| 中 台 山 月 刊 191 期 |
|
| 本期主題：
愛語攝 |
|
正語的美德
The Virtues of Right Speech 文／美國佛門寺研經班學員 傳惇（Cynthia Hudson） 比起過去，今天我們用了更多的語言文字，卻鮮少溝通。從網路傳播、線上視頻、推特、臉書，乃至透過手機，我們被全年無休的新聞傳媒給淹沒了。現在更重要的是，重新思考正語的意義。 我們都知道良好的溝通包含了傾聽。但，這即使在最佳的情況下，也很不容易做到，更何況處於即時訊息充塞，乃至一心多用的大環境下，我們很少再去傾聽了。總是匆匆寄出電子郵件或即時訊息，好接著處理下一件工作，或讀取下一則訊息。 將人淹沒的傳媒訊息，滔滔不絕提醒我們應該注意的最新趨勢，該如何去感受、如何去行動、該穿什麼、喜歡誰、不喜歡誰、買什麼、吃什麼、如何去養育孩子，甚至我們該怎麼想。這些報導訊息縈繞在心中，成為我們聊天的內容，變成了我們的見解。我們開始用這些見解去定義，然後變成了我們的信念。一旦隨著這些訊息潮流起舞，開始跟著說、跟著做、跟著反應每件事，便不再有正思惟或良善的動機了；外在的紛擾導致內心不得安寧，於是便失去了正見。自以為內在的噪音就是我的思想及信念，但實則不然。在佛門寺學佛後，我開始了解：正語，源自於澄靜的心。 沒有澄靜的心，就沒有正語；沒有禪修的練習，就沒有澄靜的心。在佛門寺禪修學習，開始覺察到，沒有一件事是獨立存在的。愈是聽法薰修，愈是了解到每一件事都是相關聯的。因此，正語，不只是言說，它來自正思惟，有正思惟才有正語，才有正業。要有正語、正業，必須要有正見、正思惟。正見最重要的就是相信因果、無常及中道的真理。正語是八正道其中之一，八者之間密不可分，而又可以延伸至六波羅蜜的菩薩行──布施、持戒、忍辱、精進、禪定、般若。正語在這些行門中，都是不可或缺的，我發願要信受奉持。 今日高科技快速之便，也讓人際往來流於情緒化地疏離。八卦流言、誹謗、霸凌、謠言和不實的訊息充斥，影視、音樂變得愈來愈暴力、墮落。世界各地的暴力行為，全天候地在網路及電視上流傳，使人心麻痺、冷酷；不斷地爭辯誰對誰錯，變本加厲的謾罵，亦導致我們的心智狀態日益惡化。當內心周旋於種種疑惑、自私、我執的同時，外在的混亂仍持續進行著。 正語很重要，因為它，我們開始平息心中的紛亂，使內心可以作主。這需要有正見，才能生起恭敬、慈悲。正語源自於覺性，是覺性讓我們選擇道德良善；善業是正語的結果，良善的話語會帶來良善的回應，除非是居心不良的濫慈悲。如果無法對某人說出一些正面的話，那麼我寧可什麼都別說。從談話中，將閒言閒語剔除，也許會使那些想和我聊八卦的人沮喪，卻可以讓我們都省思一下，不再批評別人。鼓勵的話語可以幫助別人積極修善，而他們也將如此去幫助更多的人。正語鼓舞人們更真心喜悅地善待他人，並減少責罵及批評，同時也降伏了我執及貪瞋癡。正語亦是持戒，如果我們精進行持，將為這個動盪不安的世界帶來祥和。 (Today we encounter more words and more talking than we ever have in the past, yet we are communicating less. We are inundated with conversations and communications from the Internet, streaming videos, Twitter, Facebook, and access to news via cell phones 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now more than ever, it is important to think about right speech and what that means. We all know that good communication encompasses listening. This is difficult to practice in the best of circumstances. But in our world of instant messaging and multitasking we often do not listen. We are in a hurry to send off that email or instant message and get on to the next task or read the next post. We are inundated with communications telling us the new trends we should pay attention to, how we should feel, how we should act, what we should wear, who to like and who to dislike, what to buy, what to eat, how we should raise our children, even what we should think. All of this information swirls around in our mind. It becomes the content of our conversations and becomes our views. We begin to identify with these views and they become our beliefs. We get swept up in this tidal wave of information and begin to say, act and react to each situation without the right thought or the right motivation. There is so much internal noise created by the external noise that we are not even aware that there is a right understanding. Personally, I thought the inner noises were my thoughts and beliefs but they are not. This I have come to realize from the teachings at Buddha Gate. To understand right speech, it all begins with a quiet mind. There is no right speech without a quiet mind and there is no quiet mind without the practice of meditation. Through the teachings at Buddha Gate, I am now aware that nothing is isolated. The more I listen to the Dharma talks the more I understand that everything is connected. So to write about right speech encompasses so much more than just speech. It all begins with the right thoughts; with the right thoughts, we can then have the right speech, which can lead us to the right actions. To know the right speech and the right actions, we need to have both the right views and understanding and most importantly a belief in causality, impermanence and the middle way. To think about right speech brings up the Eightfold Path and how each is not separate but rather they are one. And this connection continues to the practice of the Six Paramitas: Charity, Moral Conduct, Tolerance, Diligence, Meditation and Prajna Wisdom. This is the practice that is integral to right speech. This is the practice that I vow to follow. Today technology enables people to be emotionally disconnected from one another. Gossip, slander, bullying, rumor mongering and untruthfulness are rampant. Movies, TV and music have all become much more violent and destructive. Acts of violence being committed around the world today are streaming over the internet and TV all day long and it desensitizes us to the cruelty towards one another. This is then exacerbated by constant debates of who is right and who is wrong which deteriorates into name calling which leads to a mentality of them versus us. All of this external turmoil is going on while internally we are dealing with our own doubts, selfishness and ego. Right speech is important because it begins to quiet the noise and lets us decide what we will allow in our mind. It requires the right understanding which will cultivate respect and compassion. Awareness is essential to right speech and awareness can lead to choices of moral conduct. Good karma is an effect of right speech. A kind word to someone can make them in turn pass on a kind word to someone else an illicit compassion for others. If I do not have something nice to say about someone, then I will not say anything at all. Eliminating gossip from my own conversation discourages others from gossiping with me which in turn may help us all think about not criticizing others. Encouraging others can help them to take the right action creating good karma and they in turn can do the same for someone else. Right speech encourages being truly joyful in others' good qualities and actions. It helps to ward against blame and criticism which in turn gets rid of the ego and negates greed, anger and ignorance. Right speech is following the precepts, and if we are diligent, allows us to practice and follow the path which in turn will bring harmony to this turbulent world.) |