1,501 RIGHT-SPEECH TEACHINGS for COMMUNICATING MINDFULLY
BY BARBARA ANN KIPFER
Really—rather than just blurt out our anger, our annoyances, and our frustrations to those around us, how would it feel to have an understanding of and an arsenal of “1,501 RIGHT SPEECH TEACHINGS” to pull upon as a response?
Acting, thinking and then speaking like the Buddha might be life changing for our relationships with those around us.
OUR WORDS COUNT. Our words are a very powerful reflection of our inner selves; hopefully of our authentic selves, and this book give us the speaking tools to make sure we can express ourselves at the highest levels of “Right Speech.”
After reading this book you will be able to make what you have to say and how you choose to say it an integral part of your daily spiritual practice.
The book speaks of developing patience with your speech, being mindful of first listening deeply, then letting go of the “hot coals” of speech (yours and others), of using your breath to control your thoughts before speaking and …more than fifteen hundred other simple thoughts & techniques for embracing and communicating through out life.
This book was an absolute pleasure to read. A small, chunky book, it is portable and easy to pick up and read for a few meditative moments at a time. I tried reading just a few pages each morning and each evening, hoping to extend and expand the pleasure I found in reading it. It was hard to NOT devour it all in one day.
You’ll find 1,501 short gems like:
Ask yourself before you speak: Is it true? Is it Kind?
Does it harm anyone? Is this the right time to say anything?
If can restrain yourself from responses that impose self-judgment—advice giving, interrogation, and denial—your tendency to prejudge and discriminate may lessen.
Speak according to the mind of the person who listens and the ability of that person to receive what you share.
There is a section of the book devoted to fifty very short “little essays” with titles like: Anger, Relationships, Gratitude & Appreciation, Forgiveness, and Sympathy. These could be read while sitting just before starting a sitting or walking meditation.
The last section of this book is a collection of Meditations for Right Speech. Each meditation is a paragraph long and can be read to yourself silently or even out loud.