【The Basics】The Buddha’s Teachings on Speech II

Lesson 5: Right Speech

If one sees wrong speech as wrong speech, this is considered right view.
If one sees right speech as right speech, this is also considered right view.
What is wrong speech? False speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, and frivolous speech—these are considered wrong speech.
What is right speech? Abstaining from false speech, from divisive speech, from harsh speech, and from frivolous speech—this is considered right speech.
Madhyama Āgama, Fascicle 49

When Rāhula was young and had just entered monastic life, he was by nature mischievous and fond of playing tricks. For example, when someone came asking for the Buddha’s whereabouts, if the Buddha was at Venuvana, Rāhula would say he was at Gijjhakūta. Conversely, when the Buddha was at Gijjhakūta, he would say he was at Venuvana, thus deliberately sending seekers of the Dharma on fruitless journeys back and forth. One evening when the Buddha returned, Rāhula took a basin of water to wash the Buddha’s feet. When the washing was done, the Buddha asked, “Could the water in the basin be drunk? Could food be served in this dirty basin?” Rāhula answered that it could not. The Buddha then sternly rebuked him, “One who shows no regard for proper conduct and whose mouth is full of lies and frivolous talk has a mind stained by the three poisons, just like this dirty water and basin, and the true Dharma cannot penetrate such a mind; nor will such a person be cherished by others.” This earnest admonishment caused Rāhula to suddenly realize his mistake. From that day on, Rāhula applied himself diligently to study and strict observance of the precepts, and came to be recognized as the “foremost in esoteric practice.”

The harm caused by an unguarded tongue can be far-reaching. This is why Right Speech is considered an important aspect of practice in the Noble Eightfold Path. The Buddha’s explanation of Right Speech is framed in terms of what it avoids: abstaining from false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, and frivolous speech.

Among these, false speech is divided into three categories: “major false speech,” “minor false speech,” and “expedient false speech.” Anyone who claims to have attained awakening without having done so, or who falsely proclaims themselves as an Arhat to deceive followers, commits major false speech, the consequences of which are severe. Ordinary falsehoods and exaggerations, such as using false advertising to reap excessive profits, are “minor false speeches” that harm others and, over time, bring negative karmic consequences for oneself as well.

“Expedient false speech,” by contrast, arises from good intentions—deliberately withholding certain facts or speaking indirectly in order to avoid embarrassing or hurting the listener. Such “white lies,” so long as they do not involve unnecessary exaggeration, are generally considered harmless.

Speaking appropriately is no easy task. Therefore, Master Sheng Yen once said: “To be completely free of false speech is something perhaps only a saint can achieve. Most people fall into such verbal faults to some degree, and even innocent children are not exempt from the occasional fib.” One should strive to cultivate compassion, self-awareness, and the wisdom to speak skillfully in accordance with causes and conditions. By practicing putting ourselves in another person’s shoes—How is the other person feeling right now? When would it actually be most helpful to say this? If left unsaid, will the moment pass and the chance to help be lost?—we can gradually transform our habitual tendencies, allowing our words to arise from wholesome intentions rather than agitation, ill will, or impulse. This way, our verbal karma will gradually be purified, disputes will naturally diminish, and we will form good affinities with all sentient beings.

Lesson 6: Wholesome Speech

One skilled in speech neither causes distress to oneself 
nor frightens others—this is wholesome speech. 
Saṃyukta Āgama, Discourse 1218

The Theravāda text Aṅguttara Nikāya records that a minister of the kingdom of Magadha, who prided himself on his integrity and honesty, once boasted to the Buddha: “Venerable One, whatever I see, hear, or know, I say it as it is, truthfully, without exception—this is my usual way.” The Buddha replied: “I do not hold that everything one sees, hears, or knows should be said, nor do I hold that none of it should be said.” The minister was puzzled. The Buddha then explained: “I consider whether what I am about to say will benefit those concerned, suit the circumstances, and foster wholesome qualities. Only then do I speak. If it is not beneficial, or if it diminishes wholesome qualities, I do not speak. This is my way.” Upon hearing this, the minister immediately grasped the Buddha’s meaning.

