from a personal poetical exploration of
thich nhat hanh's 14 precepts
eighth precept: harmony in the community
Do not utter words that can create dischord and cause the community to break. Make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small.
visited some marxist friends reunion an old time swarthmore radical i'd known for many years in from the labour circuit as my way, I fished from him a detailed lowdown bare hints of boldnesses in the righteous struggle important as secrets as my way, they worried the information would be too widely disseminated twice I assured them of my intention to preserve their privacy left early on my way past the window I heard former compadres speaking stridently it goes straight from that notebook onto the net he's gonna tell the world no, my friend interjected, he assured me not. yeah, well, he's got a page where he calls us his commie roomies. that and he's got sexually explicit materials up about his ex-girlfriend I had to laugh loud scorn, they heard it hurt my sides maybe I'd shown them. it hurt to be mistrusted by friends no less I was steeling my will I was noble publisher of truth they were fearful of falsehood but a friend ned small coached me his phrase was bad blood damn his words were so decent so true "don't let there be bad blood between you" and it was clear to me at once - years of friendship and support realized history and future to stand on words, a trite phrasing was to deny so many precepts especially the eighth I did not want my words to "create dischord" and break our community these were my campaneros, I must "make every effort to reconcile and resolve all conflicts, however small." so I changed the phrase, to something more subtle as I apologized for not accepting their preference it felt good, no bad blood.
seventh | interbeing | ninth