Buddhist Right Speech and Promoting Social Justice

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  • Опубліковано 25 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 66

  • @DougsDharma
    @DougsDharma  5 років тому +1

    If you'd like to learn more about early Buddhism from a contemporary perspective, check out these courses for a deeper dive into the dharma: onlinedharma.org !

  • @nicoarmin8997
    @nicoarmin8997 5 років тому +10

    This was one of the most wholesome speeches I have ever heard in my whole life. I wish these principles were more widely taught. I hope I can work with someone like you in the future. Thank you.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому +2

      Very kind of you to say Nicholas. I hope it is useful. 🙏

  • @LightRay310
    @LightRay310 5 місяців тому

    Thank you for this video. It was very insightful. Thinking about Buddhist ideas under the chaotic modern living conditions of modern life is certainly something that I feel is incredibly useful. Not all of us are meant to be monks right now, but that doesn't mean we can't learn and analyse their ideas and practices. It's great to find someone that seems to care and know about the subjects they're talking about.

  • @tyson7687
    @tyson7687 4 роки тому +1

    I appreciate this video so much! All of your videos have helped me along my own path but this touches on a very personal topic. Thank you for taking the time to speak about a topic that can be bumpy (at best).

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  4 роки тому +1

      You're very welcome Tyson, yes it's a topic that's so important but touches a nerve.

  • @clairebradbury11
    @clairebradbury11 5 років тому +2

    Thank you Doug. I'm finding these talks very useful, inspiring and helpful.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому

      Thanks Claire, that's nice to hear. Be well.

  • @louistafoya1288
    @louistafoya1288 Рік тому

    When I have expanded my studies into Activism and Buddhism I began to study how monks interacted in Japan. The isolation of monks at the beginning of Buddhism being introduced into Japan to warrior monks making a prominent social political power throughout Japan via monopolies of violence. I watched that movie "Zen" about Dogen and how he choose to interact with other Buddhist monks who are warrior monks. I think when in a deeper meditation state, the mind is clear and the dramatological connection can be established to connect with the other person. From there, one can see clearly the nature of the person and then help them from where their suffering arises with non-violent communication. I do think there is a school that has not been established that can master this or has been in the past but not developed. I think it would be powerful to have these skills developed for counseling/psychology since we can have the studies guided with MRI scans and more solidified science.
    I think of it as Dune tech, like how people in Dune are cultivated and disciplined in a self skill to the point they can detect the health of a person by touch and observation.

  • @lucyflanagan3628
    @lucyflanagan3628 3 роки тому +1

    This is my favorite lecture so far. Thanks for referencing “Letter from Birmingham Jail” which I had never read - important read for anyone wanting to change hearts and minds. One should keep in mind, “One man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist” as I think the saying goes and try and conceive of the opposing view/ meet the other person half way, but not be so open-minded your brains fall out. I like that Buddha could be stern. That can be a kindness and a service.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  3 роки тому

      Yes I think so too Lucy, thanks!

  • @blackhunk2265
    @blackhunk2265 5 років тому +1

    I am going to watch listen your previous videos for further knowledge.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому

      Very good Chando, I hope you find them useful.

  • @isaacgreenough3448
    @isaacgreenough3448 3 роки тому +1

    I never knew speech was so important !! Thank you 🙏😔

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  3 роки тому +1

      My pleasure, Isaac! Yes, speech is indeed so important. 🙏😊

  • @IowaLanguages
    @IowaLanguages 2 роки тому

    Do you discuss Thich Nhat Hanh’s tradition at all? I would be very interested.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  2 роки тому

      I have mentioned him and some of his ideas several times, he was a wonderful example.

