Talk DhammaTalk or keep an Aristocratic Silence
High Talk
No intentional untrue, cruel, harsh, slanderous or useless talk.
§
"Letting go of lies and deception,
live abstaining from intentional untruth.
Be a straight-talker,
one whose word can be counted on,
one whose word can be trusted,
dependable,
no deceiver of the world.
Letting go of malicious speech,
do not repeat in one place what is heard in another place
to the disadvantage of anyone.
Make peace between those with differences
and encourage the peace of those who are friends.
Rejoicing in peace,
loving peace,
delighting in peace,
be one whose words speak up for peace.
Letting go harsh language,
abstain from abusive speech.
Speak words that are blameless,
pleasing to the ear,
agreeable,
penetrating to and vibrating in the heart,
urbane,
words that charm and enchant the people.
Letting go of idle talk,
know the right time to speak,
say only what is true and to the point,
speak about the Dhamma and Discipline,
words to be treasured,
well-reasoned,
well-defined,
connected with the goal.
Abstain from such idle talk as talk of
kings and ministers of state,
robbers and thieves,
the horrors of war and battle;
talk of food, drink, clothes, beds, garlands and perfumes;
talk of cities, towns, villages,
relationships, men and women,
heroes and villains;
gossip at the corner,
over the back fence,
or at the well
talk of those alive or of those who are departed;
talk comparing differences between this and that;
speculative talk about creation,
existence or non-existence.
Abstain from argument and contention, using such phrases as:
'You clearly don't understand this doctrine and discipline, whereas I do.'
'How could someone such as you understand this doctrine and discipline?'
'What you are saying is wrong. What I am saying is right.'
'What I am saying is consistent, what you are saying is not.'
'You have said last what should have been said first and first what should have been said last!'
'What you have argued for so long has been refuted!'
'Your challenge has been met and you have been defeated!'
'How will you get out of this one? Answer me that one, you!'
Abstain from trickery and deceit, such as outright deception, patter, hinting, signifying, belittling, and cajoling in the quest for adding gain to gain.
§
But, that talk which is lofty,
a help to opening up the mind
and which conduces to complete turning away from,
to detachment,
stopping,
calm,
super-knowledge,
self awakening
and Nibbāna,
that is to say talk about wanting little,
talk about contentment,
talk about impassivity,
talk about living in solitude,
talk about putting forth energy,
talk about ethical conduct,
talk about getting high,
talk about wisdom,
talk about freedom,
talk about the knowledge and vision of freedom —
then one may think::
'I will talk talk like this.'
§
Fit to Speak With
There are these three topics of discourse
Talk of the Past, saying: "This is the way it was in the Past."
Talk of the Future, saying: "This is the way it will be in the Future."
Talk of the Present, saying: "This is how it is now."
§
It may be determined of a person by his speech
whether he is fit to be spoken to or
not fit to be spoken to.
If, on being asked a question:
A person does not give a categorical reply
to a question requiring it —
for example, by not giving an exactly factual answer to a question,
or not answering with "Yes" or "No"
A person does not give a discriminating reply
to a question requiring it —
if he does not give answers such as
"If such and such is the case,
then such and such is the answer,
but if such and such is the case,
then the answer is such and such."
A person does not reply by a counter-question
to a question requiring it —
such as when the answer to the counter question
answers the original question.
A person does not waive a question
which should be waived —
such as when a question is off the subject,
irrelevant, argumentative.
Then, Beggars, a Beggar is not fit to be spoken to.
But if he does, he is.
§
If, on being asked a question:
A person does not abide by conclusions,
whether right or wrong —
such as, for example, when, in developing an argument,
a clearly erroneous conclusion is intentionally reached
in order to demonstrate the falsity of the argument,
that conclusion must be accepted.
A person does not abide by an assumption —
abiding by the basic assumptions made at the outset,
or during a debate.
A person does not abide by recognized arguments —
up is up, down is down, red is red, good is good.
A person does not abide by usual procedure —
logic and reason.
Then that person is not fit to be spoken to.
But if he does, he is.
§
If a person, on being asked a question:
Evades the question by another question.
Turns the discussion off the point.
Displays vexation, malice and sulkiness.
Then that person is not fit to be spoken to.
But if he does not, he is.
§
If a person, on being asked a question:
Loads with abuse and beats down the questioner,
laughs him to scorn and catches him up when he falters,
Then that person is not fit to be spoken to.
But if he does not, he is.
§
It is possible to determine of a person,
by his speech,
whether he is assured or unassured.
He who does not listen is unassured.
He who listens is assured.
He who is assured, fully understands one thing,
comprehends one thing,
abandons one thing,
realizes one thing
He understands Pain,
he comprehends pain's co-arising,
he abandons thirst,
he realizes the Way that leads to it's ending.
§
Lying
Lying, Friends,
If made an habitual practice
Brings one to Hell
Of trifling consequence
Is the fact that it leads to Madness
In the Here and Now.
A man might steal to feed his family or from his own hunger,
and a man might [not 'is allowed'] kill in an uncharacteristic fit of rage or from self defense,
but from the liar any form of behavior can be expected.
The liar, having no grounding in any idea of what is the truth,
has no basis for moral compunction in any other area
and is capable of any kind of act for unpredictable reasons.
As such the lie,
laying the groundwork for all kinds of bad deeds,
is held in most cases to be of more powerful bad kamma
than is killing or theft.