Buddhism for Everyone with JoAnn Fox

The Buddha, in his gentle wisdom, offered us a path to mindful speech through what he called "The Five Gatekeepers of Speech." These gatekeepers stand like sentinels, reminding us to pause before we speak. We ask ourselves:

Is it true?

Is it kind?

Is it beneficial?

Is it necessary?

Is it the right time?

Our speech, whether it lands on another's heart or drifts unnoticed through the air, always leaves its karmic mark on us. If we are kind to others with our speech, we create causes for our own happiness. When we are unkind to others, we create suffering for ourselves.

Words are the most powerful tool we carry, shaping not only the world around us but also the spirit within us. With every sentence, we build up or break down—not just others but ourselves. This power is so profound because we wield it constantly. Each time we speak, we either sow seeds of healing or harm. And those words linger. Even when forgotten by others, their echoes remain within us, shaping our character--shaping our future.

Beautiful speech

Beautiful mind

Beautiful world

The Buddha taught us to tend to our speech mindfully, as one would a garden. The mind, planted with our words, will grow the fruits we eventually consume. So, let us speak with intention, knowing that every word has the power to uplift or diminish, and in the end, each of us must live among the gardens we plant.

Whoever speaks 

What is true, informative, and not harsh, 

Who gives offense to no one, 

I call a brahmin.

--Buddha, The Dhammapada (Verse 408)

 

The Five Gatekeepers of Speech 

Buddha taught that we should check that our speech passes through these five gates before we speak:

Is it true?
Is it kind?
Is it beneficial?
Is it necessary?
Is it the right time?

 

The Four Downfalls of Speech

Lying

Divisive speech

Harsh speech

Idle gossip 

References and Links

Buddha.The Dhammapada. Translated by Gil Fronsdale. (Kindle). Shambala, Boston and London, 2011.

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Metta, or loving-kindness, is a beautiful practice in Buddhism that calls on the heart to soften, to expand, to reach out with the wish for others’s happiness and well-being. It’s about nurturing love, not just for those who easily come to mind, but for everyone—the stranger, the difficult ones, and even ourselves.  Metta practice, at its core, is deeply intertwined with non-violence because it cultivates the kind of love that makes harm unthinkable. In a world that so often pushes us towards division, Metta reminds us to see the shared humanity in each person.

 

When you practice Metta, you are not just sending love out into the world, but you are transforming yourself. This practice dissolves the walls of anger, fear, and separation that lead to violence. It teaches us to see others not as enemies or obstacles, but as beings deserving of love, just like us. Non-violence isn't just the absence of harm; it’s the presence of compassion. Through Metta, we learn that the peace we long to see in our world begins within—through the quiet revolution of our hearts.

 

A Practice Metta

 

Metta Prayer

May all beings be peaceful.

May all beings be happy.

May all beings be safe.

May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature.

May all beings be free.

 

1. To practice the Metta Prayer begin by sitting comfortably, closing your eyes, and taking a deep breath. As you breathe, let the world fall away and center yourself in stillness. 

2. Start Metta with yourself—because, yes, you, too, deserve your own love and kindness. Silently repeat: May I be peaceful. May I be happy. May I be safe. May I awaken to the light of my true nature. May I be free. Let those words settle into your soul. Feel their warmth, their truth.

3. Then think of someone you love dearly, someone who brings you joy. Offer the same blessing to them: May you be peaceful. May you be happy. May you be safe. May you awaken to the light of your true nature. May you be free.

4. Next, turn to someone you feel neutral about, maybe a person you pass by daily but hardly notice. Offer the prayer to them, with sincerity: May you be safe. May you awaken to the light of your true nature. May you be free.

5. Then, in a brave act of compassion, think of someone who has hurt you, someone difficult. Send them these same loving-kind words. This is where true healing begins. May you be safe. May you awaken to the light of your true nature. May you be free.

6. Finally, let your love expand to include all beings everywhere, those you know and those you will never meet. Visualize the world bathed in the light of this blessing: May all beings be peaceful. May all beings be happy. May all beings be safe. May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature. May all beings be free.

You may not change the world in this moment, but you will have changed yourself—and in doing so, you sow the seeds of peace that ripple far beyond what you imagine.

Whoever is not mixed up with 

Householders or renunciants, 

Who has no abode and few desires, I call a brahmin. (404)* 

 

Having given up violence 

Toward beings both timid and strong, 

Whoever neither kills nor causes others to kill, I call a brahmin. (405)*

 

Whoever is unopposing among those who oppose, 

Peaceful among the violent, 

Not clinging among those who cling, I call a brahmin. (406)*

—Buddha, The Dhammapada

References and Links

 

Buddha.The Dhammapada. Translated by Gil Fronsdale. (Kindle). Shambala, Boston and London, 2011, pp. 78 (Link)

 

Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, by Je Tsongkhapa, Volume 1. Pages 222-223. Translated by the Lamrim Chenmo Translation Committee. Joshua Cutler, Editor-in-Chief, and Guy Newlan, Editor.