  • @kylebarnett9234
    @kylebarnett9234 5 років тому +2

    Hey Id love to hear a video about buddhism and vegetarianism

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому +1

      Thanks Kyle. I did a video about the general topic in early Buddhism awhile back: ua-cam.com/video/r5oncPD7jKo/v-deo.html

  • @unoperatic2800
    @unoperatic2800 4 роки тому +1

    Hello Doug, I've been watching your videos for some time now and enjoy them thoroughly. I also noticed that you reply to each comment below your videos which is very kind of you.
    In recent times I struggle to find justice after what happened to me in early December when somebody's dog attacked and hurt my dog and myself in what turned out to be a painful and traumatic incident. The police ignored me at first, then pushed my dog's fault and protected the other dog's owners. We've now both healed from our injuries and at times when I stop thinking about what happened or stop pursuing the case, I feel less stressed and anxious.
    On the other though, I see a much bigger picture of an ongoing problem of ignorance and injustice of the system. For the system, my dog is just an animal that has no consciousness and awareness of its actions; only following its instincts, so it should not be treated seriously. For me - it's the only being that's been by my side for years, that I care for immensely. I also see a lost battle of others whose dogs are attacked every now and then by aggressive breeds and their struggle for justice. It's almost itching to set an example for others but I'm not sure it can be done without losing health.
    What would you do - pursue or let go? How to remain spiritually 'above' this situation? I would appreciate your help.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  4 роки тому +1

      Thanks Unoperatic! (Fun name BTW!) As to your question, the dharma of early Buddhism doesn't really give specific recommendations for cases like these, it only counsels broad strategies. For example, we read in the first chapter of the Dhammapada:
      “He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me.” Those who harbor such thoughts do not still their hatred.
      “He abused me, he struck me, he overpowered me, he robbed me.” Those who do not harbor such thoughts still their hatred.
      Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.
      suttacentral.net/dhp1-20/en/buddharakkhita
      You said as much in saying you felt less stressed and anxious when you stopped dwelling in such thoughts. It can be hard to do, but unless you really feel that you can make things better by devoting yourself to correcting these ills, it's probably best to move on with life. This isn't a clear recommendation, since each case is different and sometimes it really is better to take a stand. But generally speaking letting things go is probably better. Either way I wouldn't try to spiritually bypass the situation, that only makes it worse. (I have a video on spiritual bypassing that you can look up if you are interested).

    • @unoperatic2800
      @unoperatic2800 4 роки тому

      Hi Dough, I hope you've had a pleasant weekend. Thank you very much for your generous answer. I'm preparing other questions in my head in the meantime but it takes me a bit of time to really grasp and understand what I want to ask next. You'll hear from me soon if that's okay.

  • @ZoranRadakovic84
    @ZoranRadakovic84 5 років тому +1

    Very nice video. An idea for next topic. I am not a vegetarian but I was always woundeting how come Buddha, influenced by Hindu and Sick religions, did not propose vegetarianism for his religion. What were his arguments against that.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому

      Thanks Zoran. I did a video on a similar topic awhile back that might interest you: ua-cam.com/video/r5oncPD7jKo/v-deo.html . I'd only add that the belief systems at the Buddha's day that influenced him were Vedic Brahmanism (which predated Hinduism) and Jainism. Only Jainism was vegetarian. Vedic Brahmanism was not, and indeed was involved with animal sacrifice. The holiness of the cow was something that came well after the Buddha's lifetime.

  • @blackhunk2265
    @blackhunk2265 5 років тому +1

    Metta and karuna meaning loving kindness and compassion to self and others. Right behaviour and speech are positive result seen in the life of budddha.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому +1

      That's right Chando, thanks.

  • @joshrogers7816
    @joshrogers7816 5 років тому +4

    Excellent talk. It did make me wonder whether the notion of 'right speech' might end up as permission to proselyte. If someone believes they have right intention and are full of loving kindness and they come across me who to their mind is thinking unskillfully, then the right speech notion gives them the perceived right to 'convert' me to their way of thinking / believing all for the sake of making me more 'skillful' or 'saved'. It is easy to look back now at the Civil Rights movements of the 60's and say Of course this was the right thing but less easy to consider some of the issues of today and do right speech. Thank you for providing another thoughtful topic. I have much to mull over.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому +1

      You're very welcome Jano. Yes, proselytization is a delicate topic. The Buddha did send monastics out to teach the dhamma to people in distant lands, so he wasn't opposed to proselytization per se. But I think we have to do it in the right way, at the right time and place, or we will be hurting ourselves, annoying others, and doing the teaching a disservice.

