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:
Avoiding lying and any false speech...
Abstaining from every divisive talk...
Refraining from all angry scolding...
Stilling of any idle & empty gossiping...
That is Right Speech!
The
Characterization of Noble Speech:
Eliminating any false speech any Noble Friend dwells
avoiding
all lies, a truth-speaker, one to be relied on, trustworthy,
loyal,
not a deceiver of the world. Abstaining from malicious speech,
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 refrains from it. 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 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 Knowledge and Vision of Release ...
Such is Right Speech!
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