[BariGrootrego]

I thought I would share this with you all. I am reading and learning but also trying to jump in and make some positive changes.

Now I talk. Lots. Really lots. So I thought Right Speech would be a nice place to start. I'll certainly have lots to work with. I will enjoy getting more control over what I am saying and making sure that I am concious of everything that comes out of my mouth...

Today I thought that I would work on not swearing (is that known as cursing in America?). I don't swear regularly so I thought it would be an easy place to start. Not so, apparently when I think about not swearing all I can think of is an impressive variety of swear words! I've also noticed that although I don't swear out loud I do say some very rude things in my head, especially about other drivers!

What a journey of discovery this will be!

Fee

[UHlVExs7]

Hi, Fee. I think you're right in connecting right speech with right thought. I can only speak for my own experience, but I've found it helpful to start with "biting my tongue" so that no actual negative, hurtful speech comes out. From there, it seems that negative, hurtful thoughts began to diminish. I'm not saying that I never say or think swear/curse words, but that they're very diminished and don't affect my mood like they used to.

There was an earlier discussion about Right Speech you might be interested in: http://www.buddhismwithoutboundaries...-is-it-for-you

[RjkVwPcV]

Thanks for the link FBM, I enjoyed reading the debate. I'm interested to see how long it takes me to get control of what I am saying!

[Qesomud]

However long it takes, rest assured that if you keep after it, you will succeed.

[LypeReexy]

Hello Fee,

Hope this can be of some help:

Right Speech (samma vaca)

The Buddha divides right speech into four components: abstaining from false speech, abstaining from slanderous speech, abstaining from harsh speech, and abstaining from idle chatter.

Because the effects of speech are not as immediately evident as those of bodily action, its importance and potential is easily overlooked. But a little reflection will show that speech and its offshoot, the written word, can have enormous consequences for good or for harm.

In fact, whereas for beings such as animals who live at the preverbal level physical action is of dominant concern, for humans immersed in verbal communication speech gains the ascendency.

Speech can break lives, create enemies, and start wars, or it can give wisdom, heal divisions, and create peace. This has always been so, yet in the modern age the positive and negative potentials of speech have been vastly multiplied by the tremendous increase in the means, speed, and range of communications.

The capacity for verbal expression, oral and written, has often been regarded as the distinguishing mark of the human species. From this we can appreciate the need to make this capacity the means to human excellence rather than, as too often has been the case, the sign of human degradation.

"The Noble Eightfold Path" Chapter IV.

[Fosavoa]

Thank you Kaarine, this is a great quote.

I was amazed yesterday. I listened to myself properly for the first time. It was quite an eye opener! Shhhhhhh Fee shhhhhh....