[Buddha-l] Ethics

[Franz Metcalf]

Gang,

I agree both with Evelyn, whose Rotarian list reminds her of something 
the Buddha might say, and Michel, who reminds us of how hard it is to 
speak rightly according to such lists. And now I remind us all of what 
we find the (fictional character of the) Buddha saying in print:

    1) If it’s false, harmful, and nasty, don’t say it.
    2) If it’s false, harmful, and pleasant, don’t say it.
    3) If it’s false, helpful, and nasty, don’t say it.
    4) If it’s true, harmful, and nasty, don’t say it.
    5) If it’s true, helpful, and nasty know when to say it.
    6) If it’s true, helpful, and pleasant know when to say it.
    (Abhaya Sutta, Majjhima Nikaya 58 [wildly rewritten by me--and who's 
to stop me?])

Here's the Access to Insight version:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/majjhima/mn058.html

Note that the possibility, "false, helpful, and pleasant" does not 
exist in this passage. Following Michel's example, this would be 
something like, "Of course it doesn't make you look fat; you look 
great. Now let's go or we'll miss the curtain."

Neither does the possibility "true, harmful, and pleasant" exist. This 
is rather harder to think of an example of. A few days ago, Jon Stewart 
commented (on "The Daily Show," of course) that the Bush 
administration's chief foreign policy aim seems to be to help spread 
irony around the world. I think that comment could qualify as true, 
harmful, and pleasant. One might easily reverse each of those 
adjectives, but one way or another it sure seemed like right speech to 
me.

Franz Metcalf