Full Circle Associates

Ruby over on LotusMedia2.0 had a great post last week about Right Speech.

Right speech is one of the steps on the Eight-fold Path in Buddhism. The path is the way to end suffering, which is one of the Four Noble Truths. While contemplating the new year, I have been thinking about this step and about working to be more conscious of my speech (both verbal and written) before it impacts others.

Ruby's post struck home to me on two levels.

First, with my interest in the non profit/NGO sector, I think about how we perceive our "help" when we volunteer or think we know what is right for someone else. Often the folks from "developed" countries come in and we tell everyone what to do, how to fix it, as if we really know. We have many gifts to offer others, but it needs to be in the context of both the giver and the recipient. Right Speech might help us figure that out.

Second, right speech might offer a concrete way for us to facilitate dialog online. Lets take a look at some of the specifics Ruby quoted:

The importance of speech in the context of Buddhist ethics is obvious: words can break or save lives, make enemies or friends, start war or create peace. Buddha explained right speech as follows:
1. to abstain from false speech, especially not to tell deliberate lies and not to speak deceitfully,
2. to abstain from slanderous speech and not to use words maliciously against others,
3. to abstain from harsh words that offend or hurt others, and
4. to abstain from idle chatter that lacks purpose or depth.

Positively phrased, this means to tell the truth, to speak friendly, warm, and gently and to talk only when necessary.
- www.thebigview.com/buddhism

When I think about the panel a bunch of us are doing next month at South by Southwest Interactive, this gives me some food for thought.

Technorati Tags: SWSWprep, usethem, rightspeech,