  • @incollectio
    @incollectio 5 років тому

    Great exploration of the topic. The only concern I have with the idea that temporary disharmony may be necessary is that speech that is disharmony-generating can potentially feed disharmony-generating speech in people even when disharmony would not be necessary. How could we discern speech that contributes to necessary disharmony from speech that contributes to unnecessary disharmony (and that can feed other people to contribute to it as well)?

    • @incollectio
      @incollectio 5 років тому

      Or to put it another way: It seems to me that this idea of disharmony-generating speech being sometimes necessary could be argued by someone to a group that opposes some social justice issue. And if the same idea of disharmony-generating speech being sometimes necessary was adopted by both parties, the result might be only disharmony-generating speech all around, the necessity of which would be hard to see?

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому +1

      It's a good question incollectio, but not one that can be answered in the abstract, I'm afraid. This is the kind of thing that has to be dealt with in the circumstance, and requires wisdom and skill to do properly.

    • @incollectio
      @incollectio 5 років тому +1

      @@DougsDharma Thank you for your thoughts. That seems to me to be the case as well. I just hope that the people who adopt this view of disharmony-generating speech being sometimes necessary have the additional wisdom and skill to utilize it properly. Otherwise, it can easily backfire. I think empirical research could contribute here as well, insofar as it can tell of the likely consequences of various kinds of speech in different situations.

  • @stevevest7206
    @stevevest7206 4 роки тому +1

    You make a very good point about the Buddha and people misrepresenting his teachings. Long ago I read a sutta of the Buddha reacting to this and I would have characterized his response as angry.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  4 роки тому

      Yes, if it was not angry (and the tradition supposes it was not) then at least it was a stern form of kindness.

  • @blackhunk2265
    @blackhunk2265 5 років тому +1

    Do you know people who are .practicing metta and katuna?

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому +1

      Yes of course Chando. Many people are, though imperfectly at times. 🙂

  • @ConexionHumanaOficial
    @ConexionHumanaOficial 5 років тому +2

    Good afternoon my great teacher. I've heard this class four times in order to understand better, not only because my short fluent English lenguage speaking, but in reference to my little knowledge in this matter, and what I understood is so useful to me, and marvelous too, because promoting social justice has been very important in my whole life and I try to do my best not only for me, but for every body in this world who likes to give and receive in the most ways is possible, and always including gratitude. Lotus for you. Evangelina Cortes.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому

      Thanks Evangelina, that is wonderful to hear. 🙏

  • @utkarshsingh-rp2dq
    @utkarshsingh-rp2dq 4 роки тому +1

    but how do you choose as to what is right or wrong? maybe you think you on the right side of the coin but you could be wrong and the other way around?

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  4 роки тому

      Check out the Buddha's advice to the Kālāmas for an idea: ua-cam.com/video/Aa5cyQBBy-g/v-deo.html

  • @eiffe
    @eiffe 5 років тому +4

    I enjoyed your episode on Buddhist right speech. But when you allow 'certain groups' to use divisive speech based on immutable characteristics, doing so violates the Golden Rule, which is quite important in Buddhism, if I'm not mistaken. Who gets to decide who is marginalized? A privileged female professor of color shaming white workers on twitter for a trait they were born with and didn't necessarily benefit from isn't going to further any mutual understanding, on the contrary.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому +4

      Hi Dennis and thanks for your questions. The issues in this case do not involve divisive speech; it is not speech that divides, but instead that strives to bring people together in shared understanding of the harm that is done by wrong thought and wrong action based in ignorance.

  • @thearchivist2238
    @thearchivist2238 5 років тому +3

    I appreciate the point of your video. But not all of use find the notions under the banner of "social justice" to be wholesome.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому

      Indeed so Archivist. Thanks for your thoughts.

  • @blackhunk2265
    @blackhunk2265 5 років тому +3

    Mature . Scholarly speech on right speech in buddha's teachings .
    Tipitak is book mentioned rightiousness for common man to bhikkhus.

  • @SBCBears
    @SBCBears 5 років тому

    Are there not two kinds of right speech?

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому +3

      Which two kinds are you thinking of Crow? Traditionally right speech has four characteristics: that it be true, beneficial, said with good will, and meaningful.

