The Buddha decried disputation and treated silence as sacred

A.R.M.T.B. Ratnayake

Meditation means silent concentration to gain insight. Thus silence is noble and noise is incompatible with spiritual progress.

Unkind people spread malicious tales, and well-intentioned people remain silence. That makes the difference between disciplined and undisciplined people.

The Vedic word ‘Muni’ stood for one who had made the vow of silence; it is connected with Mukkha, mouth. Thus even before the Buddha, Munis valued silence. The Buddha was more emphatic on silence. He decried the current habit of philosophical disputation and counselled avoidance of challenges to wordy combat.

Thus upon more than one occasion, the Buddha advised his followers ”when you meet together monks, you should do one of two things, discuss the Dhamma or maintain the noble silence”.

If one looks at the advice given to Kalamas, as appearing in the Vimamsaka Sutta, an advice unique in the history of religions, one would not be easily driven to accept wild rumours such as those about “Grease Yakas”. Unfortunately these rumours were able to shock society because people believed them without a proper enquiry.

“Now look you Kalamas, do not be led by reports, tradition or hearsay. Be not led by the authority of religious texts, nor by mere logic or inference, nor by considering appearances, nor by the delight in speculative opinions, nor by seeming possibilities, nor by the idea: ‘this is our teacher’.

But O Kalamas, when you know for yourselves that certain things are unwholesome (akusala) and wrong, and bad, then give them up. When you know for yourselves that certain things are wholesome, (kusala) and good then accept them and follow them. Surprisingly, the Buddha went even further. He told the Bhikkhus that a disciple should examine even the Tathagata (Buddha) himself so that he (the Disciple) might be fully convinced of the true value of the teacher whom he followed.

Verification

This illustrates the importance of verification before one believes a thing to exist. To any progress, whether it is spiritual or otherwise, doubt (vicikiccha) is one of the five hindrances (Nivarana) to the clear understanding of truth. Doubt exists as long as one does not understand clearly, whether it is one’s religious teachings or mere spread of gossips in the society. It was not only in the public preaching-hall that the Aryan Sage was to gourd his tongue. Even in the fastness of the jungle, or upon the high mountains, the Muni having apprehended the importance and valued of silence, took it with him like a mantle and regarded it (silence) as golden.

Learn this of the waters’ said the Buddha: Loud splatters the streamlet, the ocean’s depths are silent. The Emptiness is loud, fullness calm. The prattling fool is like a half-filled pot, the wise man like a placid lake. It is also said that one who knows much says little, that is the character of the sage with true wisdom.

Meditation means silent concentration to gain insight. Thus silence is noble and noise is incompatible with spiritual progress.

Unkind people spread malicious tales, and well-intentioned people remain silence. That makes the difference between disciplined and undisciplined people.

Truth

The Buddha laid great emphasis upon Truth and that is reflected in his insistence on the Right Speech, samma vaca is, as we have seen, the third section of the Noble Eightfold Path. We find the Buddha setting the example: tales of war, of terrors, of battles, tales about relationships, town, cities and countries, tales about women, about heroes, gossips at street corners, or near wells, ghost stories, aimless chatter or about existence and non-existence. Gotama, holds aloof from such idle conversation.

Whereas, some continue addicted to the use of wrangling phrases, such as: “You don’t understand the doctrine and discipline, but I do”.

“It I who am in the right, you are not”. The wise refrain from the use of such wrangling phrases. In everyday life, Right Speech often means less speech. ‘Only, when he knows does he say that he knows; only when he has seen does he say that he has seen.

Whatsoever, the word is pleasant to the year, blameless, lovely, reaching to the heart, urbane, pleasing to the people – such are words, wise-men speak. Thus the Buddha’s teaching is strongly against frivolous talk and the spread of vulgar rumours.