Hello everyone,
Could someone tell me what counts as Samphappalapa or Niratthakakathā?
If I talk to someone and say “it’s a nice weather today”, is it pointless talk? The conversation could go on without me saying it. So, it wasn’t really necessary to make that remark about the weather. Moreover, it’s not related to the Dhamma.
I would also like to come up with poems on certain occasions to describe how I’m feeling. Would that also count as Samphappalapa or Niratthakakathā if my poems don’t include the Dhamma.
Here are a few suttas about that mentions Samphappalapa
Samphappalāpasutta
“… the sentient beings who refrain from talking nonsense are few, while those who don’t refrain are many. …”
… “Evameva kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye samphappalāpā paṭiviratā; atha kho eteva bahutarā sattā ye samphappalāpā appaṭiviratā …pe….
Furthermore, a noble disciple reflects:
‘If someone were to annoy me by talking silliness and nonsense, I wouldn’t like it.
But if I were to annoy someone else by talking silliness and nonsense, they wouldn’t like it either.’
The thing that is disliked by me is also disliked by another.
Since I dislike this thing, how can I inflict it on another?’
Reflecting in this way, they give up talking nonsense themselves. And they encourage others to give up talking nonsense, praising the giving up of talking nonsense.
Puna caparaṁ, gahapatayo, ariyasāvako iti paṭisañcikkhati:
‘yo kho maṁ samphabhāsena samphappalāpabhāsena samudācareyya, na metaṁ assa piyaṁ manāpaṁ.
Ahañceva kho pana paraṁ samphabhāsena samphappalāpabhāsena samudācareyyaṁ, parassapi taṁ assa appiyaṁ amanāpaṁ.
Yo kho myāyaṁ dhammo appiyo amanāpo, parassa peso dhammo appiyo amanāpo.
Yo kho myāyaṁ dhammo appiyo amanāpo, kathāhaṁ paraṁ tena saṁyojeyyan’ti.
So iti paṭisaṅkhāya attanā ca samphappalāpā paṭivirato hoti, parañca samphappalāpā veramaṇiyā samādapeti, samphappalāpā veramaṇiyā ca vaṇṇaṁ bhāsati.