    • @SBCBears
      @SBCBears 5 років тому +1

      @@DougsDharma Well, I've surprised myself and given this some thought, as you see.

      The right speech of the non-awakened (puthujjana) is known as "mundane right speech". The right speech of the awakened (ariyan) is known as "ariyan right speech". The Great Forty (suttacentral.net/mn117/en/bodhi) directly addresses the differences between mundane and ariyan right speech.
      Recall that puthujjanas see only the five aggregates which are determined by 1/ignorance, 2/desire or grasping and 3/hatred or aversion-- a puthujjana's understanding is ALWAYS conditioned by them.
      Ariyans see beyond the five aggregates and dispell ignorance. Even ariyans not yet fully awake have penetrated beyond the ignorance that always clouds a puthajjana's view. Ariyans see the Dhamma.
      The first step on the Noble Eightfold Path is Right View. As ariyans apply Right View to the remaining aggregates, Right Speech develops.
      Much of the Pali Canon addresses puthujjanas, but they cannot truly understand the part of the Canon that addresses ariyans. And, we cannot merely think or read our way into ariyan understanding-- that will merely proliferate the aggregates because of ignorance. Ignorance of what? Ignorance of Ariyan Right View or, one could say, ignorance of the Dhamma. That's why Right View enables one to see the Dhamma-- in fact, they are one and the same.
      The only way to escape the aggregates is stream-entry. Before that, all intentional acts, mental or physical, result in further attachment and kamma.
      The Kalama Sutta (suttacentral.net/an3.65/en/sujato) is a helpful reminder to avoid trying to merely think our way into understanding.
      Our intentional acts create kamma and have repercussions we cannot anticipate. Kamma created out of ignorance, desire and aversion, that is the kamma of puthajjanas, should be warily avoided unless it is directed at understanding the Dhamma. The responsibility for our kamma is ours alone. So is the responsibility for our awakening.
      Not understanding Dhamma, puthajjanas are likely to go on a warpath because they are engrossed in undispelled ignorance, desire and hatred-- their kamma and its results are inconceivable. Harsh speech, no matter the intent, is kamma.
      Being an arahant, the Buddha's speech, harsh or otherwise, is unaffected by kamma. Unless you are an arahant, you will incur inconceivable karma from speech.

    • @SBCBears
      @SBCBears 5 років тому +1

      I should add that there is no instance that the Buddha spoke in anger. He did speak very directly sometimes when admonishing bhikkhus, but taking a bhikku"s daunted response as indicating the Buddha was angry is merely an assumption.
      If you read suttacentral.net/mn117/en/bodhi you will see that right speech is characterized by "absence of harsh speech". Right speech must be more than merely beneficial, it must be beneficial for both parties. If your speech is harsh, it hurts yourself.

    • @miguelatkinson
      @miguelatkinson 20 днів тому

      ​@@SBCBearssounds like a bunch of spiritual elitism

  • @rogeredwards4871
    @rogeredwards4871 5 років тому

    I thought one of Buddhas 3 temptations was social obligation...doing what the society tells you you should do

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому

      Do you have a citation for that roger? I am not familiar with such a teaching from the early suttas.

  • @blackhunk2265
    @blackhunk2265 5 років тому +1

    Cast e syste m vs. Self purification.

    • @DougsDharma
      @DougsDharma  5 років тому +2

      Yes, the caste system is another example where society would be made better through the kind of just thought and action that the Buddha recommended. That was the central aim of Dr. Ambedkar's work: ua-cam.com/video/qlH_qieCgCA/v-deo.html

    • @blackhunk2265
      @blackhunk2265 5 років тому

      @@DougsDharma Mr. Doug, i am happy to see here, you are aware of Dr. Ambedkar and his works and contributions. I am from the same...

    • @shwetatayde8118
      @shwetatayde8118 4 роки тому

      @@blackhunk2265 I am currently reading Buddha and his Dhamma, so much to contemplate so much of learning and unlearning and relearning . My family also practices Vipassana meditation. Jai Bhim

  • @pureheart2538
    @pureheart2538 4 роки тому

    I saw many forigner become monk and not really understand the right speech alwsy not respectful I stop to go temple of bad people who think they are monk It fake monk