By Shifu Shuman
“May all those providing the food, and receiving the food, be blessed with health, strength, longevity, safety, and perfect eloquence.”
In Chinese Buddhism, monastics usually say the prayer before having a meal. The five blessings, or five constant merits, in the prayer are found in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. The Buddha accepted layman Cundi’s meal offering which turned out to be the last meal of the Buddha’s life. Cundi was not aware that the meal was tainted, which resulted in the Buddha’s suffering from food poisoning and eventual passing. Despite of that, the Buddha compassionately granted Cundi the five blessings. The first four qualities are basic needs of common people, but is “perfect eloquence” essential in life, too?
Before getting to the question, let us introduce the four kinds of perfect eloquence, or four abilities of unhindered articulation, including: 1) to be unobstructed with the Buddha’s teachings, 2) to perfectly discern the truth or meaning embedded in the Dharma, 3) to be skillful in using languages, and 4) to freely express the teachings in order to help all sentient beings. These four rhetorical abilities are related with unhindered understanding and expression. The fourth is especially important, for it shows the bodhisattva spirit of helping others.
Strictly speaking, the perfect eloquence is concerned with the mastery of the Dharma, for the sake of enlightenment and liberation. Nevertheless, since eloquence is associated with the use of language and the ability of expression, in a broader sense, eloquence is also necessary and even helpful in terms of communication in everyday life.
In society, the use of language is so common, such as conveying our thoughts and feelings to family, chatting with friends, negotiating with colleagues, discussing issues with acquaintances, leaving instant messages to our contacts, presenting our arguments in debate, expressing our opinions on social media, and giving a public speech. The way of communicating with others can be a kind of art. But, how we use the language appropriately and successfully matters. As the sayings goes, “The water that bears the boat is the same that swallows it up,” language also has both positive and negative functions. It hinges on who uses it, how to use it, and why. Words are merely symbols, and it is our mind that decides what meanings and merits (or demerits) they may bear. The way we use language and words is fundamental, for “the same knife cuts bread and fingers.” The mind is likened to a painter or an architect who creates myriad of things in the world. How we perceive and process the events of life is governed by the mind. In other words, the mind decides the quality of our life, be it happy or unhappy, meaningful or pointless, positive or negative.
That said, our monkey mind tends to be out of control and spins like a washing machine. We do need some means to master our mind. Observing precepts is one of the 84,000 Dharma gates. Before saying good-bye to the world, the Buddha instructed his monastic disciples to revere precepts, which lead to liberation from all afflictions. After the Buddha has entered nirvana, the precept isa great teacher to the Sangha (Buddhist community). Although we now live in the Dharma-ending age, with precepts, it is as if the Buddha were still here with us. The precepts are guidelines for a virtuous life. By upholding precepts, we guard and collect our mind, cultivating in accord with the Dharma.
In the Sutra on the Buddha’s Bequeathed Teaching, two instructions are specifically concerned with the use of language: 1) exhortation on flattery and deceit, and 2) restraint from idle talk. Although the audience in the Sutra are monks, nuns and lay people can also learn from these teachings. In fact, anyone can benefit from the Buddha’s teachings if they truthfully follow the guidelines and apply them to their own lives.
I. Exhortation on Flattery and Deceit
The Buddha instructs his monastic disciples to practice sincerity: “A mind of flattery and deceit contradicts the [Buddha] Way; therefore, you should have an honest and straightforward disposition of mind. You should know that flattery and deceit are nothing but deceptions. These are not found in those who have entered the [Buddha] Way. For this reason, all of you should examine and correct [the errors of] the mind, and take honest and straightforward disposition as your basis.”
The Buddha Dharma is concerned with straightforwardness, sincerity and honesty. The negative qualities, such as corruption, fawning, deviousness and deception are incompatible with the true Dharma. As stated earlier, mind is fundamental to all we do, and mind is responsible for the karma it creates. According to the principle of causality, a pure mind and an impure mind lead to opposite directions and their corresponding results. That our life is enjoyable or miserable hinges on the nature of our mind. A pure mind creates positive karma (physical, verbal and mental), while an impure mind negative karma. Thus, anyone who practices the sacred Buddha Way must guard their mind.