The Saṃyukta Āgama (Discourse 1218) defines wholesome speech as speech that causes neither oneself nor the other person to give rise to vexation, but that allows the other to understand and accept what is said in just the right measure, producing a constructive and positive effect. In addition to the content being “wholesome,” wholesome speech also encompasses the skill with which one speaks.

The Sutra of Miscellaneous Parables offers a vivid example. A woman came to the Buddha asking him to bring her dead son back to life. The Buddha did not refuse her outright. Instead, he told her to go and find a household where no one had ever died and bring back a flame from that home; if she succeeded, her son could be restored. The woman seized on this single thread of hope and went from door to door asking. In the end, she could not find a single household where no one had ever passed away. The Buddha had sent her on this journey so that she could step beyond her own grief and clearly see the universal truth that all beings must face. Only after she had come to this understanding did the Buddha teach her the truth of impermanence—that all who are born must eventually die—awakening her from the anguish of losing her child and giving rise to her aspiration to learn and practice the Dharma.

Had the Buddha told the woman at the outset, “This is the nature of causes and conditions,” “The dead cannot return,” “Restrain your grief,” “Let go.” None of these words would have been wrong, but even without causing further distress, they would have brought her little consolation. Thus, wholesome speech is a measured and considered expression that arises in a state of calm, rather than speaking impulsively without reflection. Master Sheng Yen once said: “Language is the means by which we express our views, thoughts, and wisdom. In our interactions with others, its purpose is to bring them happiness, ease, comfort, and encouragement, and to help them give rise to wisdom and compassion.”

At the same time, we should not overlook that what we say should not cause distress to ourselves. In benefiting others, we should not force ourselves, compromise ourselves merely to please others, or say things that go against our own conscience. That is the wholesome speech that benefits both oneself and others.

Lesson 7: Loving Speech

One whose speech brings joy to others, 
without leading them toward wrongdoing – this is loving speech.
Saṃyukta Āgama, Discourse 1218

A bean seller once traded some beans for a donkey. He had intended to discipline the animal with a stick and a long needle, threatening to cut off its tail. But the donkey’s temper flared and paid its new owner not the slightest heed. The seller then changed his approach: he praised the donkey for its loud, resonant bray and its snow-white face, promising to find it a companion so they could roam the hills and forests together. Upon hearing these warm and affectionate words, the donkey immediately claimed that it could carry a load of a hundred kilograms and run three hundred kilometers in a day. A few words of loving speech had tamed a donkey’s stubborn temper. If even animals dislike hearing harsh and cutting words, how much more so do humans?

The Old Sutra of Miscellaneous Parables also recounts that during the Buddha’s time, the people of a small kingdom were fierce and aggressive by nature. Even Venerable Maudgalyāyana and Venerable Śāriputra, who had willingly gone there to guide them to the Dharma, were met with insults and slander, and five hundred great Arhats returned one after another without success. In the end, the World-Honored One sent Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva. Upon arriving in the kingdom, Mañjuśrī praised everyone he encountered. When granted an audience with the king, he went further, extolling the people of the kingdom for their many wholesome practices, and saying that they were surely a reflection of the king’s own virtue.

Mañjuśrī’s words of praise spread throughout every street and alley, and the entire kingdom rejoiced. Everyone came to the same conclusion that Mañjuśrī had seen the goodness within them and affirmed their character and conduct, and none could help but be moved. They came before Mañjuśrī with sincere and impartial minds, making heartfelt offerings. Mañjuśrī then taught them the Dharma and praised the Buddha, inspiring in them admiration and longing, until they were willing to follow the Bodhisattva and receive the Buddha’s teachings. Thus, we can see just how powerful loving speech can be.

