“What do you Buddhists believe?”

A foolproof way 

to avoid bad speech karma.

One day, I awoke to discover that I had lost my voice. Panic quickly set in. But I soon realized a benefit to my newfound voiceless state. Since I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t say anything I would regret.

I couldn’t get myself into trouble! 

Buoyed by my newfound realization, I grabbed a pen and pad for when I needed to communicate with others. After my first written conversation, I concluded that it would be tough to disagree with someone if you couldn’t speak. Talking is quick and easy. Writing takes time! Blurting out a dissenting opinion is instantaneous. Having to write it down, you will soon conclude that an argument is just more trouble than it’s worth. 

How much easier to smile and get along with the other person.

Now, I admit that losing one’s voice is an extreme way of avoiding bad verbal karmas. But we don’t need to lose our voice to achieve the same result. We can just talk less. A lot less. And honestly, most of the talking we deem necessary is, in reality, pretty much unnecessary.

In the face of unfolding destiny,

we hold the future in our hands.

It can be very difficult to decide what to do when so much of what we encounter in life is grey and so little is black and white. 

When faced with myriad choices, and none seem to clearly be the right one, we need to remind ourselves that we will end up doing what is destined to happen. And because of this, we may think that we do not have an active choice in the outcome. Unpleasantness? Merriment? It was destined to happen!

We are wrong. The part we play in the current unfolding destiny will go towards creating our own future destiny and is thus vitally important.

For instance, (1) did I hurt the person because I gave in to my anger and didn’t care what I said, and so the event unfolded as destined? 

Or, (2) no matter how much I cared and tried to act wisely, my efforts failed. The event unfolded as destined: I hurt the person. 

If I do the first, I’m walking the path of more suffering. If I do the second, I am on the path of reducing my future suffering.