“Right Speech” with Jean this Sunday at Minneapolis Insight

Dear Community,

Sunday 10am Community Practice & Discussion

Last week Alex talked about Right Effort, the sixth path factor in the Noble Eightfold Path. This Sunday we’ll explore the third path factor, Right Speech. This seems especially relevant at this time in history.

In practice, it doesn’t matter where we start on the path. Each step influences and strengthens the others. For example, when we practice Right Effort, the mind becomes concentrated, and wisdom can arise. With mindfulness and wisdom, we are better able to practice Right Speech.

So what is included in Right Speech? In its simplest form, Right Speech is speaking what is true, useful/beneficial, and timely. If any of these three are absent, we are to remain silent. (See the Abaya Sutta (MN 58) for the Buddha’s words on this https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.058.than.html)

In practice, Right Speech is not quite as easy as it might appear. I am guessing that we have all had the experience of blurting out something that may have been true, but was also hurtful, and later regretting it. Or we have gossiped because it was entertaining or a way to engage with others.

Today we are inundated with the opposite of Right Speech and can see the devastating results. Ill-will, incivility, and distrust are rampant. It’s worth considering if and how we are contributing to this and how we might react skillfully to challenging situations in the future. How might we respond, for instance, if we were asked to reveal the presence of someone we were hiding to those who might do them harm?

And what about the state of our minds? As Phillip Moffit writes in Dancing with Life, “Right speech isn’t only an external practice, but also an internal one. You may utilize right speech with others but have violent, unsettling, or crippling interior speech. If so, pay attention to what your mind’s voices say and how they say it. Is this inner speech prone to judging and doubting you? Does it speak with fear of the future or of others? … Wise interior speech would naturally include a healthy dose of compassion and lovingkindness as a result of seeing the truth of suffering.” Are we willing to look inside at our inner voices and stop what is not truthful, beneficial, and timely?

All are welcome to join this exploration on Sunday! Registration and Zoom information available here.

With mettā,
Minneapolis Insight

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