter.
In  the positive terms,right speech means speaking in a way that are trustworthy,harmonious,comforting trustworthy and worth take to heart.When we make a practice of these positive forms of right speech.our words become as a gift to others, to share in respond in kind.This give a sense of power of our actions.
Do pay close attention to what we say and to why we say it.When we do,we'll discover that an open mouth doesn't have to be a mistake

[Manjushri]

One's speech is meant to be used to benefit others, to spread the Dharma, to teach, to compliment, to encourage and to support. If you use your speech to harm others, you might as well stay silent! Your speech can be detrimental to some, it can hurt others (and drastically, may I add), and cause a long period of suffering, or in some extreme cases, their life. Therefore watch what you say, say what you what with respect, and put yourself in the shoes of the recipient. If what you are going to say to that someone, you cannot take it yourself being in their shoes, then you have no right to say it.

In Buddhist terms, the historical Buddha taught that Right Speech had four parts:

1.Abstain from false speech; do not tell lies or deceive.
2.Do not slander others or speak in a way that causes disharmony or enmity.
3.Abstain from rude, impolite or abusive language.
4.Do not indulge in idle talk or gossip.

It means speaking truthfully and honestly; speaking in a way to promote harmony and good will; using language to reduce anger and ease tensions; using language in a way that is useful.
(http://buddhism.about.com/od/theeightfoldpath/a/rightspeech.htm)

Also, these are basis to your refuge vows... Notice how easy it is to break these vows on a daily basis? Ask yourself how many times you indulged in gossip/idle chatter today, or used abusive language onto others, hurting them.

How many people there are around you is a reflection of your speech too! If there's no one who respects or likes to be with you, then most probably your speech is going the wrong direction! Better hit the brakes before it gets too late! Time to be a on a silent retreat.

[pgdharma]

According to Thanissaro Bhikkhu, for many of us, right speech is the most difficult of the precepts to honor. Yet practicing right speech is fundamental both to helping us become trustworthy individuals and to helping us gain mastery over the mind. So choose your words - and your motives for speaking - with care.

Right speech means speaking in ways that are trustworthy, harmonious, comforting and worth taking to heart. When we make a practice of these positive forms of right speech, our words become a gift to others. In response, other people will start listening more to what we say, and will be more likely to respond in kind.

Right speech means avoiding four types of harmful speech:

Lies (words spoken with the intent of misrepresenting the truth);

Divisive speech (spoken with the intent of creating rifts between people);

 Harsh speech (spoken with the intent of hurting another person's feelings);

And idle chatter (spoken with no purposeful intent at all).

So we should pay close attention to what we say and to why we say it so that when we do open our mouth to communicate it should be aimed at benefit instead of great harm.

[buddhalovely]

Self-purification through well-chosen speech
"And how is one made pure in four ways by verbal action?

"There is the case where a certain person, abandoning false speech, abstains from false speech. When he has been called to a town meeting, a group meeting, a gathering of his relatives, his guild, or of the royalty, if he is asked as a witness, 'Come & tell, good man, what you know': If he doesn't know, he says, 'I don't know.' If he does know, he says, 'I know.' If he hasn't seen, he says, 'I haven't seen.' If he has seen, he says, 'I have seen.' Thus he doesn't consciously tell a lie for his own sake, for the sake of another, or for the sake of any reward. Abandoning false speech, he abstains from false speech. He speaks the truth, holds to the truth, is firm, reliable, no deceiver of the world.

"Abandoning divisive speech he abstains from divisive speech. What he has heard here he does not tell there to break those people apart from these people here. What he has heard there he does not tell here to break these people apart from those people there. Thus reconciling those who have broken apart or cementing those who are united, he loves concord, delights in concord, enjoys concord, speaks things that create concord.

"Abandoning abusive speech, he abstains from abusive speech. He speaks words that are soothing to the ear, that are affectionate, that go to the heart, that are polite, appealing & pleasing to people at large.

"Abandoning idle chatter, he abstains from idle chatter. He speaks in season, speaks what is factual, what is in accordance with the goal, the Dhamma, & the Vinaya. He speaks words worth treasuring, seasonable, reasonable, circumscribed, connected with the goal.

"This is how one is made pure in four ways by verbal action."

[hope rainbow]

Speech that is not harmful is the meaning of "right speech." It is wise speech.

Wise people can still be quite firm and decisive when that is what is needed.
It means finding generous and productive ways of saying things.
There are times when we need to be strict, but we do not have to denigrate or harm the person or child who is out of line. Firm speech can also be wise speech.

Wise speech is another tool that can be practiced.
We can begin by practicing wise speech to ourselves--replacing the inner voice of guilt that is putting us down and opening a space to listen to our deeper needs.

What can I say which will be helpful to someone?
What tone of voice will I use?
And when is it wise to say nothing?
Imagine yourself actually saying something helpful and supportive.
Imagine the difference it would make in your life if you could say just one helpful thing to one person.
Imagine your life if your speech always came from wisdom.

There is no such thing as wise speech, there is only motivation arisen from wisdom and bodhicitta-compassion combined with skillful means into a speech action.

Otherwise, I can have wise speech in my business, or with my tax auditor, my land-lord, my boss, my employees.
My understanding of "wise" is in relation to my motivations and my understanding of morality.
Yet "wise" in a Buddhist sense must relate to an adequate (correct) perception of reality and a bodhicitta based compassion.

So let's be wise.

[Jessie Fong]

In Pali, Right Speech is "samma vaca." The word "samma" has a sense of being perfected or completed, and "vaca" refers to words or speech. "Right speech" is more than just "correct" speech. It is the wholehearted expression of our Buddhist practice, and with Action and Livelihood it is interconnected to the other parts of the Eightfold Path -- Right Mindfulness, Right Intention, Right View, Right Concentration, Right Effort.

Right Speech is not just a personal virtue. Modern communication technology has given us a culture that seems saturated with "wrong" speech -- communication that is hateful and deceptive. This engenders disharmony, acrimony, and physical violence.

We tend to think of violent, hateful words as being less wrong than violent action. We may even think of violent words as being justified sometimes. But violent words, thoughts and actions arise together and support each other. So to do peaceful words, thoughts and actions.

Beyond cultivating beneficial or harmful karma, Right Speech is essential to personal practice. Abbess Taitaku Patricia Phelan of the Chapel Hill Zen Group says "Right Speech means using communication as a way to further our understanding of ourselves and others and as a way to develop insight."

The Basics of Right Speech

As recorded in the Pali Canon, the historical Buddha taught that Right Speech had four parts:

Abstain from false speech; do not tell lies or deceive.
Do not slander others or speak in a way that causes disharmony or enmity.
Abstain from rude, impolite or abusive language.
Do not indulge in idle talk or gossip.
Practice of these four aspects of Right Speech goes beyond simple "thou shalt nots." It means speaking truthfully and honestly; speaking in a way to promote harmony and good will; using language to reduce anger and ease tensions; using language in a way that is useful.

If your speech is not useful and beneficial, teachers say, it is better to keep silent.


The above as explained extracted from  http://buddhism.about.com/od/theeightfoldpath/a/rightspeech.htm

[ratanasutra]

Right speech is a powerful speech as it can motivate, guide, encourage and support other to do more which they will gain some benefit from that. Right speech can save lives, and can give light. i feel that right speech come from wisdom therefore it come out in the right time and touch people heart.

To have right speech, is to think about other benefit and want think to be better from the current situation. speech can kill or can raise people so we must always be mindful of our speech.