Are we using our speech kindly or harshly? Do we use our speech to hurt people’s feelings, break their trust, and so on, or do we inspire people and give them confidence and point out their good qualities? We should consider this carefully because the karma and the problems we create for ourselves when we misuse speech are an important part of why we are still trapped in samsara.

Harsh speech includes using speech to denigrate people or tell them off when we lose our temper and say all sorts of incredible things that we never would have said before. Another way of looking at harsh speech is when we shut down and do not say anything. Speech really involves communication, so for those of us who implode rather than explode, maybe the harshness of our speech comes out by the way we withdraw and do not communicate. Instead, we communicate that we are rejecting or distancing ourselves from people by ignoring and turning our backs on them.

How we communicate with others should always be an important method to practising our path. Kindness, truthfulness, and connecting with others is the only way to reach our goal of being of benefit to all sentient beings.

“365 Gems of Wisdom” e-book is out now!