“Mendicants, there are these five drawbacks for a person who talks a lot. What five? They use speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, and nonsensical. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These are the five drawbacks for a person who talks a lot.
There are these five benefits for a person who talks thoughtfully. What five? They don’t use speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, and nonsensical. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. These are the five benefits for a person who talks thoughtfully.”
“Pañcime, bhikkhave, ādīnavā bahubhāṇismiṁ puggale. Katame pañca? Musā bhaṇati, pisuṇaṁ bhaṇati, pharusaṁ bhaṇati, samphappalāpaṁ bhaṇati, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati. Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ādīnavā bahubhāṇismiṁ puggale.
Pañcime, bhikkhave, ānisaṁsā mantabhāṇismiṁ puggale. Katame pañca? Na musā bhaṇati, na pisuṇaṁ bhaṇati, na pharusaṁ bhaṇati, na samphappalāpaṁ bhaṇati, kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati. Ime kho, bhikkhave, pañca ānisaṁsā mantabhāṇismiṁ puggale”ti.
I like this teaching a lot. The less we speak, the less likely we are to use speech that’s false, divisive, harsh, and nonsensical.
I want to restrain from samphappalāpaṁ completely as a lay person, but I’m still working on that.
