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Introduction

Greetings, friends. Greetings from Mountain View, California, to wherever you are in the world, joining each other in this wonderful moment in time. Whatever the conditions are, it's wonderful to just be in experience and have agency. Whether there are challenges, difficulties, or the full catastrophe, it's a privilege to be human with all its ups and downs. So I'm delighted to be joining you.

The theme for this week is wise speech. For the meditation, the invitation is to notice our internal speech. Speech isn't just what we engage in externally, but also how we address ourselves and how we do the narration. All internal speech is also speech. That's the general invitation, and I'll share more in the Dharma talk. Let's practice together; let's begin our meditation.

Guided Meditation: The Quality of Inner Speech

Arriving, arriving in this body. If it feels comfortable to close your eyes, or maybe have them slightly open, that's perfectly fine too, if that's what's more comfortable.

Coming to this body, this human body, this amazing miracle of nature. Inclining your awareness, your attention, in the mysterious ways we can do that. With awareness, attention, whatever it is—the power of consciousness—directing, inviting it to pay attention, to rest on the body, on the sensations of the body.

Inviting the body to soften and relax. It might be helpful to start from the top and go to the bottom of the body. Notice the forehead if it's tight, your cheeks, your jaw. Not forgetting the eyes, let them rest in their sockets. Ah, exhaling, relaxing the face, neck, and shoulders. The arms, the hands—let them give their weight to the earth. Relaxing, softening the chest. With the next exhale, the abdomen. The sit bones—let the entire weight of the upper body be released into your sitting bones. Releasing the legs, upper legs, knees, lower legs, and feet.

Let the breath be received in the relaxed body. Solid, spacious here. If the body is tight, the mind gets tight, fluttering away here and there. Let the body be relaxed so the heart can soften in this spacious, miraculous moment in time. Receiving the breath. Receiving the mystery.

As thoughts arise—as they will inevitably do—notice kindly, gently, with mettā^[1]. Notice their quality. Thoughts of our inner speech, if it's directed to ourselves or about others: is it even true? Is it truthful and factual^[2]? Is there politeness about it? If the thought arises, "Oh, you can't do this, you're hopeless at meditation," or whatever judgmental thought it might be, kindly, gently laugh. Is it even true? Is it truthful and factual? You don't have to believe it. It's not even true, it's just an opinion. And then, can you release it? Can it be released with a smile, with friendliness?

Then giving our hearts to the breath, presence in this moment. If another thought arises, again noticing. Perhaps we can notice if there is greed or wanting in the speech, or ill will or resentment if it's about others. Smilingly, after noticing, we let go. After knowing in this way, we let go and we come back to our anchor, and we stay with the anchor. It's the nourishing, calming, soothing, gathering, collecting, life-giving anchor of the breath.

If you notice any greed, hatred, or confusion in your speech, let there not be aversion, because we're adding more hatred on top of it. Let there be kindness. "Oh, my inner speech, I just noticed it was aversive. Oh, sweetheart, it's okay." Let that go. Let there be kindness instead.

Does our inner speech have kindness, generosity, and wisdom? In that way, once you've noticed, let go. Let go. Just here, with the breath in the body.

Bringing the sitting to a close together. Letting go of any judgment for how it must have been, should have been, or wasn't. Letting go, and appreciating the goodness that we showed up. We did our best. Recognizing our inner goodness, the co-created goodness. Offering mettā, with mettā, with kindness. Shining this light of mettā, this light of goodness on ourselves, and sharing it with all beings everywhere. All beings, especially right now those who are affected by particularly challenging circumstances, our siblings on this earth facing natural disaster, earthquake. Sending them our support in our hearts, our compassion. We are not so different. We're all subject to the same causes and conditions, challenges in this world. We are not so different from these siblings throughout the world. Sharing our goodness, our mettā, our goodwill, our humanity. May all beings everywhere be free from suffering. May all beings everywhere be safe, happy, and healthy. May they have ease. May all beings everywhere be free, including ourselves.

Reflections on Wise Speech

Thank you all for your practice. Hello again, greetings.

The theme for this week is wise speech. This includes both external speech—what we say in words—and what we write. For example, even what we write in chat, those small nuggets of writing, are considered speech. These days, with social media, just one little comment or a tweet can have so much impact externally on the world, with its spread, its reach, and the speed of dissemination. Speech is quite powerful externally, and it also shapes our world internally. Our words, spoken or written, shape us. They are the scaffold of shaping who we are, how we think, and how we perceive. There is fascinating research about the impact of language on our perception, how we actually perceive "reality" based on the words we use and our speech.

Really appreciating the power of speech both externally and the impact it has on others. We can hurt others, create factions, and even start wars. Yes, wars have started based on words. But our words can also bring succor, comfort, and unity. They can support and heal people. Words are so powerful, both externally and in how they impact us. They form and shape us, and they shape and form our karma^[3]. Karma in the way of our conditionality—the person we are, the person we become, and keep becoming in every moment. That's our karma. Our words shape our karma, which is very important.

Yesterday we began with the first guideline that the Buddha gives, which is: is it true and factual? I added the nuance of "factual." If you missed yesterday, please listen to it. I do want to add a couple of things to the topic of "true and factual" because it is such an important one, before we move on to the next one today. First, I wanted to add that I was not a good academic yesterday! I was so excited about the research that I forgot to give you the references to where you could find it. The neuroscience research I talked about yesterday can be found in Nature Neuroscience from 2016. It's the work done in the lab of Tali Sharot and her colleagues.

Today, I wanted to add one more teaching about truthfulness, and this is so beautiful. This is from Majjhima Nikaya 61^[4]. It's where the Buddha is teaching Rahula^[5], his son. One day, the Buddha came to Rahula, pointed to a bowl with a little bit of water in it, and asked, "Rahula, do you see this bit of water left in the bowl?" Rahula answered, "Yes, sir." "So little, Rahula, is the spiritual achievement of one who is not afraid to speak a deliberate lie." It's profound! But then the Buddha continues. The Buddha threw the water away, put the bowl down, and said, "Do you see, Rahula, how the water has been discarded? In the same way, one who tells a deliberate lie discards whatever spiritual achievement one has made."

Wow. And he continues again. He asked, "Do you see how this bowl is now empty? In the same way, one who has no shame in speaking lies is empty of spiritual achievement." He's really driving the point home! You get this, right? He's just driving it home, and in beautiful, different ways.

Then the Buddha—this is the last straw—turned the bowl upside down and said, "Do you see, Rahula, how this bowl has been turned upside down? In the same way, one who tells a deliberate lie turns one's spiritual achievements upside down and becomes incapable of progress." Therefore, the Buddha concluded, one should not speak a deliberate lie even in jest^[6]. Even just so, turning the bowl upside down, incapable of progress. As I mentioned yesterday, commitment to the truth is fundamental. Truthfulness, speaking the truth internally and externally, is the only precept that a Bodhisattva^[7] cannot break. The Buddha basically says that if you tell a deliberate lie, if you have no shame, you cannot make progress. You throw it away; you become incapable.

Many of us perhaps are here thinking, "Oh yeah, I tell the truth." And yes, for the most part, telling the truth might be easy. But in those nuanced, particular instances where it's not easy, where it's hard to tell the truth—those are the times to inquire. To settle in with our bodies, with our hearts, and ask, "What is happening? Am I afraid of being judged? Is my self-sense in danger? Do I want to show up in a particular way? Do I want to be perceived in a particular way?" What is the rub in those moments when we are tempted to just slightly shade the truth for our own benefit, or for another person's benefit or detriment? Those are the times when it becomes sticky. In general, 98% or 99% of the time, it's easy to tell the truth. "Yes, it's raining now." But examining those tiny bits of time can bring a sense of brightness.

I remember years ago noticing that when I arrived somewhere late, and there had been traffic, but I had also left later than intended, I would feel ashamed to admit I left late. I would just say, "Oh, there was traffic, that's why I'm late." Then I thought, "Wait, that's not quite true. I left later." So I made the choice to say, "I left later than I intended, I'm sorry, and there was traffic." There was just a sense of truthfulness, a sense of brightness. It felt cleaner. Even though it was small, it still felt more upright. The real question was, "Am I feeling uncomfortable saying I left later because I don't want to be judged? Because I don't want to be seen as someone who doesn't have it together or runs late?" No, I ran late. There is a brightness to actually saying that, to not carrying that shame. So we can have that inquiry.

I've spoken a lot again about the previous topic, which is so important. I want to move on to the next question we can ask ourselves about our speech: Is my speech divisive, or does it create harmony?

When the Buddha teaches about wise speech, there are always things to avoid and things to cultivate. This is what the Buddha says: abandoning divisive speech, one abstains from divisive speech. What one has heard here, one does not tell there to break those people apart from these people. What one has heard there, one does not tell here to break these people apart from those people. We avoid breaking people apart. This might be older language, but how often do we speak behind people's backs? Slanderous and divisive speech is based on hatred and ill will. That is its root, and it's enmeshed with resentment, envy, the intention to hurt another, or the desire to win respect and support for ourselves. Divisive speech actually carries doubly heavy karma because it involves forethought. Not only does it have the root of hatred and ill will, but because you thought about it ahead of time—like, "Oh yeah, I'm going to say that thing about our mutual friend to this friend of mine because they're getting very close, and I'm feeling threatened. They didn't invite me when they went out to lunch, so I'm just going to say that this person said something." It involves forethought and planning, so it carries doubly heavy karma.

The Buddha continues: thus reconciling those who have broken apart or cementing those who are united, one loves concord, delights in concord, enjoys concord, and speaks things that create concord. Basically, speaking what creates harmony. That's what the Buddha recommends. So instead, if you see that your other two friends are getting closer, you say, "Oh yes, great concord. I'm so glad you're becoming better friends. They're wonderful, this is great." It's about creating concord and harmony between people instead of breaking people apart.

Today, as you go about your day, please bring in this inquiry. Ask if your speech is truthful and factual, internally and externally, especially in those rare instances when it's a little difficult to be completely honest. Then, ask if your speech is divisive or if it's creating harmony. In all these cases, really inquire with the body. What's going on with your intention, your motivation? What's going on, sweetheart? If I'm tempted not to speak in alignment with my highest values, what's going on? Can we reconnect with our highest intentions?

That is our time this morning. Thank you so much for your practice. May you be well. May all beings everywhere be well. Take good care, and we will continue tomorrow.