 

Ruiz, Don Miguel. The Four Agreements. Amer-Ellen Publishing, 2011. pp.  34-38.

 

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This episode explores how to make mindful choices that lead to happiness and well-being in the future. We can learn how to distinguish between virtuous actions and nonvirtuous actions Virtuous actions are those that lead to positive outcomes, both for oneself and others. They are rooted in wholesome mental states such as generosity, compassion, and wisdom. With mindfulness, we can detect whether our mind is in a virtuous mental state. Virtuous states of mind feel, like loving-kindness, feel pleasant and peaceful. 

 Conversely, non-virtuous actions are those that lead to negative outcomes, causing harm to oneself and others. They arise from unwholesome mental states such as greed, anger, and ignorance. Sometimes these "unwholesome mental states" are called "delusions" because they distort reality. Anger, for example, is a mental state that always sees its object as unpleasant, though no person or experience is innately unpleasant. When our mental state is non-virtuous, it feels uncomfortable and tight. Checking to see how we are feeling before we act will let us know if we're acting with a non-virtuous state of mind. When we act out of non-virtue, the result is harmful to us because it leads to suffering in our future (bad karma). 

A simple mindfulness practice of checking whether our choices will bring happiness or suffering in the future follows:

Before you act, ask yourself:

How does this make me feel?

Will it bring happiness to myself and others?

Is it the right time?

 Buddha gave a similar directive when talking about speech: 

“Monks, a statement endowed with five factors is well-spoken, not ill-spoken. It is blameless & unfaulted by knowledgeable people. Which five?

“It is spoken at the right time. It is spoken in truth. It is spoken affectionately. It is spoken beneficially. It is spoken with a mind of good-will.”

-- Buddha, The Vaca Sutra, AN 5.198

By consciously engaging in wholesome actions, nurturing positive mental states, and adhering to ethical principles, we can transform our lives and the effects we have on those around us. Let us commit to this journey of virtue, knowing that each step brings us closer to true happiness and enlightenment.

Him I call a brahmana, who is wise and is profound in his knowledge, 

who knows the right way from the wrong way, 

and who has attained the highest goal (i.e., arahatship). 

--Buddha, the Dhammapada Verse 403

References with Links

Buddha (1986).The Dhammapada: Verses and Stories. Translated by Daw Mya Tin, M.A. (Website). Edited by Editorial Committee, Burma Tipitaka Association Rangoon. Courtesy .of Nibbana.com. For free distribution only, as a gift of dhamma. Retrieved from https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=403

Buddha. Vaca Sutta, The Book of Fives, AN 5.198. suttacentral.net. Retrieved from: https://suttacentral.net/an5.198/en/thanissaro?lang=en&reference

Je Tsongkhapa (2014). Karma. Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, by Je Tsongkhapa, Volume 1 (Kindle). Translated by the Lamrim Chenmo Translation Committee. Joshua Cutler, Editor-in-Chief, and Guy Newlan, Editor.

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In this episode we explore one of the core teachings of the Buddha—the Five Aggregates and their connection to our problems and suffering.

The Buddha taught that life is pervaded by dukkha, which means dissatisfaction or suffering. More specifically, in the First Noble Truth, Buddha taught that “The five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.” These aggregates—form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness—are the parts that make our self. When our five aggregates, including our consciousness, are conditioned by ignorance, we experience an unenlightened life subject to dissatisfaction. 

In essence, our unenlightened life is suffering. 

Enlightened life is Nirvana, which is free of dissatisfaction and suffering. 

How do we experience an enlightened life? Buddha said that when we purify our aggregates of delusions, such as attachment and ignorance, we experience an enlightened life. 

In this episode, we begin a journey to purify our intentions and actions of delusions. JoAnn Fox teaches a simple way to check whether your intention is motivated by delusion. She also guides a meditation on this technique and offers a mindfulness practice for daily life.

The five aggregates are:

1. form

2. feeling

3. discrimination 

4. mental formations (or influences of a previous life, mental states or delusions) 

5. consciousness

Mindfulness Practice

1. Observe your intentions before acting by asking yourself “What are the consequences of this choice?” Will it bring happiness?

2. What is my intention?

Observe how you feel. Delusions make our minds uncomfortable. If we’re feeling uncomfortable, a delusion like anger or attachment is present in our minds, making our intention unskillful. This is a simple way to see if the intention is good or bad. 

Him I call a brahmana, who even in this existence realizes the end of dukkha (i.e., Nibbana), who has laid down the burden (of the skandhas) and who is free from moral defilements.

--Buddha, The Dhammapada, Verse 402

 

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Visit www.Buddhismforeveryone.comongoing-buddhist-study-program/ to enroll or learn more.

 

Find us at the links below: 

Website: BuddhismforEveryone.com

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Podcast Facebook Group: Join our private group at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanghatalk/

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