The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

24 November 2023

Question:  Lately after I talked to someone, whether it’s a small talk or a conversation, I almost always felt bad thinking that I’ve said something that I wasn’t supposed to say. How should we practice ‘right speech’?

Than Ajahn:  Right speech is to think before you say something. You have to know first what you’re going to say and then you decide whether it’s good to say it or not. If it’s not good, then you shouldn’t say it. You have to have mindfulness, to be aware of what you think because before you say anything, you have to think first. You think what you want to say, then you say it out loud. If you have mindfulness, you will know whether you’re gonna say something good or bad, right or wrong. If you don’t know what is good or bad, right or wrong, then you have to study and find out. 

Basically, the right speech consists of 4 types: 

(1) to speak the truth; 

(2) to only speak the thing that is beneficial in terms of information or knowledge. You don’t want to speak the thing that is not beneficial or profitable; 

(3) to speak kind words or nice words. You don’t speak foul words, like cursing; 

(4) to speak in a way that will make people love each other, not incite hatred among people. 

These are basically the 4 kinds of right speech. 

If you can’t speak the truth, it’s better not to say anything. If you can’t speak anything beneficial, it’s better to shut up. If you can’t speak kind or nice words, shut up, don’t say it. 

And if you can’t speak in the way that will make people love each other, then don’t say it. 

If what you say will make people hate each other, then you shouldn’t say it. So, these are basically the 4 ways of right speech. 

You have to be mindful. You have to know what you think because what you’re going to say comes from your thought. If you’re thinking of saying something bad, then you should stop it. If you’re thinking of saying something not true, then you shouldn’t say it. 

- - - - - - -

Question:  While talking, is it possible to remain mindful? I tried to recite a mantra while talking.

 Than Ajahn:  You have to stop using the mantra when you talk. You have to watch what you’re going to say. 

Focus on your thoughts instead of focusing on your mantra because you have to use your thoughts. You have to keep watching the thoughts so that it doesn’t go off the right speech track. 

Keep it stay on the right speech track. 

You don’t need the mantra when you talk. If you talk and you recite the mantra, you won’t know what you’re talking about, and you won’t be listening to what people are saying. 

So, when you talk or have a conversation, you have to have mindfulness on either listening to what other people are saying or what you are going to say. When you are not talking, you have to be mindful on what you’re listening to, and when you are talking, you have to be mindful of what you’re about to say.

“Dhamma in English, Mar 15, 2019.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g