You all enlightened!
I have been reading How to Train a Wild Elephant by Jan Chozen Bays MD. In chapter three she talks about using filler words in our conversations. Words that don’t add to a conversation, but stall for time while we think of what to say. her final words for the chapter are a quote from Zen Master Suzuki Roshi “I think your all enlightened until you open your mouths”. I started to think of filler words, then went beyond, to thinking of things we say that are not needed. Gossip is the first useless speech that came to mind. It is not wholesome and can cause suffering, so if we concentrate on not gossiping, we won’t be using conversational fillers. To be aware of our speech, means we are aware of our thoughts, as these precede speech. Not gossiping would make you a happier person, as no one will be offended by you, talking about them. You might not end up in the position of having to defend what you said, or apologize. So show the world you have taken a step towards enlightenment, and help eliminate gossip, as well as umm, ah, you know.