The Echo After The Word: A Dharma Talk On Right Speech

Every word leaves an echo. Some heal, some harm. In this Dharma talk, we explore Right Speech — the Buddha’s guidance on truth, kindness, and words that bring people together. Through story and reflection, we uncover how speech can be like a hammer that breaks, or a bell that awakens. May this teaching help you find clarity, compassion, and peace in your voice.

Transcript

Welcome.

Thank you for showing up.

Before we dive in,

Let's settle.

Sit however feels natural.

Rest your hands.

Unclench your jaw.

Let your shoulders drop.

Let the breath move on its own.

No forcing.

No control.

Just arrive.

Now,

Let's talk.

There's a saying I share with my students.

A hammer and a bell both make sound.

But the hammer strikes to break.

The bell rings to awaken.

Our words are like that.

Every word has weight.

Every word leaves an echo.

Some shatter.

Some awaken.

The Buddha called this right speech.

He laid it out plain.

Don't cut people down.

Don't stir division.

Don't waste life with empty chatter.

Instead,

Speak what's true.

Speak what's kind.

Speak what brings people together.

Speak what really matters.

Right now,

Speech in America is a mess.

It's a battlefield.

Scroll your feed.

Turn on the news.

You'll see it.

People using words like weapons tearing each other apart.

Very few speaking like bells.

Words that wake the mind.

That bring clarity and peace.

And yeah,

Legally,

You can say almost anything.

But spiritually,

Ethically,

Every word you put out carries weight.

And that weight doesn't disappear.

It shapes the air long after you've left the room.

So here's my question for you.

What kind of echo do your words make?

What kind of echo do your words leave?

When you talk to your child,

Your partner,

When you talk to yourself,

That constant voice in your own head,

Is it the hammer?

Or the bell?

Try something simple.

Before you speak,

Pause and ask.

If all three check out,

Let it ring like a bell.

If not,

Hold silence.

Sometimes silence is the cleanest kind of speech.

Because our voices carry fire.

Use well,

They heal.

So may we learn to speak like bells,

Not hammers.

May our words ring with clarity.

Compassion and peace in this noisy world.

And may the echoes we leave behind be worthy of the people we love and the path we walk.

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