Daily Dharma

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence…We need silence to be able to touch souls.” — Mother Teresa

Photo by apesara

For those that live in big cities, the noise never stops. Car horns and sirens, helicopters in the sky, people talking and yelling on the street. Wouldn’t it be nice just to make it all stop – even for just one day?

Today, say only what is necessary.

In our daily lives, like on the city streets, the chatter never stops. Whether it’s actual conversation or an infinite string of emails, we often forget that saying less usually says more. While communication is important to get business done and to nurture relationships, how much that is said does more harm than good?

To be silent, I don’t suggest that today you become a mute. After all, that might lead to more than a slight concern from confused loved ones and coworkers! What I do recommend is to focus on your work – or on finding quiet moments in nature, or wherever you may be – rather than making idle conversation. Why?

Usually, we don’t think about what we say in a given day. Often, our conversations may include gossip, bragging, even lying –without us every realizing it.

In Buddhism, there is a precept called right speech, which teaches us to abstain – most importantly, from lying – but also from divisive gossip, harmful language, and useless babble.

While we Westerners understand the virtues of honesty and abstaining from blasphemy, we give little thoughts to other things we say that can be either directly or indirectly harmful to others.

By making a conscious effort to be silent when we don’t have something thoughtful and constructive to contribute, it becomes much easier to avoid lying, gossiping, or saying other harmful things. You’ll also have more time to yourself to be mindful.

Today’s Challenge

• Speak only when truly necessary
• Practice focusing your mind when you would otherwise be talking
• Think before you speak, asking yourself if what you are going to say is valuable
• Do not lie or say anything hurtful to others