Cattāri Brahmavihārā

It’s the day after Christmas and although I don’t really celebrate the holiday (beyond getting together with family) and despite the fact that I never stopped working altogether I am feeling somewhat disappointed to have to go back to work. It’s strange to me and certainly a vestige of my childhood conditioning but would be compelling enough to determine the course of my day were I not to have shone the light of awareness on it.

In regard to my resolve to abstain from complaining and unskillful speech, I as yet am finding it a fertile and rich source of inspiration. This particular training rule is especially relevant to me as complaining is one of my ways of interacting and bonding with others which was learned from a very young age. Included in this is sarcasm, snide and cutting remarks and a host of other unskillful verbal behaviors. For a long time I have struggled to put Right Speech into practice so I hope that this aditthana will help me to get a foothold. Furthermore, how can I claim to be cultivating the brahmaviharas when my very speech is often belittling, derisive and hurtful? The truth is that I can’t and although it may be “too hard” for me to relinquish being a funny guy I can certainly stop being a “whiner.”

May I be ever mindful of my words and may I speak only from care and concern. May I abandon the three poisonous roots of speech and cultivate the path to liberation.

Musavada veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami.
Pisunaya vacaya veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami.
Pharusaya vacaya veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami.
Sampapphalapa veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami.