As we seek to live a spiritually awakened life, one of the most essential areas to be conscious of is our speech. Our words can be powerful; they carry the energy of the soul and are an intermediate stage between thought and manifestation. Words as sound vibration are energetically rooted in the primal sound of Om, the subtle substance of all creation. Therefore, they can be vehicles for creative energy. Being aware that our speech has creative power, we learn to make sure it is truthful, free from causing harm and spoken with clear intention.
Wisely Directing Our Speech
There are some specific ways we can cultivate conscious speech. The first is to avoid insincere speech. Insincere speech may take the form of patterns like sarcasm or flattery. Such use of words only breeds difficulty. While it may seem harmless enough, the energy and intent behind the words must be considered. With sarcasm, people put something forth as a joke but in truth, there is often anger or ridicule involved. When examined, we find that such speech is certainly not uplifting and it may be harmful to both the speaker and to others if they are the subject of it. When flattery is examined, underneath we generally find some form of manipulation. Paramahansa Yogananda counseled, “Be sincere with everyone. You can get along with most people if you flatter them. But that destroys the character of both the giver and the receiver.” There is no problem with sincerely acknowledging others. Flattery is different. It is praise given in order to cajole or persuade someone. It is using the power of words indirectly, thus not in a straightforward, positive way.
We can be intentional with our words and let them serve truth. This can be accomplished by thinking carefully before speaking and making sure that what we say is, in fact, what we intend. And, once we have spoken the word, it is important to follow through with what our words have put in motion, whenever that is required. Keeping our agreements, following through on the promise of our spoken word, supports the vitality of our speech. Sometimes people wonder why they are not more effective with their practices of affirmation, why they don’t seem to bring forth the positive results they seek. This may be because we can’t separate out only some parts of our speech as true and powerful. We must develop that powerful relationship with our words by seeing them through consistently. If we speak without clear intention, and don’t follow through, then we undermine our own belief in the power of our word. When we choose our words carefully and follow through with what we say, we build confidence in the strength of our word and our will. This contributes to our ability to creatively bring forth positive results in our life.
As we reflect on our habits of speech, there is one final area to explore that is of great importance. That is, how we speak of ourselves. The phrase “I am” is declarative—it signifies our spiritual nature, our eternal existence as expressions of the life of God. When we use that expression, we can be mindful to only speak the word of truth about ourselves. Use the phrase affirmatively, evoking innate divine qualities and strengths. It should not be used to limit or to identify oneself negatively. Use well chosen words to uplift, to encourage, and to support reaching toward that which you aspire.
Think About It: Skillful speech, the Buddha told us, has four qualities: It is always truthful. It is uplifting, not malicious or unkind. It is gentle, not crude or harsh. It is moderate, not useless or meaningless.
–Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
Be Inspired: Any word spoken with clear realization and deep concentration has a materializing value.
– Paramahansa Yogananda
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