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Friends:
Empty Gossip & Void Babble Infects & Spoil any Social
Sphere!
Once in
Savatthi, the Blessed
Buddha
said this:
What, householder friends, is the Dhamma explanation befitting for
oneself? Here, householder friends, any Noble Disciple reflects thus: If
someone were to to address me with gossip, idle chatter, empty babble,
hearsay, and void prattle, that would neither be pleasing nor agreeable to
me. Similarly, if I were to address another with gossip, idle chatter,
empty babble, hearsay, and void prattle, that would neither be pleasing,
nor agreeable, nor acceptable to that other being either!
What is displeasing and disagreeable to me, is also displeasing and
disagreeable to any other being too. How can I disturb & bore
another being with what provoke annoy and exasperate myself? Having
reflected repeatedly thus, then gradually:
1: He/she will carefully avoid all gossip, idle chatter, empty babble, &
void hearsay...
2: He/she will persuade others also to avoid all pointless
good-for-nothing speech...
3: He/she will praise speaking well formulated reasoned facts worth
remembering...
In this very way, is this advantageous verbal behaviour
purified in 3 aspects!!
Source (edited extract):
The Grouped Sayings of the Buddha. Samyutta Nikaya. [V:355] section 55:
Sotāpattisamyutta. Thread 7: To the people at the Bamboo gate...
One should never defile other beings by contaminating them
with empty speech!
More on not polluting the social soup with foolish words:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/The_Three_Doors.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/What_is_Right_Speech.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Fourfold_Right_Speech.htm
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