Quote from What We Say Matters

What We Say Matters: Practicing Nonviolent Communication

by Judith Hanson Lasater and Ike K. Lasater

Rodmell Press, Berkeley, California     ©2009     192 pp.


"The ancient teachings of yoga and Buddhism have many things in common. They both evolved from the Hindu culture, they both contain techniques that teach us how to live a life of fulfillment free from suffering, and they both offer teachings specifically about speech and its importance in our lives.

The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, the ancient sourcebook delineating the psychology and practice of yoga, offers two sutra (verses) on the subject of speech.  The first is in chapter (or pada) II, verse 30. Here Patanjali lists the five yamas, or restraints, that are recommended for the practitioner of yoga. These restraints are ahimsa (nonharming), satya (truth), asteya (nonstealing), brahmacharya (chastity), and aparigraha (nongreed). The second mention of satya is in pada II, verse 36. Georg Feuerstein translates this (in The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali): 'When grounded in truthfulness, action (and its) fruition depend (on him).' This means that as we practice satya on deeper and deeper levels, whatever we say is an accurate reflection of reality. This verse could also mean that when we are grounded in the state of yoga, the state of pure being, then we cannot say anything that is not truth, and so anything we say is true. It is not true because we have made something come true, but rather because there is no separation between our consciousness, the truth, and what we speak.

There are, however, other aspects to the practice of truth. All yamas, including satya, are considered to be secondary to the expression of ahimsa, or nonharming.  I (Judith) understand that we can never 'tell the truth' if we ignore the foundational practice of nonharming.

In the Yoga Sutra, satya is offered in the context of a restraint. This means that we are to consciously hold back speech that will be harmful . . . "

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"The Buddhist eightfold path offers teachings similar to those found in yoga. The eight practices are divided into three stages. The first section is about wisdom and includes right understanding and right thought. The second section is about ethical conduct and includes right speech, right action, and right livelihood. The final section is about mental discipline and includes right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

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"Right speech is speech that furthers the practice of the speaker and contributes to the well-being of others and the world . . ."

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"The practice of right speech is just as difficult to apply as the practice of satya. Both teachings describe what to do, but neither give much guidance on how to do it."  (pp.7-9)
-- submitted by Jennifer Knight

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