Modern Koans – Why Right Speech?

Modern Koans is an ongoing series that recognizes that good questions are often more important then their answers.

The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man. ― G.K. Chesterton

 

The Eightfold Path Series

This is the one of several posts I will be offering titled the Eightfold Path Series. As I've reflected on my experience, I've come to see the Path as both the practice and the fruition. As we inch closer to realization of our true nature, we discover that the wisdom, ethics, and concentration prescribed in the Buddha are the most natural expression of our being.

John Daido Loori Roshi's book Invoking Reality was transformational for me. In it Roshi turns the path on it's head in a way that uncovers it's challenge to us. The path and the precepts are not rules and regulations that lead to punishment by the karmic cosmos, but a way for us to see our true selves by looking through the prism of these personal dimensions. I see the path  and the precepts as questions, not rules.  Let's explore them.

Why Right Speech?

As I mention in the preamble above, the Eightfold path is both the cultivation and the fruition.  When you meet an enlightened person, you tend to notice.  They exude the qualities of goodness in their actions and their speech. These qualities exemplify the outward appearance of luminous mind. They effortlessly embody the precepts.

And what is right speech? Abstaining from lying, from divisive speech, from abusive speech, and from idle chatter: This is called right speech. – Wikipedia

How does abstaining from lying, divisive speech, and idle chatter help us to realize the end of suffering?  This seems much  more tangible and obvious.  Oh the tangled webs we’ve woven, the friendships we’ve ruined, and the reputations we’ve created by opening our mouths when keeping them closed would have been so much better!

Controlling our tongue also helps us develop the skill of listening.  The image of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara can be observed to have abnormally large ears. This is symbolic of hearing the wails of suffering in this world.  Deeply listening to the suffering of the world led this exemplar to become the Bodhisattva of Compassion.

But it’s not hard to see how the precept of Right Speech can be misinterpreted and misused. In Myanmar and Thailand, there has been uproar over what constitutes right speech.  In Thailand there are protests against the blasphemy of using Buddhist emoticons.  In Myanmar people are being charged with Insulting the Buddha.

If this Eightfold path is an introspective form of cultivation, are laws forcing you to comply beneficial?  Don’t we learn from our mistakes? Aren’t the consequences of our actions our best teacher?  If we are compelled to right speech by a government, aren’t we only learning to avoid getting arrested?

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below.

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