The Sixth Precept:
Stop bad mouthing people, you idiot!
The Editors SUMMER 2010
tricycle
If you are despised by others and are about to
drop into hell because of evil karma from your previous life, then
because you are despised by others, the evil karma of your previous
life will be extinguished.
Enemies and friends start to change places.
And then there is Mark Twain: “I didn’t attend the funeral, but I
sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.” Whenever what is
pompous and expected is exploded we have already entered the joy of
the Buddha. The sixth precept is intended to prevent
spiritual correctness. Let’s observe it
faithfully.
—John Tarrant
Judgmental criticism is one thing; judicious
criticism is actually a gift. That’s why the Buddha never
formulated a precept against talking about other people’s faults or
errors, because there are times when you have to speak up against
harmful behavior. Otherwise it goes uncorrected, people take it as
a model, and the civilization slips one notch further away. When
asked if he would say anything displeasing, the Buddha responded
with the analogy of a child who has put a sharp object in its
mouth. You have to get the object out, even if it means drawing
blood, for you don’t want the child to swallow the object and come
to even greater harm.
So how do you know if your criticism is going
to be judicious? Ask yourself four questions before you say it: Is
it true? Is it beneficial? Is this the right time and place to say
it? Am I the right person to say this? If you can honestly answer
Yes to all four questions, go ahead with your comments. Even then,
though, you have to look at their results. If you see that they
weren’t actually beneficial or timely, learn from your mistake.
That’s how your discernment grows.
—Thanissaro Bhikkhu
What a relief not to speak about others’
errors and faults! The essence of the sixth precept is about
intimacy and encourages us not to distance ourselves through
judging and gossiping. It is not encouraging nondiscernment and
stupidity. But it suggests that one of the heaviest karmas is to
divide or demoralize the sangha, and gossiping, third-party
communication certainly does this. I n a time when gossip makes
headlines and speech is used to divide, not unite, we must be
especially vigilant. So retrieve all your projections—“You spot it,
you got it”—and enjoy the healing force of right speech.
—Joan Halifax
Whenever we find fault with others, whether
through anger, contemptuous certainty, self-righteousness, or
gossip, it is often based in fear. We may not be aware of our
fears, but when we look deeply, we may discover the fear of
rejection, loss of control, of unworthiness, or the fear of
disconnection. But refraining alone is not enough—by itself it is
just behavior modification—and it is neither healing nor
transformative. Only through uncovering and consciously entering
into the deep hole inside, welcoming the fear with curiosity and
compassion, can we ultimately reconnect with the basic wholeness of
our true nature.
—Ezra Bayda