However, in a bustling world filled with secular stimuli, it is not easy to mindfully resist temptations. For instance, at workplace, we might fawn over the boss in order to gain advantage for better opportunities, more benefits, or promotion. Also, when we see a friend posting a photo on a social media, we might comment with “amazing,” “gorgeous,” “adorable” and the like to please them, although we do not think so. Sincerity is thus replaced by pretense, yet sadly, we are not aware of our change. In a group, we unconsciously brown-nose those who are better than us so as to win their approval which, to some extent, is a way to increase the value of our self-existence. We ignore the value of mutual respect and equality, not to mention true self-esteem.
In a relationship, we might compromise a lot in order to make our loved one happy. We force ourselves to develop the same hobbies, to favor the same food, to enjoy doing the same activities together, to always agree to one another, and so forth. To please others, we hide our own feelings and have gradually become unhappier. Sometimes we even forget what we really like and who we really are. (In a Zen term, we cannot realize our “original face.”) What is to be blamed? Desire.
This is why in the Sutra the Buddha further says, “Those who desire little do not use flattery or deceit to seek others’ favor….. Those who cultivate themselves to reduce desires achieve a calm state of mind, free from worry and fear.”
In order to fulfill our desires and to gain fames, we make a lot of efforts to reach our goals. It is possible that we may forget our original purpose when pursuing benefits. As a result, we dance with the Devil, take unwholesome or immoral (and even unlawful) courses of action, and create ourselves suffering and bad karma. Moreover, upon giving a servile display of exaggerated affection to win over favor, our thoughts easily become twisted. When pleasing others, we not only deceive others but also obstruct our Buddha-nature. In other words, we are not honest to ourselves, either.
Contrarily, if we have little desire and do not seek fames, our mind is constantly content and peaceful. We are mindful of what we should or should not do. As long as we do not blindly chase after fame or fortune, there is no place in our hearts for flattery and adulation by any means possible. And there is no need to betray or hide our feelings and thoughts, nor to go along with others’ empty charade in order to make friends or impress others. No pretense at all. More than that, we are truthful to our original bodhi-mind, a compassionate and loving-kind mind for the good of all beings.
In the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, the Buddha teaches that a bodhisattva mahasattva bears a straightforward, upright mind toward all sentient beings. When seeing the mistakes and wrongdoings of sentient beings, a bodhisattva remains silent. It is not easy for an unenlightened being to admit their own fault. To avoid making them feel ashamed so as to suffer from their own afflictions, a bodhisattva treats them with gentleness and compassion. On the other hand, when seeing someone do wholesome deeds, a bodhisattva sincerely praises them with encouraging words so that they may further recognize their own Buddha-nature and give rise to bodhi-mind for enlightenment.
To live a happy and wholesome life, we ought to act, think, and talk like a bodhisattva, but not a bootlicker trapped in desire and enslaved by false language.
II. Restraint from Idle Talk
In addition to flattery and deceit, the Buddha warns his disciples against meaningless talk: “If you indulge in all sorts of idle discussions, then your mind will be scattered. Although you have left the mundane life, you will not be able to attain liberation. For this reason, Bhikshus, you should immediately get rid of scattered thoughts and idle discussions. If you intend to pursue the joy of nirvana [i.e., tranquillity and liberation], all you should do is completely eliminate the illness of idle discussions.”
Idle talk is an umbrella category that includes many kinds of languages driving us away from true liberation. For monastics, when talking with others, the subject is related to the Dharma, but not secularly polluted events. For lay people, any discussions that disturb a mind of calmness and peace are regarded as idle talks. They may include:
1) divisive speeches, curses, false claims, foul language, verbal bullying, offensive insults, and abuse.
2) frivolous speeches, gossips, idle chatters, and dirty jokes.
3) intellectual play of language, and discursive arguments.
