from a personal poetical exploration of
thich nhat hanh's 14 precepts
ninth precept: mindful speech
Do not say untruthful things for the sake of personal interest or to impress people. Do not utter words that cause division and hatred. Do not spread news that you do not know to be certain. Do not criticize or condemn things of which you are not sure. Always speak truthfully and constructively. Have the courage to speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may threaten your own safety.
thinking of my friends from the sixth I recounted actual phrases of bitter deflection one or two were angry that I exposed their words shared their critiques with the fellow in question one, wiser, learned the ninth precept therein "do not utter words that cause division and hatred. ... always speak truthfully and constructively." she said she should speak so cruelly no longer so I have another friend an artful renderer of airomatic aggrevations he is an unhappy boy, he is a smart boy. a smart unhappy boy can take people apart expertly, like a surgeon, and make the world reflect the pounding bitterness in his soul. he so speaks of me often and disillusioned - I am not what he expects this he slaps me with constantly like I am supposed to stay up with him 'til 4 am working out the proposition of my failure and our inability to communicate really, he's got to lose his taste for finding falsehood cuz when I look at me with his eyes, I see lies, when I listen to myself with his ears I despise my own voice that is wrong so is he like a lemon tree his right to be unhappy he is weilding his power of dissatisfaction "for the sake of personal interest or to impress people" perhaps I encourage him to recognize what I found on page 37 "when we speak, we can create a world of love, trust, and happiness, or a hell" he is replicating in speech what he thinks he has in his soul I see sadness in his soul I also see beauty large beauty.
eighth | interbeing | tenth