The Buddha Suggests When to Shut Up, When to Speak

The Buddha Suggests When to Shut Up, When to Speak April 5, 2016

Right Speech Flow Chart

Conventional wisdom is conflicted on the subject.

The Mahatma himself, Mohandas Gandhi warned how “silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly.” After all the assumption that silence means assent is so old as to be a Latin proverb. “Qui tacet consentire videtur, ubi loqui debuit ac potuit,” that is “He who is silent, when he ought to have spoken and was able to, is taken to agree.”

While on the other hand we get Mark Twain, who tells us “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” A hint at the great not knowing at the heart of genuine wisdom.

So…

When should we speak? When should we not?

Well, that brings us to the attached chart, a flow chart if you will, showing what Gautama Siddhartha felt about the subject, at least if we believe the Abhaya Sutta.

You’re welcome.


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