Right Speech is the foundation to maintain Inner Peace and Happiness?
16th Jul 2021 | Author - Viraj Malik
We are living in a world where each and every individual is indulged in the chaos and hectic schedule of day-to-day life. There is a popular view that if we want to attain peace and happiness, then we must maintain calm, and practice meditation every day. We are all challenged by the reality of life and have to complete our duties towards our family and society. We cannot and we shouldn’t run away from them. So how do we achieve happiness and peace in the midst of this hustle bustle?
Everybody finds others responsible for their grief and misery so we have to evaluate this fact. The words we say and the thoughts we have for others have a great impact on us. Right speech is the foundation of our inner peace and tranquillity. Modern man has become civilised externally but tends to indulge in violence through his words. Violent words and speech harms both the speaker and receiver.
Have you observed whenever we tell a lie, we ought to shout or quarrel, and then our pulse rate increases and body temperature rises up, we sometimes start shivering? On the contrary when we wish someone or give blessings then we feel happy and peaceful. Have you wondered why this happens?
It is because, whenever we say something, it affects us first before anyone else as the origin of those words and thoughts lies within us and thus, we should choose our words carefully and think wisely. We should remember that we are the only ones who can control our actions and emotions and hence, we should express them responsibly.
The key question is, how do we become content and do our deeds in peace in this materialistic world, where we have to play different roles?
A simple way to achieve this is to think of this as a roleplay, without having feelings attached to it, just like an actor but at the same time empathise with the other and never holding grudges.
Right speech is a key part of Patanjali Yoga Sutra, as part of the Yama and Niyama and Buddha’s eightfold path also lays a big emphasis on right speech where practitioner is encouraged to speak the truth and does not harm anyone in thought, speech or action. This greatly helps the practitioner's inner well-being and accelerates the progress of a Yogi.
