Taking a Stand: Right Speech

“Thus, more than an ethical principle, devotion to truthful speech is a matter of taking our stand on reality rather than illusion, on the truth grasped by wisdom rather than the fantasies woven by desire.”

Bhikkhu Bodhi’s perspective is from that of a monk. When I read his words, I am reminded that he is a renunciant. He has chosen to live without many of the comforts, desires, and pleasures that those of us non-renunciants enjoy. But he does have one thing that many of us do not – undistracted vision. The above profundity that flows from his observation, most certainly, is a nugget worth further exploration.

He also has the luxury of speaking the truth. I know that may sound strange, but for those of us living out in the fray of society, we don’t often have the space or privilege to speak the truth. For example, have you ever answered the cashier’s scripted inquiry by stating the truth: “no, I actually didn’t find everything I was looking for.” I have responded in this way, and my experience has been that they don’t know how to answer. Speaking the truth is socially awkward. There is not really another option without feeling awkward – only yes. Likewise, how do we answer the superficial question, “how is your day going?” If we had the space to speak the truth, perhaps we wouldn’t feel confined to say “fine, and yours?” When we are out in society, we are conditioned to function within the constructed illusion of reality (the truth is that the cashier is required ask you if you found everything alright even if they cannot help you, and that not everyone is having a day that is fine). Further, we are so conditioned to live in this superficial reality that it leaks into even our most intimate relationships, especially with ourselves.

These are silly examples of constructed illusion, most certainly. But how about the illusion we maintain to sustain our self-identity or self-worth? The mind creates narratives to uphold our identities; for example, I have taken quite a few courses on medieval Christianity, so I perceive myself to have a ‘voice of authority’ when the conversation turns in that direction; it is a personal area of expertise beyond the average person, and showing my knowledge makes me feel smarter than others. While I may know more than some, this is an illusion that feeds my sense of self-worth and identity. It can also fuel competition, especially if my conclusions are challenged by another. If challenged, I am forced to take a stand to defend my understanding of the subject matter, my self-worth, and self-identity. This type of speech habit, while it may make me feel good about myself temporarily, has the potential to make me appear as a know-it-all, or make my companions feel less than adequate or ignorant. The truth of it is that I may, unknowingly, be speaking with someone who has studied far more than myself. Or it is possible that the information and study I have done has brought me to an erroneous conclusion, or perhaps a partial truth.

Bodhi says that to enact right or wise speech we must take a stand on reality. To take that stand, we must be aware of the habit of speaking for personal or selfish motives, rather than sharing truth. And that truth is “not just a verbal proposition but the nature of things as they are” (Bodhi, 1999). To speak the truth of reality is an acknowledgement of impermanence, that we are all interconnected (non-self), and that we all are grasping and craving for satisfaction and contentedness in some way. When we speak truth in a way that is compassionate and edifying to our companions, we will be inching ever closer to taking a stand on reality instead of illusion and “fantasies woven by desire.”

Reference:

Bodhi, B. (1999). The noble eightfold path: The way to the end of suffering. Retrieved January 16, 2018, from https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/waytoend.html