E-prime practice and right speech
For lay-people, speech offers a great opportunity to practice. The four precepts of right speech, the precept cautioning against false speech, malicious speech, harsh speech, and useless speech gave a real boost to my awareness as a lay-person and businessman. Since awareness and wisdom had to come into the picture whenever I spoke, I had to apply them all day. Saying things you shouldn't say or speaking more than necessary brings a lot of agitation to the mind. The other extreme, complete silence, or not speaking up when useful or necessary also invites problems. One finds it difficult to apply right speech in the beginning; it takes practice. But if you practice every time you talk to someone, the mind will learn how to expand awareness, to understand what it should or should not say, and to know when best to talk. Or course you would make many mistakes. The mistakes will give you an opportunity to learn, to teach you to do better next time.
paraphrasing Sayadaw U Tejaniya, buddhist monk.
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