Loving speech is one of the Four Means of Embracing Virtues. Fascicle 9 of the Abhidharma Saṃgītiparyāya describes it thus: “What is the practice of loving speech? Loving speech consists of words that are pleasing to hear, spoken with a relaxed expression, a gentle and steady gaze, an unfurrowed brow, and a warm smile. It means taking the initiative to greet others, offer words of comfort, and speak in a loving and welcoming manner.” Loving speech is more than merely words of praise; at its heart, it is a gentle attitude. As Master Sheng Yen said, “Loving speech refers to language, demeanor, and expression that are caring and warm, conveying the concern, thoughtfulness, and encouragement one wishes to show another through speech, expression, or gesture: a nod, a smile.” These simple gestures bring joy to others and make them willing to listen.

When our words and actions are truly worthy of one who follows the Buddha’s path, others will naturally recognize this and wish to draw closer to the Dharma. As Fascicle 9 of the Abhidharma Saṃgītiparyāya says: “Among all forms of loving speech, the highest is to gently encourage men and women of good faith to lend an ear to the Dharma, to teach the Dharma at appropriate times, to offer instruction at appropriate times, and to clarify the teachings at appropriate times – this is called loving speech.”

Lesson 8: Freedom from Conflict

Follow the customs of the land, neither condemning nor approving... 
Those who seek inner joy should cultivate it from within, 
so that all may be free from suffering, vexation, anger, and sorrow, and walk the correct path of practice... 
Abandon conflict; cultivate non-conflict. This you should learn. 
Madhyama Āgama, The Exposition of Non-Conflict, No. 8

Conflict means disputation, and is another name for affliction. There are three types of conflict: the conflict of afflictions (i.e. the 108 afflictions), the conflict of the aggregates (i.e. death, the dissolution of the aggregates), and the conflict of quarrel (i.e. afflictions arising from speech and disputes). In establishing the monastic community, the Buddha placed particular emphasis on harmony and freedom from conflict.

Fascicle 23 of the Ekottarika Āgama records that on one occasion, a disciple of Venerable Maudgalyāyana and a disciple of Venerable Ānanda fell into an argument over whose liturgical chanting was superior. When a number of monks overheard the two in heated dispute, they went together to inform the Buddha. Upon learning of this, the Buddha summoned the two monks and told them he had never encouraged disputation or competition, for how would that make them any different from non-Buddhist Brahmin renunciants? He taught them that the Dharma he expounded was for the purpose of transforming sentient beings. When a bhiksu hears a teaching, he should reflect on whether it accords with the sutras, the treatises, and the Vinaya. If it does, he should uphold it wholeheartedly rather than engage in meaningless disputes.

Further words serve no purpose. The victories and defeats of worldly disputes are nothing more than verbal quarrels, driven by the conceit that others are wrong and I am right, and by the pride that seeks to come out on top, praising oneself while belittling others. The Buddha reminds us that to avoid conflict, we must first avoid speaking without end, so that we can be “untroubled in body, undistracted in thought, free from mental fatigue, and with a voice unharmed”—this is “harmony in speech, free from conflict.” Where there is no conflict, there are no defilements; where there is no conflict, there is true harmony.

Master Sheng Yen pointed out: “The levels of harmony begin with harmony within oneself—harmony between one thought and the next. Next comes harmony between oneself and the external environment, which means facing people, events, and things without giving rise to opposition or discrimination.” Beginning with the mind, we should reduce the ego, expand the heart, and see the people, events, and things in our environment as a community of life, treating one another with mutual respect, understanding, harmony, and tolerance. This is the way to a life of joy and harmony, free from conflict.


Related articles: 

Speak Well, Speak Right

【The Basics】The Buddha’s Teachings on Speech I

【The Basics】The Buddha’s Teachings on Speech II

[Q&A] Speaking Well in Daily Life



Resource: Issue 418 of Humanity Magazine, Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Photo: 菊子
Translation: Claire
Editing: Venerable Yan Hsiang (演香法師), Keith Brown