Right Speech in Western Society-Noble Eightfold Path 4

Hello to all,

This is the fourth of eight articles about the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path in Western Society. In Right View-Noble Eightfold Path 1, I talked about my purpose for doing this. Mostly I would like to learn from others, to develop a kind of Sangha in Gather where people from all faiths can present their take on Buddhism in the West. It is good to repeat that the Buddha believed that all faiths were important to those that followed them and should all be respected.

Right Thinking and Right Action followed. Now it is time for Right Speech. 

RIGHT SPEECH - The Fourth Mindfulness Training concerns the way you communicate. Communication is not just what you say, write or gesture - listening is also an intregal part of speaking with others. It is important to cultivate mindful speech and deep listening.  

Thich Nhat Hahn wrote this gantha to put by the phone - "Words can travel thousands of miles. May my words create mutual understanding and love. May they be as beautiful as gems, as lovely as flowers."

In the Sukhavati Sutra it says - "Every time the wind blows through the jeweled trees, a miracle is produced."

Think (there's that Right Thinking showing up) about the myriad of ways we communicate in Western Society. Face-to-face, telephone, text message, letters and emails. We can send our speech at fantastic speeds across the world. Technology has made it faster, it hasn't made it easier. 

Right Speech is:

1. Speaking truthfully - In Western Society the "little white lie" was born. Those statements made to "protect someones feelings". The "lie of omission". What they don't know won't hurt them. The first is only temporary, the second comes out eventually and causes more damage.
2. Not speaking with a forked tongue - I always thought this was a Native American saying (got it from the movies when I was a kid). Stay loyal to the truth. You may have to phrase things differently to different people so they get the meaning, but the truth should always be clear.
3. Not speaking cruelly - Here is where Habit Energy can run wild. Toxic words can spill like oil from a barrel before we realize it. Stop and think (there's Right Thinking again, I believe there is a strong connection here) before shouting, slandering, cursing, libeling, spouting hatred or saying things that makes others sad. Think about the current controversy with talk show hosts and music and how Wrong Speech hurt so many.
4. Don't exaggerate or embellish - Tell the story as it happened. If you feel it needs telling, you do because something there might be entertaining or educational to the listener. But what about movies, TV shows, and books? As long as they are presented as fiction (where do reality shows fit in?) then Right Speech is followed. Even the Buddha told parables and stories to get his point across. He just made it clear they were tales.

The bedrock of Right Speech is Deep Listening. In Western Society there is so much input into the brain no matter where you are. Some is external (TV, radio, passing police cars, billboards, etc.), some is internal (not hard to figure out) and all of it is hard to block out. Deep Listening means concentrating only on what is being said to you. Ignore all the other stimuli.

In personal relationships when one person says, "He/she never listens to me." The other person says, "I always listen." They both believe what they are saying. The listener may have heard every word but never processed it. Deep Listening can mend broken relationships, ease suffering, and calm tense moments. Give over your entire attention when someone is speaking to you. If someone wants to talk and you know you can't give that attention at the moment ask, "Can we talk later when I can focus solely at what you need to say." Oh yeah, but then actually do it. Don't use it just to brush someone off (see Right Action). Family therapists are often trying to achieve Deep Listening in their clients. Maybe if they phrased it that way more people would understand.

Don't forget that talking on the phone, text messaging, writing letters, emails and books are all part of Right Speech. Bring your Mindfulness to bear and let it guide you to words that bring peace, understanding and truth.

Silence plays a strong role in Right Speech. There are times when only silence is the right thing to say.

So, how do you see Right Speech in Western Society? Politics, media and relationships of all kinds are affected by it, good and bad. Is it even conceivable that we could achieve Right Speech in our society? Is it possible that in Western Society that Right Speech could do more harm than good sometimes?

I look forward to your opinions and input.

Namaste, Wayne