At workplace, we laugh at colleagues or misuse inappropriate language which we think is not a big deal. At school, we make fun of classmates and friends. At home, we argue forcefully with our family. At the dining table, we chat about news and current top social media trends, or gossip about the private life of celebrities’ or our own friends’. When we indulge ourselves in those seemingly interesting discussions, our minds are distracted and even tainted. Not to mention that these putatively harmless conversations may turn into fight.
In the digital era, idle talks quite often appear on social media platforms. We unintentionally (and sometimes purposely) air our dirty laundry on the public. Take for example the Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard defamation trial in the U.S., May, 2022. In an old vicious text exchange with his friend, Depp wrote, “Let’s burn Amber.” Depp admitted that he was embarrassed by his resentful text messages. To defend her client, lawyer Camille Vasquez said that Depp has got a “dark sense of humor.” Be it dark humor or furious statement, such type of languge are idle talks that should be avoided, seriously. It is because whoever uses it may easily lose credibility. Derogatory language coated with dark humor is not funny at all, and rather it may cause demerit and harm to oneself and others. On Heard’s side, the fact that she kept looking at the jury through testimony implies flattery to win their favor, and that she told lies under oath is also an example of deceit. “Honesty is the best policy.” This proverb stands the test of time.
How to avoid idle talk to find ourselves peace and prevent trouble? A friend of mine shares her effective antidote to gossip. Whenever she hears her colleagues start gossiping, she immediately picks up a sutra on her office desk and recites it concentratedly. Seeing her immersed in a Buddhist atmosphere, her colleagues would leave her alone. Indeed, her smart move is similar to silence. To avoid negative verbal karma, remaining silent works. It is to be noted that her unwillingness to involve in gossiping is not impolite, instead she shows mutual respect. Her ears and tongue are not contaminated, and her mind is pure.
True silence comes from the inner mind, rather than the outer circumstance. Subhuti, in the Diamond Sutra, describes himself as an arhat who has reached no-strife samadhi, for his mind is in peace and concentration. Furthermore, an arhat does not engage in philosophical debate or disputation, for he constantly abides in emptiness and non-attachment. The silence in accord with true wisdom benefits our cultivation and will eventually bring us to enlightenment and liberation.
Any engagement in debating the Dharma and analyzing it in a philosophical sense is disproved because it is merely a play on words. Engaging in discursive arguments does not conduce to realization of the Dharma. On the contrary, we may overestimate our knowledge and understanding of the Buddha’s teachings, resulted in self-pride and even arrogance. Therefore, intellectual play of language is discouraged, although its nature differs from the first two categories concerned with malice and meaninglessness.
The practice of Buddhism has nothing to do with studying a knowledge, making arguments, building skills, or doing scholarship. Nor is it public self-exhibition and self-expression by means of debate. Rather, we do our best to learn and understand the Dharma, as well as apply it to our daily life. When we have some personal realization and a better taste of the Dharma, we will have the capability to share the Dharma, clearly and convincingly. When we are able to articulate our experience of Dharma practice, we more or less master the aforementioned perfect eloquence. By means of sincerely and skillfully sharing the Dharma, we can introduce Buddhism to more people and bring the world true joy.
Worldly eloquence is more about the mastery of giving a speech or perfect articulation. In the Buddhist sense, perfect eloquence relates to how we understand the Dharma, and how we use it for the sake of sentient beings. To integrate the Dharma into our daily activities, eloquence involves saying nice words sincerely, telling the truth, and sharing our humble understanding of the Dharma in a positive manner.
Life is short. If we keep the teaching of impermanence in mind, we will never waste our valuable time in idle chatter. If we are responsible for our words (in writing and speaking), we will treat others with a candid attitude. Whenever we compliment someone, our comments are honest, no flattery at all. If we respect everyone’s Buddha-nature, we will never deceive others.
We take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Internally, we realize our original enlightenment, the eternal truth, and inherent purity within. The Buddha Dharma is our eternal teacher, life after life, until we are finally awakened. We are happy to share the Buddha Way in pure and positive language, mindfully and truthfully.