141 (Day) Threefold Purification of the Precepts (Sīla) #7: No Frivolous Talking : Veḷudvāreyya Sutta (SN 55.7)| Study Notes from BMV Monday Sutta Study with Bhante Dr. G. Chandima
8. Samphappalāpa — Abstaining from Frivolous Talking
8.1 Puna caparaṃ, gahapatayo, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati:
- The noble disciple continues the same method of wise reflection (paṭisañcikkhati), now applying it to frivolous chatter (samphappalāpa).
8.2 Yo kho maṃ samphabhāsena samphappalāpabhāsena samudācareyya, na metaṃ assa piyaṃ manāpaṃ.
- The disciple considers his/her own experience. He/she recognizes that being subjected to pointless, excessive, or frivolous talk is not something he/she finds pleasant or worthwhile.
8.3 Ahañceva kho pana paraṃ samphabhāsena samphappalāpabhāsena samudācareyyaṃ, parassapi taṃ assa appiyaṃ amanāpaṃ.
- The reflection is extended to another person. Just as I may not appreciate having my time or attention occupied by frivolous chatter, another person may feel the same.
8.4 Yo kho myāyaṃ dhammo appiyo amanāpo, parassa peso dhammo appiyo amanāpo.
- The disciple recognizes ethical reciprocity. Other people also value their time, attention, and meaningful communication.
8.5 Yo kho myāyaṃ dhammo appiyo amanāpo, kathāhaṃ paraṃ tena saṃyojeyyan’ti.
- The reflection becomes a question of responsible communication: if I do not appreciate being burdened with meaningless chatter, how could I impose it on another person?
8.6 So iti paṭisaṅkhāya attanā ca samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti, parañca samphappalāpā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, samphappalāpā veramaṇiyā ca vaṇṇaṃ bhāsati.
- The reflection produces three levels of ethical practice:
- Personal restraint — he/she abstains from frivolous talk.
- Encouraging others — he/she encourages others to abstain from frivolous talk.
- Praising the virtue — he/she speaks in praise of avoiding frivolous talk.
This does not mean that all ordinary conversation is wrong. Rather, the training encourages speech that is meaningful, purposeful, timely, and beneficial, rather than merely talking for the sake of talking.
8.7 Evamassāyaṃ vacīsamācāro tikoṭiparisuddho hoti.
- His verbal conduct (vacīsamācāra) is threefold pure through his own restraint, encouraging others to practise restraint, and praising the value of avoiding frivolous speech.
Examples:
- Discussing a fellow Buddhist's personal problems with people who have no need to know.
- Spreading rumours about someone's behaviour.
- Repeatedly discussing another person's mistakes for entertainment.
- Speculating about someone's private life without reliable information.
Examples:
- Talking endlessly without any meaningful purpose.
- Making up amusing stories and presenting them as facts.
- Engaging in pointless chatter that wastes time and encourages carelessness.
- When friends begin gossiping: Instead of saying, “Did you hear what happened to her? I know some more details!” remain silent or change the subject. This prevents gossip from spreading and protects others from unnecessary judgment.
- When sitting with others and there is nothing important to discuss: Instead of filling the silence with random stories, jokes, or comments about other people, remain comfortable with silence. This develops restraint in speech.
- When someone shares personal information about another person: Instead of asking, “Really? What happened next? Tell me everything!” do not encourage the conversation. This prevents curiosity from becoming gossi
- When chatting in a WhatsApp group: Instead of continuously sending unnecessary comments, jokes, reactions, or messages simply to keep the conversation going, send only what is useful or meaningful. This prevents excessive and distracting communication.
- When tempted to share your opinion about everything: Instead of commenting on every person's behavior, appearance, decision, or personal matter, speak only when your words are genuinely useful. This prevents unnecessary criticism and conflict.
- When a conversation turns into complaints about someone: Instead of adding, “Yes, I also have a story about that person,” stop yourself from contributing another story. This prevents a simple conversation from becoming prolonged gossip.
- When friends start gossiping: Instead of contributing another story, say, “Let us not spend our time talking about someone who is not here.” This gently redirects the conversation away from gossip.
- When a group is endlessly discussing someone's personal life: Say, “Do we really need to know all these details?” This encourages restraint and prevents unnecessary curiosity.
- When a conversation becomes endless idle chatting: Say, “Perhaps we can talk about something more useful.” This helps people recognize when conversation has become merely habitual.
- When someone keeps sending unnecessary messages in a group: Rather than criticizing them, encourage the group to keep messages relevant. This reduces distraction and unnecessary communication.
- When friends repeatedly complain about the same person: Say, “If there is a real problem, perhaps we should think about how to address it rather than continuing to talk about it.” This shifts the conversation from gossip to constructive action.
- When someone is about to repeat something heard about another person: Ask gently, “Is it necessary for us to repeat this?” This helps develop restraint before words are spoken.
- When someone chooses not to gossip: Say, “It is good that you did not add to the conversation; not everything we hear needs to be repeated.”
- When someone stops an idle conversation: Say, “It is valuable to know when a conversation is no longer useful and to let it end.”
- When someone does not comment on another person's private life: Say, “That kind of restraint protects both our own peace and the dignity of others.”
- When someone thinks before speaking: Say, “You did not simply say whatever came to your mind; you considered whether it was necessary first.” This praises restraint rather than mere silence.
- When someone refuses to pass on gossip: Say, “Not repeating unnecessary information is a form of kindness because it prevents words from creating problems for others.”
- When someone keeps a conversation meaningful: Say, “Our time and speech are valuable; it is better to use them for something beneficial than to keep talking simply because we have nothing else to do.”
Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta's Proposal to Prince Abhaya
On one occasion, the Buddha was staying at the Veḷuvana Monastery in Rājagaha. At that time, Prince Abhaya went to visit Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta. Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta said to him:"Prince, go and debate with the ascetic Gotama. If you do so, you will gain great fame."
Prince Abhaya asked:
"How can I debate with the ascetic Gotama, who is so powerful?"
Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta then suggested a strategy.
"Go and ask the Buddha this question:
'Venerable Sir, does the Tathāgata ever speak words that are unpleasant and disagreeable to others?'
If the Buddha answers 'Yes,' tell him that there is no difference between him and ordinary people, because ordinary people also speak unpleasant words to others.
If he answers 'No,' remind him of what he said about Devadatta. Point out that those words caused Devadatta to become displeased."
Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta thought that the Buddha would be unable to answer this question without falling into a contradiction.
The Buddha's Answer
The following day, Prince Abhaya invited the Buddha to his residence for a meal.
After the meal, Prince Abhaya asked the Buddha:
"Venerable Sir, does the Tathāgata ever speak words that are unpleasant and disagreeable to others?"
The Buddha replied:
"Prince, there is no single answer to that question."
Prince Abhaya initially thought that Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta had been defeated.
However, the Buddha went on to explain his answer in detail.
The Simile of the Little Child
At that time, a little child was sitting on Prince Abhaya's lap.
The Buddha asked him:
"Prince, suppose this child were to put a piece of wood or a thorn into its mouth out of ignorance. What would you do?"
Prince Abhaya replied:
"Venerable Sir, I would immediately remove it. If I could not remove it at first, I would hold the child's head firmly, put my finger into its mouth, and take it out. Even if doing so caused the child some pain, I would still do it."
The Buddha then asked:
"Why would you do that?"
Prince Abhaya replied:
"Venerable Sir, because I have compassion for the child."
The Buddha then explained:
In the same way, Prince, the Tathāgata acts out of compassion for all living beings.
When the Buddha Speaks and When He Remains Silent
The Buddha explained how he decides whether to speak or remain silent.
a). False and Unbeneficial Speech
If something is untrue and unbeneficial, the Buddha does not say it, even if others find it pleasant or agreeable.
b). True but Unbeneficial Speech
If something is true but unbeneficial, the Buddha does not say it, whether others find it pleasant or unpleasant.
c). True and Beneficial Speech
If something is true, beneficial, and pleasant to others, the Buddha knows when it is appropriate to say it. Similarly, if something is true and beneficial but unpleasant to others, the Buddha knows the appropriate time to say it. He does not avoid speaking merely because his words may be unpleasant. Instead, he considers whether they are true, beneficial, and timely.
The Buddha's approach is therefore guided by wisdom and compassion, rather than by a desire to please everyone or to avoid making others uncomfortable.
Why Is This So?
It is because the Buddha acts out of compassion for all living beings.
Lessons We Can Learn for Our Lives
We can learn several important lessons from this discourse.
Simply telling the truth is not enough. We should also consider whether what we say is beneficial.
We should not always remain silent out of fear of upsetting others. When the situation calls for it, we should speak the truth and say what is beneficial.
The timing of our speech matters. Even something good may be less beneficial if it is said at the wrong time.
We should speak with compassion. Saying something for another person's well-being is not the same as speaking with the intention of hurting them.
The purpose of our words matters. We should cultivate the habit of speaking the truth for the well-being of others.
na takkaro hoti naro pamatto,
gopova gāvo gaṇayaṃ paresaṃ
na bhāgavā sāmaññassa hoti.
Though he/she recites much of the Sacred Texts (Tipiṭaka/Sutta), if he/she is negligent and does not practise in accordance with the Dhamma, he/she is like a cowherd who counts the cattle of others. He/she has no share in the benefits of the monastic life, namely, the attainments of the Path and Fruition (magga-phala).
Appam pi ce sahitaṃ bhāsamāno,
dhammassa hoti anudhammacārī;
rāgañ ca dosañ ca pahāya mohaṃ,
sammappajāno suvimuttacitto.
Even if a person speaks only a little, but lives in accordance with the Dhamma, abandoning greed, hatred, and delusion, with true understanding and a liberated mind, that person is one who practises the Dhamma.
This verse emphasises that the value of speech lies not in its quantity but in its relationship to Dhamma and practice.
Na tāvatā dhammadharo
yāvatā bahu bhāsati
yo ca appampi sutvāna
dhammaṃ kāyena passati
sa ve dhammadharo hoti
yo dhammaṃ nappamajjati.
He/she is not "one versed in the Dhamma (Dhammadhara)" just because he/she talks much. He/she who hears only a little but comprehends the Dhamma, and is not unmindful is, indeed, "one versed in the Dhamma".
7. A Thousand Words or One That Heals? (Tambadāṭhika Story)
Sahassamapi ce vācā
anatthapadasaṃhitā
ekaṃ atthapadaṃ seyyo
yaṃ sutvā upasammati.
Better than a thousand words that are senseless and unconnected with the realization of Nibbana, is a single word of sense, if on hearing it one is calmed.
-Apply the Three-Gate Test Before Speaking
Before discussing another person, ask:
- Is it true?
- Is it beneficial to discuss?
- Is this the right time and place?
Leave online groups whose primary purpose is to discuss other people's personal lives, spread rumours, or ridicule individuals.
Instead of discussing someone's personal shortcomings, focus on understanding the situation, offering assistance, or finding a solution.
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